Care for All: Build a Mobile Clinic for Rural Gulu

On 27th February 2026, the Unyama Clinic team set off for CUK Oddii Market, a lively trading center where hundreds of vendors gather every market day. This outreach was part of our February calendar, designed to bring essential health services closer to the people who need them most. Our intention was simple yet powerful — create awareness, offer care, and build trust within the community.

With this, we fueled our journey, mobilized the village health teams, fed the staff on duty, and made sure that communication lines stayed open throughout the exercise.

When we arrived, the market was already buzzing with traders arranging their produce, buyers bargaining, and children running between stalls. This made it the perfect place to engage people of all age groups — especially those who might not find time to visit a health facility.

Our objectives for the day were clear: raise awareness about our eye care services, encourage maternal and child health care, promote family planning, and remind the community about clinic day activities. We also planned to hold a short baraza — a community dialogue — to listen, learn, and address health concerns collectively.

The turnout was encouraging. By the end of the day, 64 clients had been served. Many came specifically for eye screening, which saw an impressive response. Several clients were referred for laboratory tests or specialized care, and a number of them also purchased prescribed medication on-site. Mothers used the opportunity to register for antenatal care, while others took up family planning methods. We also conducted NCD screenings, administered immunizations, and spoke to parents about the school health package, helping them understand how to better support the well-being of their children.

The outreach clearly indicated a demand for health services among community members.

More importantly, the activity achieved its mission: improving community awareness and providing critical services to people who may otherwise go months without screenings or consultations. The integration of different health services — from eye care to maternal health, from chronic disease screening to child immunization — demonstrated our commitment to holistic, accessible care.

As we wrapped up the day, one thing was clear: outreach activities remain a vital link between the clinic and the community. They help us meet people in their everyday environments, break down access barriers, and build a foundation of trust that encourages long-term care-seeking behavior.

Moving forward, we hope to strengthen our mobilization efforts to draw even larger crowds. We also aim to improve follow-up for clients who were referred or began ANC registration. Finally, we plan to capture lessons learned from this outreach to make future activities even more effective, impactful, and community-driven.