When our co-founder lost four sisters to preventable/treatable diseases in her home village, we built a health clinic. The Bupoto clinic sees 10,000 patients a year, including many students and young adults. We also built a health clinic at our school in another village, when it became apparent children were struggling in school due to health concerns. The Clinic also provides training and volunteer experience by hosting college and secondary students on break each year.
Malaria and respiratory illnesses keep children out of school, so their life prospects are limited. Basic health care is needed so children survive and stay in school. There are no quality health clinics in the area, so we built one. The clinic also provides job experience for our students. A nurse who graduated from our school works at the clinic; students on break and secondary school graduates who have a seven month gap before college could work at the clinic, gaining skills.
The availability of a clinic saves many lives and lessens human suffering. It also provides an opportunity for our students to gain valuable job experience on school breaks and during the long gap (7 months) before university starts. While the students are not doctors (yet), they could learn a lot about health care by assisting at the clinic and accompanying health educators and HIV/AIDs counselors. The students also get valuable health lessons for themselves.
The village and nearby area is healthier, and young people gain valuable job experience which should help them decide what career to pursue, and help them get permanent jobs.
