Help Families with Nodding Syndrome in N Uganda

Project: Supporting Families of Children suffering from Nodding Syndrome.

Report compiled by Aloyo Innocent Jessie, Project Leader: River Fund HIV/AIDs Family Support Women Association, Kitgum.
Report period: November-January 2017

Background.

The River Fund HIV/AIDs Family Support Association is a Community Based Organization (CBO) founded in 2007 by committed and motivated women to contribute towards improving the quality of life of persons infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and life threatening diseases, through educating and empowering the women and girls on HIV/AIDs Long Term Survival Skills, sponsorship and mentorship of girls in schools, economic empowerment and livelihood enhancement for self-reliance through seeds provision, training in kitchen gardening and support to malnourished children through provision of trainings in nutrition, and provision of basic items like soap, sugar, cooking oil, salt.
The organisation envisions a just and caring society where people yearn to help one another and realize that every human being is connected to one another for a change in the world with values such as: sharing, Love, Non-Discrimination, Humility, Peace, Non Violence, Justice, Inclusiveness, Service, Dedication, Honesty, Transparency, and Compassion.

Activities carried out this quarter.

1. Training on nutrition.
To empower the women and girls, the project conducted training in Nutrition 20 care givers.Te caregivers who comprised of 18 women and 2 men expressed their appreciation to the group for the knowledge in providing a balanced meal within the families’ means.

The session characterized the foods into Energy Giving, Body building and protective foods and also explained the importance of having each in their daily menu where possible. The challenge is that most of the protective foods are seasonal fruits that require the families to spend money to buy them in times when it is not the season for them in the region.

2. Provision of food and non food items.
Giving of Christmas packages to families of NS patients to enable them have a decent meal. With the belief that there is more happiness in sharing and giving, the Association provided food items and non food items to those households in need in the eve of Christmas for them to take to their families and together have at least a better meal as they celebrate the holiday.

A total of 25 households received these packages (5kgs-Rice, 5kgs-Sugar, 5pkts-Salt, 3ltrs-cooking oil, 5kgs-beans, 1basin-fish, 10kgs-Posho, and 4bars-washing Soap each) as well as sanitary towels for the adolescent girls.
With as little as a kilogram of rice, we put a smile on the faces of these needy children and caregivers.

Achievements.

20 care givers were trained on proper feeding and care for children suffering from Nodding syndrome.
25 households received both food and non food items
11 teenage girls received 3 packets of sanitary pads each.

Challenges.

Funding received could not support more than 25 households despite the many households having children suffering from Nodding syndrome.
The funding could not allow us do the by-monthly distribution as planned.
The distribution of 5kgs of food items is not adequate to feed a household of more than 8 children for 3 months before the next distribution.

Conclusion.

We are so thankful to Global Giving and the River Fund for this support. We could not have done this without all of your support and big hearts for the suffering in our community!