By Hope Tayebwa | Project Cordinator
Special Hearts to Nurture Every Child (SHiNE Child) Program Update – January 2026
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your continued support towards families of children with serious illnesses in Southwestern Uganda who are part of the SHiNE Child Program. At the Palliative Care Association of Uganda (PCAU), we believe every child deserves dignity, hope, and the chance to realize their full potential. With your help, we have been strengthening community navigation structures for children diagnosed with lifelimiting illnesses.
About our 2-Day Workshop for SHiNE
As we began 2026, we held a twoday meeting with nurses and project implementors from four different districts. We reviewed our practice in 2025 and planned for the year ahead. We agreed that every resource entrusted to us must reach the children and families who need it most.
The workshop focused on strengthening implementation and developing communication materials; a brochure and fact sheet that will raise awareness, mobilize resources, and ensure communities and partners understand SHiNE’s mission.
Brief Background on how SHiNE started
SHiNE program began in 2020 during the COVID19 pandemic, with Brighton as the first child to be enrolled. He was discovered deep in his village, seriously ill with cancer, while his family struggled to afford transport and hospital care. Nakasita, a Palliative Care nurse reached out to PCAU, and we stepped in to provide transport to the hospitalmedical support and other basic needs enabling Brighton to receive treatment. His story revealed the urgent need to help more children in similar circumstances in Western Uganda, and from that realization, SHiNE Child was born. Since then, we have supported over 67 children with medical care, transport, patient navigation, and school enrollment.
Key Discussion Areas during the workshop
During the workshop, nurses shared stories of children whose lives have been transformed, while also pointing out challenges such as funding delays, stigma, myths about cancer, and hospital gaps. We emphasized accountability and agreed that community stakeholders like Village Health Teams, herbalists, church leaders, schools, and local councils play a critical role in early identification and reducing stigma. We also mapped out donor engagement strategies, including partnerships with Rotary and Lions Clubs, universities, banks, and churches.
Our plan and commitment
As PCAU, we are committed to expanding coverage in order to offer support to many more sick children, strengthening accountability, and advocating for improved hospital services. Above all, we reaffirmed that children living with cancer and other chronic illnesses deserve dignity, care, and joy.
How you can support
We invite you our donors and partners to join us in sustaining and fulfilling our mission of pioneering community navigation initiative to address the pressing challenges faced by families with seriously sick children in Uganda. Every contribution helps ensure that no child faces cancer alone.
If you wish to donate towards this project, please visit: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/shine-child-program/ use the link SHiNE Child Program - GlobalGiving or click here https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/shine-child-program/
We appreciate you dearly.
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