Day Three Wheelchair Distribution

1. KUMI COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FEBRUARY 2020 DIARYMonday 10 February 2020Day Three of the wheelchair distribution started with half the team attending Morning Assembly for the formal introduction to the staff while the rest of the team were “setting up shop” The first few hopeful recipients were already in the reception area including “my boy”, Moses, who needed new elbow crutches as those which he had been given at the last Wheels visit were definitely past their best. Today we were going to complete his preparations for admittance to his new secondary school in Kumi Town. The day started with the morning prayer, singing and dancing with the team, hospital staff and those waiting to be seen, a boisterous affair to set the scene for the day. Martin, from the Soroti branch of the national newspaper, New Vision, arrived to interview the team and went away with stories written by Peter and Hannah who are writing case studies of certain patients. We look forward to its publication but we realise that the article will only be a small percentage of what he was told. The day commenced and soon the team worked in harmony with the hospital staff. People crawled, were carried, young and old and all were seen by the therapists who took meticulous attention to the fitting of wheelchair to patient. Instruction on the use of the chairs and mobility aids was given and, finally, the patient and chair with parent or attendant would leave very happy with the result. The two Dutch medics joined us and they were soon engrossed in the workshop adjusting chairs, cutting foam etc. I was presented with a live chicken in appreciation for a previous visit we had made to the home of a cerebral palsy child who had progressed from a CP chair and now needed a wheelchair. The chicken stayed with legs tied together in a corner of the workshop until I had time to carry this squawking bird by its feet to Margaret, the ex-leprosy lady who is caring for her friend with such dreadful suppurating ulcers on hands and feet caused by leprosy. I needed to attend to Moses so we went to town to buy the rest of his requirements; a mattress to be covered due to his incontinence, shoes, size 42 black (£5.00), counter books and pens. The rest he had and we could now drop him off where he stays. Meanwhile, the team were continuing with the continual queue of expectant recipients who were all fed with a plateful of beans and posho. Some of the WFTW team wanted to visit the families in their homes so Hannah, Neil, Carole, Ruth and I set off with Peter, our driver, past the hospital farm with its fields of cows, to Oseere where we found the home of baby, James, only a month old and with multiple disabilities including a bilateral a cleft palate. The mother had visited the hospital and had been shown how to breast feed her baby as suckling is difficult with this condition and also how to use a spoon and dried milk. He would be seen by the Interplast UK team later in the year. The 3 year old girl, Rose, had similar disabilities and it was decided that the feet may be improved by plastering so they were referred to Olliver, the hospital Orthopaedic Officer for assessment. The hard-working husband was a boda boda man doing his level best for his family but life was hard. The family unit was strong with mother and father obviously devoted to their children. Most of his earnings was used to buy the baby milk with little left to feed the family of six. Funding for a goat for James and a little money was received gratefully. On to Mukuru where we followed up Eroput Robert who we had given a tricycle. He was busy with his business repairing bicycles and was so happy now he could ride along the roads rather than crawl. Time was limited and we could only stop by at a trading station where we found Anyait Sarah in her new wheelchair and mother who works on the veranda with her sewing machine to make her living. It was straight back to the Guest House as Dr Robert, Medical Director, was waiting for us to have a meeting together. This was fruitful and friendly and he was grateful for the support we give the Kumi community. Quite a day and sleep was oh so welcome!

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