FHA taking the lead in lifting communities from all forms of poverty

COMMENT | Elizabeth Patience |  At the mention of poverty, most people’s minds rush to finances – money, money, money – and we forget other aspects of social poverty, that is spiritual poverty and mental well-being. Biblically, the love for money is the source of all evil, 1Timothy 6:9-10!

The physical and mental wellbeing of people plays a vital role when it comes to graduating communities from all forms of poverty. Since 2023, the Food for the Hungry Association (FHA) is taking the lead on focusing on this, in communities across Uganda.

At the heart of Bukiende sub-county, Mbale district for example, is Bukiende Health Center III. Not very far from now, mothers in Bukiende subcounty often found challenges not only accessing quality health care but limited services at the health facility too. Discharging a mother soon after delivery was the order of the day, mothers sharing a labour suite was no surprise either though so disturbing.

Bukiende subcounty grappled with limited access to quality healthcare services! In addition to mothers covering very long distances to the health facility, the roads are very bad with bodabodas as the only means of transport available. If labour started at night or when rains have visited, it was a matter of death and life. If only they would struggle with reaching the facility to calming quality care! Running out of health supplies drug stick outs, limited equipment and staffing weren’t any different from many other health facilities across my country-Uganda!

Despite being one of the biggest sub-counties in Mbale district, the health facility had one delivery room, no maternity ward and one midwife. Health workers would have no option but to discharge mothers moments after delivery since they had admission facilities. Post-natal care was equally laden, as mothers could not afford to return, more so with the bad roads using boda bodas. In addition to not embracing antenatal care, mothers delivering from home was common as they shunned sharing a labour suite!

Much appreciated is Tabitha Namono – a midwife that has withstood all odds to support motherhood in Bukiende – your unwavering support is not in vain; blessings follow you. Often mothers would be many, but Tabitha always found a way of supporting them.

While medics at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital did ward rounds to find out how their patients are doing physically, interacting with them, Namono would spare some airtime to call her mothers to find out how they are doing since she could not retain them at the health facility. Believe me you, it makes a difference when the doctor talks to you directly, feeling your temperature with that soft touch. Its magical, Dr.Tee please always ‘touch ko’ your patients if you have not been doing it!.

In the year 2023, FHA came as a blessing, constructing and equipping the maternity ward at Bukiende Health center III in addition to constructing a 4 stance latrine, an incinerator, and the placenta pit. FHA further supported the facility with equipment, including delivery beds, patient monitors among others.

FHA has also established the Infant and Young Child Feeding corner (IYCF) corner at the facility from where mothers are equipped with knowledge and skills on proper nutrition. In collaboration with the health facility, FHA has established a kitchen garden at the facility to aid practical IYCF practical demonstration. Mothers can happily come to the facility to deliver assured of privacy, enough maternity ward and clean environment. This has surely excited other mothers who previously shunned delivering at the health facility for lack of privacy and braving the boda boda ride after delivery. FHA, through the care group model promotes optimal feeding and equips mothers with various skills including IPTG.FHA believes that poverty eradication begins with the first 1000 days of life, thus empowering mothers and fathers not to miss optimizing those days.

Crossing to the Sebei region, Moyok sub-county celebrates the construction of the maternity ward at Moyo HCIII. The facility was equally equipped with the maternity ward structure, weighing scales and delivery beds, among others. FHA did not forget establishing the IYCF corner where mothers are equipped with knowledge on optimal feeding. FHA is set to establish the kitchen garden at Moyok Health Centre too, though they are still figuring it out given the rocky ground and having no fence to protect it from animals in addition to the long but small unauthorised hands, chei!.

FHA seeks to graduate communities from all forms of extreme poverty acknowledging that a healthy mind, a healthy body are flourishing individuals that fight poverty. Crossing over from the east, follow me for FHA at a glance in Karamoja and the northern region.

While we appreciate FHA for the resilient support, we uphold all stakeholders that create an enabling environment for all communities to flourish. Hopefully the communities will surely embrace this with agency to graduate from extreme poverty and flourish. Bravo FHA – ending all forms of poverty, one at a time.

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The writer is a Public Health Specialist.