Lake Victoria Island Medical Outreaches

Hi again,

I am on the last leg of this year's mission trip....last but not least is my visit to Lake Victoria Island Outreaches - facilitated by Calvary Chapel Entebbe and their nurse Dianne. Hope 2 One Life sends quarterly support to this mission, so it is good to visit and see for myself what is going on.... a lot and amazing.

Lake Victoria is a very large lake and borders several African countries...Uganda being one of them. It is here that we are accessing the lake via the church property at CC-Entebbe...who also supplies the boat to reach these islands.

The islands are inhabited by very poor people, predominantly fishermen and their families, transients and those running from the law. There is no infrastructure on most of them to speak of...as in no running water or clean water (the lake is also totally contaminated!), no electricity, no sanitation, very little hygiene or garbage control and no health care. The children have been known to be very very sick, there is a lot of HIV as you can imagine in small island areas...and no money to even get a boat ride to the mainlands for medical care. Usually they are near death or have died when they have arrived the hospital. Then the patient is dropped off and left without any help or food or money....only to maybe be checked on or picked up in 2 weeks again when another boat arrives the mainland...and that is a big maybe. There are no schools either. So you can just imagine....

Nurse Dianne and member of Calvary Chapel Entebbe church has had it on her heart to begin outreaches in the islands for a long time and started this in 2007. She organized the ministry of health to provide vaccines, malaria meds, vitamin A, and de-worm medication. She also organized Mildmay International to provide 2 nurses and HIV meds, prophylaxis, general medical treatment, testing, counselling and education. It has been going on well and many have been impacted. I will be writing a full report.

The day began beautifully with big bright sunny blue skies....as 12 of us embarked on a wooden boat made by hand in a canoe like fashion. Yes, it was leaky but if floated! The engine mostly worked and an hour later we arrived on island where half of the team consisting of nurses, a medical officer and volunteer got off to do that island outreach of vaccinations and medical treatment. The rest of us in group 2 continued on to the adjacent island...smaller and even poorer if you can imagine. This image coming up to the islands are with boats all wooden in the shape of canoes, many makeshift nets, children and people in and out of boats and water....and fish along the shores. The houses are made of wooden slates and plastic with garbage on top of the roofs...I think to hold the plastic down. In fact there was garbage every where!

We set up in a small area with a small bench. ...tubs of supplies and even a hanging weight with a seat to weigh the babies with! We walked through the area with trails of children holding my hands of following behind to let them know we were there...and little by little the mothers or fathers with children arrived carrying their immunization cards. The team kept medical books on all of them and registration books so as to keep track of records. Amazingly, none of these kids were immunized prior to these teams coming out to vaccinate and treat them! Yet you could see by there cards, they came faithfully each time the team came (monthly) for the boosters of polio, tetanus, MMR etc as needed. I worked on evaluation of the sick ones....and most were children with GI complaints which was not unusual given the lack of clean water, sanitaiton and hygiene. I wanted so badly to start teaching right then and there....however, did not want to step on toes....
It is difficult at best in this setting I am told for anyone to comply as the population is transient especially in off fishing season.

The track record shows dramatic improvement in the health just with the vaccinations and ealier treatment of illness. The outreaches make a huge difference and the administer of the hospital tells me there is much less admissions in Entebbe and much less sick patients being dropped off practically dead. He is very supportive of continuing the support from Minsity of Health with providing vaccines etc. However, Mildmay has lost their funding so they will not be participating at all anymore...which affects these efforts greatly. The funds we send will go toward a much needed new boat and also can last for 4 more months, however...I am challenged with looking for more funding...as in grants!! I know it is possible ...I can't imagine this outreach not continuing...it is the only one that has sustained and made a difference for even these couple of years! So, pray for open doors in this area as I research it.

I will teach tomorrow the widows on hygiene, sanitaiton, cleanliness...hand washing, nutrition etc. I miss my team of nurses and volunteers....that is for sure! Thanks to all for the help! The teams were fantastic this year and really made a difference. Monday will bring me back to the sickle cell center....collecting some medical records on Roger and then on the home stretch.

Thanks for the prayers. I am well!

Nadine