Information Uganda - Kumi

Uganda is situated in East Africa and is bordered on the west by Kenya, on the south by Sudan and on the east by the Democratic Republic of Congo. The southern side of the country borders the largest lake of Africa: Lake Victoria. Coffee, sugar, cotton and tea are the most important export products of Uganda. The area measures 7 times The Netherlands and counts 7 million inhabitants.
In 1971 president Idi Amin seized power in the country. The violent regime of Amin cost a hunderd of thousands of people’s lives. Through interference of Tanzania, Amin was deposed. From 1980 Obote en Moi came to power for a short period of time. Also during this period the violence and turbulence continued. In January 1986, the National Resistance Army (NRA) lead by the current president Yowei Musuveni took power. Up to that day they had been operating as a guerilla movement against Obote’s regime. Musuveni became the new president of Uganda.
Uganda is being called “the pearl of Africa” due its beautiful natural environment. Although the rebels have destroyed a lot of nature during Idi Amin and Obote’s regime, most of the natural resources stayed unspoiled. Tourism development is (still) limited.
Kumi is a little village in Eastern Uganda. Among the many tribes that live here, the majority (75%) of the population are Christian. Religion is very important for the people. Their belief is what they hang on to, despite of the poverty that prevails in the country. Next to several indigenous languages, English is the official language. The people that are educated speak it moderate to fluently. Luckily this number is increasing.

Information Kumi Hospital

The hospital is situated at about 5 km from Kumi village. Most people come walking or by bike to the hospital, only the better endowed travel by car. Kumi hospital is a regional hospital. In former times it used to be for leprosy patients only.
During the 1980’s the rebels demolished a lot of the main facilities. The water supply had been destroyed and so were the farm house and the stock of cattle, which facilitated for the first necessities of life for leprosy patients. Since 1996, under the management of Dr. Opolot, the hospital was restored and extended into a general hospital. Among others the hospital got a midwifery division, a surgery division including some required operating rooms, a children division and divisions for Aids and TBC patients.
Medical care is being provided by midwifes, nurses and doctors. The physical care for patients is being provided by the patient’s family or other volunteers, which results in a busy gathering of people washing and cooking around the hospital.
The hospital is a so-called ‘Church Hospital’ which means that it financially depends on gifts from the church, not from the government. Patients who do not have the resources to pay fully or partly for medical care are more than welcome anyhow. Currently the hospital faces large financial problems. Its employees are waiting for their salaries for months now.
Another big problem, mainly due to the financial problems, is de power supply. The hospital cannot afford the high costs for energy supply, they are disconnected from the energy network. Right now they depend on energy provision via a power generator, but this is also a very expensive alternative.
Just like elsewhere in the world, the fuel prices have risen in Uganda. The foundation has been able to purchase several small solar frames to provide for permanent lightning in all nursery divisions. A solutions for the financial problems would be the purchasing of large solar panes which can provide in electricity provision for the entire hospital.