19th November, 2010
Ordinary people doing extraordinary things
Four thousand miles from the UK, in the heart of rural Uganda, is a place called Katine, which has been severely affected by conflict over the past twenty years.
Ruth and Stephen live in Katine. They are community health workers, trained by AMREF, who work hard to improve the health and future of their community every day.
These amazing volunteers are giving their communities hope. It is only because of your generosity that Ruth and Stephen can support their communities in this way, even over Christmas.
“I have seen a great change in my community since I had my training from AMREF, and that is why I will not tire of teaching my people.” Ruth
In Katine, community health workers like Ruth have distributed over 7,000 mosquito nets to families protecting them from the killer disease malaria. Fifty three per cent of mothers now deliver in health centres, which is a real achievement in an area where the vast majority of women used to deliver at home.
£50 could buy enough mosquito nets to protect 10 families from malaria
“I am very happy and have had good training from AMREF. I am proud of my role and I enjoy it because it is helping my own community.” Stephen
In Katine, community vaccinators like Stephen have carried out over 15,500 vaccinations and now ninety-six per cent of children are vaccinated against childhood diseases like typhoid, polio and measles. Advice from health workers has meant that over 4,300 people have taken an HIV test.
£35 could pay for HIV tests for 20 people, giving them the best opportunity of managing the virus successfully
Ordinary people like Ruth and Stephen, trained by AMREF to be volunteer community health workers, are vital in ensuring that basic health care reaches the poorest of the poor, those living in the remotest, most marginalised communities, like Katine.
But Katine is just one of hundreds of communities in which AMREF works, and each of these rely on people like Ruth and Stephen, and people just like you; ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
This Christmas please make a gift, so AMREF can train more people like Ruth and Stephen across Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Southern Sudan, South Africa and Uganda.