While visiting S
W Uganda in 2017 Chris and Jon Foster visited Rutaka health centre, located in a remote mountainous area some 20km from Kisoro. The health centre is staffed by three nurses and a midwife who carry out immunisations, apply sterile dressings and care for the sick as well as delivering an average of 2-3 babies per week. The wards and equipment are very basic, and with the only source of electricity being a few solar panels there was no lighting at night, as well as no running water inside and sometimes none from the outside tap.
HealthTree Uganda is working with the Diocese of Muhabura, who are responsible for the infrastructure at the health centre, to improve 
facilities there. Our annual quiz night in 2017 raised nearly £900 for Rutaka, and following discussions with the Diocesan Health Officer we provided funding in April 2018 for the health centre to be connected to the grid so that it has electricity, and in addition we paid for two electric refrigerators for the safe storage of medicines and vaccines. Watch this space for updates!
Village, Henry oversees the feeding regimes of the inpatient children who are fed every 2-3 hours, day and night. He is also involved teaching the mothers, including doing cooking demonstrations for them; and it was Henry who came up with the idea of grinding dried silver fish into flour, which is a convenient way for families to take this high protein food back to the mountains. “Henry is a wonderful addition to the team,” says Sue Hughes, Director of Potter’s Village, “and we are very blessed to have his energetic and positive attitude“.
