Donations from Bowdon Business Club help to bring clean water to rural communities in Uganda.
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Regular donations from the club throughout 2020 and into 2021 have provided Act4Africa with funding for specific activities to tackle the spread of coronavirus; support impoverished communities during lockdown; and provide stability to our ongoing programmes.
Most recently Act4Africa have been working in a village a few miles from our community centre in Mayuge District, Eastern Uganda, to bring a sustainable supply of clean water to people there for the first time. COVID-19 has increased the urgent need to improve global access to clean water. Thanks to Bowdon Business Club and donations to our COVID-19 response appeal, we have begun a programme of activities to install a standpipe bringing fresh water to the village. We have nearly reached our fundraising target, but we still need £1000 to achieve our goal. A sustainable clean water source plays a vital role in reducing the spread of infectious diseases like Coronavirus, Diarrhoea, Typhoid and Hepatitis A.
Since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Uganda on 22nd March 2020, the Government and Ministry of Health have been working to support district health teams across the country in their efforts to continue to provide essential services, but it is often the case that information, supplies and infrastructure, simply don’t reach rural communities. Non-government organisations, like Act4Africa tirelessly support District health teams in their effort to keep communities safe and informed.
In poverty-stricken rural communities there is a dangerous information gap regarding the coronavirus. Here, harmful myths are spread in the absence of knowledge. Thanks to Bowdon Business Club, within weeks of the first COVID outbreak in Uganda, Act4Africa were able to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to rural district health facilities that had no such resources. We were also able to provide far-reaching life-saving information to the community.
“Sincere thanks go to the Bowdon Business Club for this timely contribution. Our deliveries to the resource-limited rural health centre make an enormous difference to the day-to-day running of services at the front-line. It is an honour to have the opportunity, as an NGO, to play such a key role in public health, contributing to the safety and well-being of the community.”
Patrick Kigongo, Uganda Country Manager, who thanks to the Business Club moving to Zoom over the past year, has been able to join members to update them on Act4Africa’s programmes live from Uganda.
There has been extreme demand worldwide for PPE throughout the pandemic, especially for those who need it most in health and social care roles. With funding from Bowdon Business Club, Act4Africa procured the following much-needed supplies which were delivered to the Mayuge District Health Office by Patrick and Act4Africa colleague Jennifer on 9thApril 2020:
- 300 pairs of surgical gloves
- 150 facial masks
- 40 pocket hand sanitizers
- 10 bottles of one-litre sanitizers
These items were then distributed to various health teams in need. The district health officer delivered a speech in which he thanked Act4Africa for our support in these trying times, highlighting the importance of gloves and masks for health workers that desperately need protection to continue their selfless work.
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After successfully delivering the PPE, Patrick and Act4Africa Field Officer, Harriet, went on to represent Act4Africa on popular local radio station Baba FM, alongside the District Health Educator. The talk show included a 15-minute segment of discussion surrounding COVID-19, which included do’s and don’ts, a Q&A session and highlights of how Act4Africa is collaborating with Mayuge District to support COVID-19 efforts.
Feedback from radio callers proved the information had been helpful to listeners of the show and provided clarification regarding misconceptions held by some about the availability of a cure for COVID-19.
One of Act4Africa's main aims is to improve access to education for children under 6 and girls of all ages. With schools still closed for majority classes in Uganda, thanks to Bowdon Business Club, we continue to deliver home-learning packs to our beneficiaries, together with hygiene materials and food for their families.
“In these unprecedented times, charities more than ever need our support. Their work does not cease, volunteers are constantly needed, and basic items still need to be bought.
For those whom hardship is normality, life is getting even harder. Since the start of the pandemic, Bowdon Business Club has donated £1,750 to each of their 4 supported charities to help them in these unbelievably hard times. If you can help with a donation, however small, please consider it.”
Mark Haywood, Bowdon Business Club
To support Act4Africa in their efforts to support communities through the pandemic you can donate to their COVID-19 response appeal here:
Act4Africa
Act4Africa Registered Charity No 1092074
Contact: Sarah Istephan
Marketing and Fundraising Manager
Act4Africa address inequalities through gender justice, health, education and sustainable livelihoods.
