Our
Project
in
Uganda
What
is
Soft
Power
Health?
Soft
Power
Health
is
a
U.S.
based
non-profit
501
c3
organization
that
has
two
main
components:
the
inner
city
Kids
Kayaking
Camp
that
originates
from
New
York
City
begun
in
August
of
2001
and
the
Ugandan
project
which
was
started
in
2004
that
provides
education,
prevention,
and
treatment
of
Malaria
in
rural
Uganda.
Soft
Power
Health
is
working
with
a
Ugandan
based
non-profit,
Soft
Power
Education
to
implement
various
education
programs
including
work
with
other
NGOs.
Soft
Power
Health
finished
construction
of
a
rural
clinic in January 2006
for
treating
Malaria
as
well
as
other
common
diseases.
The
creation
of
sustainable,
community-based
programs
run
by
Ugandans
with
training
and
assistance
from
our
non-profit
is
in
place
and
will
continue
to
grow
in
the
Kyabirwa
village,
located
two
and
one
half
hours
east
of
Kampala
next
to
the
White
Nile
River.
This
village
is
a
rural
farming
and
fishing
village
with
an
approximate
population
of
2500
people.
Kyabirwa
is
a
typical
Ugandan
village.
Villagers
live
in
mud-dung
huts,
subsistence
farm,
and
have
very
limited
access
to
education
and
healthcare.
Our
work
in
Uganda
is
composed
of
four
elements.
1.Education,
education
and
education.
The
education
and
prevention
program
aims
to
make
villagers
responsible
for
their
Malaria
prevention
with
the
goal
to
make
the
program
sustainable
and
managed
by
Ugandans.
The
education
sessions
explain
how
the
malaria parasite
is
transmitted
to
humans
and
how
it
makes
them
ill,
and how people can protect themselves from
getting
malaria in the future. We also discuss the financial consequences of getting sick from malaria
and
what
mosquito
nets
are
for
and
how
to
use
them.
The
sessions
are
lively
and
interactive
with
questions
and
answers,
games
for
the
children,
and
songs
about
Mrs.
Anopheles,
the
mosquito
who
carries
the
Plasmodium
parasite.
These
education
sessions
take
place
at
local
schools, village meeting places
and
outdoor
classrooms.
At
the
end
of
an
education
session,
participants
can
purchase
subsidized
mosquito
nets.
2.Data
collection.
Soft
Power
Health
began
its
work
by
first
visiting
families
in
the
Kyabirwa
village
and
assessing
the
cost
of
Malaria
in
terms
of
lives
lost,
money
spent,
resources
and
opportunities
lost
and
disability
from
the
disease.
It
became
readily
apparent
that
no
one
understood
how
Malaria
was
transmitted,
thus
the
importance
of
sleeping
under
a
mosquito
net.
After
visiting
approximately
50
huts,
we
decided
to
hold
educational
sessions
for
all
members
of
the
village
at
the
local
preschool
school
to
educate
them
about
the
lifecycle
of
the
Malaria
parasite
and
the
consequences
of
the
disease
in
humans.
In
addition,
we
trained
a
Kyabirwa
village
local,
Jessica
Mugerwa
to
be
Soft
Power
Health's
Malaria
educator
for
the
area.
Since that time, we have trained 5 more local educators who collaborate with us.
All
people
who
purchase
mosquito
nets
are
entered
into
a
data
base
and
are
visited
in
their
homes
to
insure
that
mosquito
nets
are
hanging
properly
and
to
record
their
incidence
of
Malaria
since
hanging
their
nets. We
want
to
insure
that
no
one
is
lost
to
follow
up!
3.The
clinic.
Through
our
educational
sessions
and
hut-to-hut
visitation,
we
discovered
an
enormous
need
for
rural
medical
care.
The
nearest
hospital
is
an
hour
away
and
very
poorly
staffed
and
supplied.
Thus,
we
decided
that
the
construction
of
a
rural
clinic
would
be
of
enormous
benefit
to
the
community.
This
clinic
serves
as
a
treatment
center
for
Malaria
and
other
common
diseases
and
also
as
a
health
education
center
for
the
village.
It
is
obvious
that
without
the
educational
portion
of
healthcare
work,
the
treatment
of
Malaria
and
other
common
diseases
will
do
only
temporary
good.
Thus,
Soft
Power
Health
uses
the
clinic
for
education,
prevention,
and
treatment
of
Malaria
and
other
diseases
in
this
part
of
Uganda.
The
clinic
is
run
by
Ugandan
doctors
and
nurses
and
provides
basic
medical
care
such
as
vaccinations
and
anti-Malarial
medication
for
the
Kyabirwa
village
as
well
as
the
surrounding
villages.
The
Soft
Power
Health
clinic also
serves
as
a
health
education
center
for
the
local
population.
The
town
of
Kyabirwa
has
very
kindly
gifted
Soft
Power
Health
the
land
where
the
to
the
clinic
has
been
built.
4.The
mosquito
net
distribution
program.
Since
the
start,
it
appeared
critical
to
combine
the
education
and
prevention
program
with
easy
access
to
treated
mosquito
nets.
This
is
why
we
supply
and
sell
treated
mosquito
nets
to
villagers.
Now
for
approximately
$1.80
villagers
can
buy
this
essential
element
of
their
health
protection.
Soft
Power
sponsors
the
difference,
which
is
about
$8.
To
date
we
have
sold
over
16,000
mosquito
nets.
This
part
of
the
program
is
very
successful.
Follow
up
has
shown
that
people
hang
the
nets
properly
and
have
children
and
pregnant
women
sleep
under
the
nets
prefernetially.
We
assess
the
effectiveness
of
the
net
program
by
returning
to
each
home
approximately
3
months
after
initial
implementation
of
the
nets
to
see
if
there
is
reduced
incidence
of
Malaria
in
families.
Of
course,
this
is
dependent
on
proper
use
of
nets
and
discounting
the
effects
of
previously
bitten
individuals
who
will
manifest
Malaria
even
after
sleeping
under
a
treated
net.
Where
Click
here
to
see
a
map
of
Uganda.
Malaria
Facts:
•
Malaria
is
caused
by
a
parasite
that
is
transferred
by
the
female
anopheles
mosquito.
•
500
000
million
cases
of
Malaria
annually
worldwide
(underestimate).
•
1-3
million
children
die
every
year
from
Malaria
mostly
in
sub-Saharan
Africa.
•
30%
of
the
under
five-population
die
each
year
from
Malaria
in
Uganda.
•
18%
of
Uganda’s
GDP
is
spent
combating
Malaria.
(source)
•
Malaria
is
preventable,
treatable
and
curable.
•
Education
and
prevention
are
the
keys
to
diminishing
the
Malaria
problem.
•
Mosquito
nets
help
protect
people
from
getting
bitten
during
prime
biting
hours
10pm-4am,
thereby
reducing
morbidity
and
mortality
associated
with
Malaria.
•
One
Mosquito
net
costs
$5
and
can
prevent
2
children
from
getting
bitten
for
3-5
years.
•
For
only
$14
a
year
Soft
Power
Health
can
purchase
medication
to
treat
malaria
for
one
Ugandan
child.
Solution
to
the
Malaria
Problem
with
our
Objectives
in
Uganda:
•
Educate
the
local
community
about
Malaria
through
lectures,
demonstrations,
and
hands
on
techniques.
•
Educate
the
community
about
the
economic
benefits
of
preventative
medicine.
•
Reduce
infant
mortality
due
to
Malaria
and
other
preventable
diseases
in
the
Kyabirwa
village
and
the
15
surrounding
villages
in
this
part
of
rural
Uganda.
•
Increase
availability
of
affordable
mosquito
nets
for
rural
Ugandans.
•
Provide
basic
healthcare
including
family
planning,
prenatal
care,
vaccinations,
HIV/AIDS
education,
and
effective
anti-Malarial
treatment
for
rural
Ugandans.
•
Create
sustainable
healthcare
and
health
education
programs
to
be
run
by
local
Ugandans
with
help
from
medical
and
non-medical
volunteers.
How
will
we
achieve
these
Goals?
•
Continue
Malaria
education
and
prevention
program
in
Kyabirwa
village
and
expand
to
the
30
surrounding
villages.
This
includes
training
up
to
15
new
Malaria
educators
from
the
surrounding
villages.
•
Continue
and
expand
the
subsidized
mosquito
net
distribution
program
headed
by
local
Jessica
Mugerwa.
•
Train
15
new
mosquito
net
distributors
to
work
in
surrounding
villages.
•
Contiue to staff and to
run
the rural clinic
in Kyabirwa village.
Estimated
budget
for
year
2006-2007:
|
Expenses |
Costs |
|
Education
programs
for
Kyabirwa
village
and
30
surrounding
villages |
$20,000 |
|
Mosquito
net
distribution
program |
$100,000 |
|
Employment
of
2 Ugandan
doctors, 2
nurses and 2 laboratory technicians |
$30,000 |
| Vehicles, fuel and logistics |
$30,000 |
|
Clinic
operations
(medications,
maintenance,
various
expenses...) |
$20,000 |
|
Volunteer & student
exchange
program |
$20,000 |
|
Fundraising,
administrative
and
operating
costs
of
Soft
Power
Health |
$15,000 |
| Excutive Director salary |
$20,000 |
|
Total |
$255,000 |
|
|
Clinic Opened January 18, 2006
Things
are
moving
right
along!
The
demand
for
mosquito
nets
is
growing
and
I
hope
that
we
can
continue
to
meet
that
need!
We
are
off
to
a
good
start
as
we
took
delivery
of
1000
mosquito
nets
this
past
week
and
have
set
up
four
Malaria
education
sessions
and
net
sales
for
this
coming
week
with
many
more
in
the
works.
Jessica
Mugerwa
our
local
Malaria
educator
did
a
great
job
of
following
up
on
most
of
our
previously
sold
nets
over
the
summer
with
various
volunteers.
It
is
very
encouraging
to
know
that
the
nets
are
hanging
and
helping
people
stay
healthy
and
saving
lives!
Storing
1000
nets
is
also
a
challenge
but
thanks
to
Chris
and
Georgie
from
Soft
Power
Education,
they
have
donated
their
garage
space
for
net
storage.
In
addition,
we
are
storing
nets
at
the
clinic
and
in
my
banda!
It
certainly
is
cozy,
me,
the
nets,
and
all
my
kayaking
gear!
The
clinic
is
looking
great
too.
We
are
painting
it
yellow
and
planting
a
garden
around
the
outside.
Our
water
tank
and
plumbing
system
is
complete
and
the
solar
power
should
be
installed
by
the
end
of
next
week
,
just
in
time
for
the
district
health
inspector
to
come
and
say
that
we
are
OK
to
function
as
a
clinic.
In
addition,
I
begin
the
interview
process
on
Monday
for
a
doctor
and
nurse
for
the
clinic,
so
everything
is
moving
forward.
We
will
also
have
volunteers arriving
shortly
and
I
hope
that
proves
an
interesting
and
benifical
experience
for
all
of
us.
The
mighty
Nile
is
gorgeous
as
ever,
a
little
lower
than
when
I
was
last
here
but
absolutely
magnificent.
Features
like
50/50
and
surf
city
are
in
which
is
great
because
we
didn't
see
them
at
all
last
time
and
they
are
a
welcome
relaxer
at
the
end
of
a
long
day
.
In
addition,
Nile
Special
has
been
primo.
Lots
of
work
to
do
and
lots
of
good
paddling
to
be
done
too!
|
