dfcu Intervenes in Maternal Health in Bududa

Six months after the devastation that affected hundreds of people in Bududa rendering them to IDP camps, Dfcu Bank on July 12^th and 13^th decided to intervene in the still hapless conditions of the people that dwell in the Internally Displaced People’s camps. The bank held a number of activities at the Bukigai IDP camps to address of the plight of women and children.

With the help of the District Health Officer Dr. Gideon Wanembu and some senior midwives, dfcu bank conducted a training workshop for over 70 midwives and Traditional Birth Attendants in the region where they were taught safe child delivery practices and also issues pertaining to Mother to Child Transmission of HIV. Mobile clinics for voluntary HIV testing and immunization were also set up at the camp to make it easy for mothers and camp dwellers who cannot access these services at main health centers and hospital.

The Safe Motherhood training course was geared towards creating a strong and healthy community by reducing on infant mortality rates in Bududa. Later dfcu handed over 200 mama kits to expectant mothers in the area to aid in the rigors of child birth which included nappies, birth sheets, cord ligature, receiving sheets, disinfectant, soap, Vaseline and many other things.

“The devastation in Bududa early this year hampered the means of mothers in the area to earn income that would help buy necessary items to assist with childbirth. The mama kit is to help out the mothers with the necessities as they work to rebuild their lives and their sources of income.” Said Wilbrod Owor the head of Consumer Banking at dfcu. He went on to say that the bank owes it success to the support of the local communities and as such tailor most of their initiatives to boost the livelihoods and productivity of the members in these communities.

As part of her business ethos, dfcu bank regularly contributes to social causes, with a goal of improving human standards, in the communities where it operates. This is done through supporting a series of social concerns in a number of key identified sectors including Education, Health, environment and Sanitation.

Dr. Gideon Wanembu during the training of the nurses and Traditional Birth Attendants.

Nurses and traditional birth attendants being taken through the one day refresher course on safe birth methods to help curb the infant mortality rate. They were also imparted with skills on how to avoid mother to child transmission of HIV.

An excited nurse raises her certificate in celebration after the training.

The midwives and TBA’s pose with their certificates after the training.

A pregnant 17 year old who came to the health camp to benefit from the mama bag kits. This is Kakai’s second child having given birth to her first child at 14 years.

Kakai and her 22 year old sister who also came to receive immunization for her child. She already has 4 children and plans on stopping at just four but does not have any knowledge on family planning services or where she can access them.

Wilbrod Owor the Head Consumer Banking DFCU handing over donation items to Zipolah Wamoto the head midwife at Bukigai Health Center in Bududa including 200 mama bag kits for expectant mothers in the camps and some clothes and utensils donated by dfcu and dfcu staff. Looking on are Philip Oundo (2-L), the dfcu Mbale branch Manager, the area OC and a Red Cross Official.

Wilbrod addressing some of the women in the antenatal care tent. He urges them to be vigilant and monitor their children’s’ health so that they can grow up to be strong citizens who will look after them and who will hopefully ‘get jobs with dfcu bank’.

Wilbrod Owor, the Head of Consumer banking dfcu Bank demonstrates to women in the Bukigai camp in Bududa a bag containing the Mama kit needed by pregnant women for safe delivery of babies with such essentials as cord ligature, razorblade, cotton wool, disinfectant, birth sheet and warm receiving baby sheets. This was during the bank’s visit to the Bakigai IDP camp in Bududa over the weekend where they donated over 200 such mama kits to expectant mothers in the camp as part of the bank’s commitment to community development programs like maternal and child health.

Meet Kwaga Judith, mother of eight. She is eight months pregnant with her 9th child. Her husband perished in the March 1st Bududa landslides. The Mama Bag Kit will go a long way on ensuring that she has a safe delivery and that her hew born baby is warm and protected against Malaria with the Mosquito net she received together with the kids

Some of the midwives that took part in the training program seated near the donated items as they take some of the mothers through some health checks.

Women turned up in droves to immunize their children.

A baby is weighed in at the immunization tent while some women pick up health check forms from the official.

A father carries his malnourished child at the camp.

Some of the camp shelters that are home to hundreds of families

The LC Chairman (C) of the area shows Aaron Aguma (dfcu marketing and communications officer (L) and Phillip Oundo (dfcu Branch Manager Mbale) around the camp.

A camp dweller prepares a meal from a makeshift kitchen right outside her tent.

Another one cooks outside

What next? A man seems to ponder seated outside his tent on the day of the dfcu visit to the area.

Children play inside one of the tents. A small tent like this can accommodate sometimes a family of up to 8 members.

A family goes on with life at the camp

All the suffering and yet some people can still smile.

Children watch a UNICEF truck stuck in the mud in the distance

Dr. Gideon Wanembu during the training of the nurses and Traditional Birth Attendants.

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