Project Bumwalukani, Uganda
Watch a video from a former UIUC FIMRC member Edward Lin about his experience With Project Bumwalukani in Uganda.
Project Bumwalukani is a star model of FIMRC's approach to healthcare in the developing world. Standing at the foot of Mount Elgon, 150 miles east of the bustling capital city of Kampala, Project Bumwalukani's clinic (the Beatrice Tearney Clinic) is set in the rural area of Bulucheke. It serves more than fourteen of the dispersed local communities with approximately 10,000 to 15,000 inhabitants. The average annual income of a Ugandan family in this area is $200.
As a result of scarce access to medical facilities in the area, FIMRC's Project Bumwalukani sees more than one hundred patients daily. The most rampant medical issues plaguing this population are readily treatable with preventative measures, education initiatives and continuous healthcare monitoring. FIMRC works with local partner organizations, local Community Health Educators trained by FIMRC and a large clinic staff to meet the needs of the Bumwalukani clinic, school and outlying communities.
FIMRC volunteers in Bumwalukani will stay together in FIMRC’s Volunteer Guesthouse. FIMRC’s Guesthouse is about a 15 minute walk from the clinic and houses several FIMRC staff members as well as up to 10 volunteers. Beds and mosquito nets are also provided, and weekly laundry service is available. It is important to understand that plumbing may not be readily accessible in this remote, rural village. Outhouses are located on both grounds, and volunteers will be provided water and a bathing shelter in which to take “bucket baths.”
As a result of scarce access to medical facilities in the area, FIMRC's Project Bumwalukani sees more than one hundred patients daily. The most rampant medical issues plaguing this population are readily treatable with preventative measures, education initiatives and continuous healthcare monitoring. FIMRC works with local partner organizations, local Community Health Educators trained by FIMRC and a large clinic staff to meet the needs of the Bumwalukani clinic, school and outlying communities.
FIMRC volunteers in Bumwalukani will stay together in FIMRC’s Volunteer Guesthouse. FIMRC’s Guesthouse is about a 15 minute walk from the clinic and houses several FIMRC staff members as well as up to 10 volunteers. Beds and mosquito nets are also provided, and weekly laundry service is available. It is important to understand that plumbing may not be readily accessible in this remote, rural village. Outhouses are located on both grounds, and volunteers will be provided water and a bathing shelter in which to take “bucket baths.”
Volunteers typically:
- Spend one day shadowing clinic staff at all stations, from patient intake to the exit interview
- Visit Bududa district hospital and Bukigai Health Center, two of the other major health facilities in the district
- Spend a day in Mbale town visiting
- Go to Cure hospital, a private neurosurgery hospital specializing in hydrocephalus and spina bifida
- Tour Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, the closest regional hospital to us, and
- Visit the AIDS Support Organization (TASO), the first organization of its kind in Uganda focusing on psychosocial support for AIDS patients
In addition, all volunteers will be given the option to participate in the following activities according to their interest and skill level:
Clinic volunteer opportunities: Assisting with patient intake and management, taking patient vitals, observe patient examination with our clinical officer, assisting with drug dispensing, conducting laboratory testing
Community health outreach volunteer opportunities: Attend home visit follow-up care for HIV-positive clients, assisting with community outreaches, conducted twice a month by our Community Health Educators (CHEs), attending home-based meetings for one of our seven community health groups, assisting with the planning of special public health events, such as World Malaria Day, World AIDS Day, or clinic programs
Health education volunteer opportunities: teaching health education to patients waiting at the clinic and members of our community health groups, teaching health classes to primary and secondary school students, writing and editing lesson plans
Special projects: Volunteers can also assist with special projects as they arise. In the past these projects have include mosquito net treatment days, life skills camps for secondary students, development of visual aids, etc.
Popular weekend excursions:
- Jinja: white water rafting on the Nile, souvenir shopping, source of the Nile river (2-3 days)
- Sipi falls: hike to three major waterfalls just north of Bududa (2-3 days)
- Visit Kampala, Uganda’s capital city (2-3 days)
- Visit one of the district markets (several hours)
- And many more!