The Papoli pediatric care centre/safe house under construction is a community initiative; being built by the people of Papoli Village in Uganda with assistance from partner…..The Village Partners International, an NPO based in Tampa Florida USA. The construction work currently is at roofing level, with timber being hosted ready for covering with tin roofing sheets. Being a model community project, all village members have been contributing to the work in progress, right from the kids in school, the old men and women some of whom are widows. The young women who have been actively involved in ferrying water, molding bricks and cooking food for the construction team have strong reasons, one Maria said, “This clinic is very important for us for we have so many HIV positive kids in the village, just last Sunday we buried Olowo Festo’s grand child, Othieno Nywenyi’s kid is down..what do I say!”
The pediatric centre that has 7 out reach points and community grass root care model is one of the several health facilities that the people of Papoli have planned to construct, others being the out patient clinic, maternity, laboratory, minor theatre and 30 beds ward. The construction work, the fittings and mode of operation is planned to be a model that other organizations, including the government of Uganda may reflect on and hopefully learn from and copy. The building out lets (windows and doors) will be screened making them mosquitoes and insect- proof, floor type and drainage easy to clean, piped water supply driven by solar and part of the water being consumed by the neighborhood. The operation model is grassroots community driven emphasizing preventive care as opposed to curative, involving an army of well motivated volunteers. A medical “insurance” idea is being planned where community members deposit interest earning little savings with the clinic that will take care of their medical bills in future.
The above and other innovative health practices and actions is what Papoli community look at as a showcasing in health provision to poor and marginalized communities in Sub Saharan Africa.
Yes, with support from people and organizations that have hearts for the needy, it is possible for a village to take off…..and certainly leadership at community level is very important and key to success.
The people of Papoli and surrounding villages just cannot wait for the clinic construction to get over for they are in dire need for the services and see and feel the fruits of their sweat and struggles.
To view Safe House construction images, please visit Current Work: Safe House
