When Dauda isn’t busy fixing bicycles or tending his garden, he likes to, “sit during [his] free time and just rest [his] bones.” Dauda is a 52-year-old bicycle repairman and farmer from Mpunde who ETH team member Ritah had the pleasure of speaking with while she was in the village to learn about what residents wanted from ETH’s new Mpunde Health Center. Dauda provided an overview of the healthcare challenges facing the region, and his hope for how the Mpunde Health Center will bring better health to the community and improve people’s lives.
Health Challenges with Few Treatment Options
Dauda says the biggest health challenges in Mpunde is, “lack of treatment. It’s important to get treatment for illnesses as soon as possible so as to return back to health and be fully productive.”
Right now many people lack treatment because it’s very difficult to get quality care in Mpunde and the surrounding Buyende District. Before the opening of the Mpunde Health Center, the only healthcare option in the village itself was a small drug store.
“Sometimes our children need blood transfusion and there is no blood anywhere. It frustrates you as a parent.”
It’s especially difficult when children fall sick. Dauda said, “Sometimes our children need blood transfusion and there is no blood anywhere. It frustrates you as a parent.”
Getting decent healthcare for your children in Mpunde can mean traveling up to 18 miles (30 kilometers) on dirt roads that often become impassable when it rains. This ride costs between 15,000 and 25,000 Ugandan shillings each way. While only $4 to $7, this is a significant cost in a region where an average family only earns about $50 a year beyond the food they grow for themselves. Dauda holds hope that the Mpunde Health Center will improve health outcomes in the region at an affordable price. He said, “It is great to have the health center here in Mpunde. We have been praying to God for this miracle and I strongly believe it will improve the health in Mpunde and the surrounding areas.”
Dauda's Message to America
Dauda had a message for our American audiences. He said:
“The American people have loved us enough to build us a health center. I pray that it continues operating and that our people are healthy and more development comes to Mpunde. I also pray that ETH leaders continue with this work and that our health center grows.”
You can help turn Dauda’s hopes into a reality by contributing to our fundraising campaign to support the Mpunde Health Center.
None of this is possible without your support. A donation of any amount will go a long way towards empowering the people of Uganda to live good health and dignity. ETH thanks you for your help on our mission to make a small corner of a world healthier, better place.