News

Donate a concert campaign

This year, KCH is celebrating 40 years of Rising Above Disability and dedication to providing the disabled community with quality, affordable and sustainable services with focused attention to children with disabilities and their families. As we celebrate 40 years of existence, KCH is partnering with two musicians KAWESA and MICHEAL OUMA to celebrate 40years of rising above disability in 200 hours of live, organic music concerts. In line with celebrating our anniversary, we are carrying out an awareness campaign through out this year for purposes of informing and educating the community about childhood disability. We will also lobby and advocate for inclusion of children with disabilities in society and children with disabilities will themselves have an opportunity to educate and inform the public about the various challenges they go through.

The campaign was launched on 23rd April 2010 with performances from the two artists. Children with disabilities also had an opportunity to educate and inform the public about the various challenges they go through. CWDs also requested members to buy and donate concerts in support of many other children who can not access rehabilitation services.

We are targeting the private sector and corporate entities because it is now universally acknowledged that cooperate entities and the private sector have vital roles to play in promoting the interests and needs of children with disabilities and are increasingly accepting their economic and social responsibilities.

The early Learning centre

Each year, approximately 35,000 children with disabilities are directly supported by KCH through medical and social rehabilitation and the Katalemwa Cheshire Home’s community based rehabilitation program. Children with disabilities, like any other child, deserve the best care and opportunities to grow, develop and enjoy life. Unfortunately, this is not always guaranteed in a world full of inequalities and discrimination. These children often end up excluded from play activities, participation in domestic chores, education and meaningful social relationships right from home because it’s assumed they cannot.

KCH opened up an Early Centre specifically for children with learning challenges – children who face hardships in studying in normal schools. At the Early Learning Center, children with learning challenges acquire skills that are necessary to carry out activities of daily living including communication, feeding, dressing and toileting. Children enrolled in the Early Learning centre acquire social skills hence enabling the child to forge meaningful relationships his/her peers. Children are also granted guaranteed consistent daily therapy, psycho-social support and care by the highly skilled multidisciplinary team of pediatrician, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapist, psychiatric doctor, special needs teachers and social workers.

The main objective of the early learning centre is to prepare children with challenges (disabilities) for the mainstream schools. At the end of 1st year, your child will be ready to fit in an ordinary mainstream school environment.
Sign up now and give chance to children with learning challenges an opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills.

Katalemwa’s intervention to orphans and vulnerable children (OVC)

With funding from the Civil Society Fund, KCH is implementing a pilot project in Wakiso district (Nangabo and Nabweru sub-counties) to remove barriers that limit OVC from accessing essential services. KCH recognises the unique challenges associated with childhood disability and will work in the following Core Program Areas: Social Economic Security, Food Security and Nutrition, care and support, Psychosocial Support, Health, Child Protection and Strengthening capacity and resource mobilization. As part of the inclusive approach, KCH builds the capacity of households to generate income to be able to maintain their livelihoods and access services through provision of start up income, material support and entrepreneurship skills development so that they are able to take care of all vulnerable children in their households and not just CWDs

Community Based Rehabilitation

KCH implements its work through innovative community based approaches which emphasizes taking rehabilitation services closer to children with disabilities. Through these out reach activities, KCH will able to reach a greater number of children and take rehabilitation serves closer to those children with disabilities in the community who are not able to assess services. This will also provide an opportunity to sensitize the various communities about childhood disability and the importance of rehabilitation and the rights of children with disabilities.

Community outreaches in Moroto (Karamoja)

Karamoja is one of the least developed regions located in the North Eastern part of Uganda. The insecurity in the region especially conflict in form of cattle rustling is a major threat to the social welfare in the region and has direct impact on vulnerable groups like CWDs and their families. Many children have acquired disabilities as a result of gun shots and many have lost their parents/care givers in cattle rustling battles. The region is so impoverished that most children hardly get food, clothing and medical care. Due to poor hygiene and sanitation most of the children especially CWDs are highly infested with jiggers. There are few social structures like schools and health centres located far apart from each other without proper infrastructure connecting them. This means walking longer distances through insecure thickets on foot to access the basic services like health care and education. As a result those who cannot walk for long distances especially CWDs fail to access the few existing social facilities.  There are no specialized rehabilitative services in the existing health centres hence leaving CWDs completely unattended to. Many children do not go to school because parents do not attach value to education or cannot afford the cost of scholastic materials like books and uniforms as well as specialized learning materials for children with hearing and visual impairments.
KCH continues to venture into areas where CWDs have not fully accessed such services. In this regard KCH with support from ISP (Insieme Si Puo an Italian organization) are implementing a pilot project to rehabilitate CWDs in Iriri sub-county-Moroto District (Karamoja region). This project encompasses several activities namely: training our partners (ISP/SVI) and provide them the basic skills of identifying CWDs, Identifying CWDs, Community outreach activities and rehabilitation of CWDs. KCH team will also build the capacity of grass root professionals with the basic skills in rehabilitation and sustainability purpose.

Donations and support from corporate companies and individuals

Donation from Rotary Club

KCH appreciates the workshop materials donated by rotary international, the rotary clubs of Squamish (Canada), Stafford castle (U.K) and Muyenga. A total amount of 43 million was donated to support the production of disability appliances for needy children at Katalemwa.

Diary Development Organization  

On 30th June 2010, KCH participated with Diary Development Organization in celebrating Diary day. The staff from Diary Development Organization through their corporate social responsibility initiative donated milk products to support the rehabilitation of children with disabilities. We appreciate the donation from Diary Development Organization and part of the diary products were used to support who are under intensive nutritional therapy to boost their nutritional statuses.

Tullow Oil Uganda concert held on 25th June 2010

Tullow Oil Uganda joined KCH in supporting the rehabilitation of children with disabilities; Tullow Oil donated a concert at 8,000,000/= and enjoyed a live band performance from Richard Kawesa and Michael Ouma. Tullow oil Uganda is the first corporate company to Donate a Concert which was held at Alliance Française. This concert was specifically for Tullow staff and their clients as they were also giving back to community through their corporate social responsibility initiative.

Brain Glover, the Managing Director of the company encouraged the staff and corporate fraternity to support KCH noble cause and a total of 26 million including 2 new concerts donated.

Up coming events

Fundraising concert in partnership with Salif Keita

Each year, approximately 35,000 children are directly assisted through the Katalemwa Cheshire Home’s community based rehabilitation program. As a result of the rising number of children who need to access rehabilitation services, Katalemwa Cheshire Home has had to increase its efforts to look for partners and donors to match this increase. Amongst other efforts, Katalemwa Cheshire Home is organizing a fundraising concert due to take place on 4th December 2010 at Serena Hotel.

This Concert is aimed at engaging the public to raise awareness about child disability and the much needed funds, to support over 50 community outreaches. The fundraising Concert will feature children with disabilities and Salif Keita the internationally recognized afro-pop singer-songwriter from Mali. He is unique not only because of his reputation as the Golden Voice of Africa and is a direct descendant of the founder of the Mali Empire, Sundiata Keita.

KCH invites corporate, individuals and donors and companies to be apart of the historical event by sponsoring this mega concert that will enable children with disabilities in Uganda access rehabilitation services. 

Enjoy supporting a tax exempt organization and create an opportunity to bring smiles of hope on little faces

• “Lighting up lives” concert in Partnership with UMEME Ltd

On 5th August 2010, UMEME Ltd will be conducted an raising campaign and a fundraising concert at Serena Hotel to raise the much needed funds to support children with disabilities from Katalemwa. In partnership with UMEME each table booked by a corporate company will be at 5 million shillings. This concert will feature Richard Kawesa, Michael Ouma and children from katalemwa Cheshire Home.

• Daily orthopedic and plastic clinics 

Daily orthopaedic, plastic and occupational clinics are conducted in the centre from 8:00am – 5:00pm. These benefit children with disabilities who come for day care services offered in form of physiotherapy, Occupational therapy, orthopaedic therapy, psychosocial. Children brought for day care services are from the surrounding areas and districts of Kampala, Wakiso, Masaka, Luwero, Mpigi, Mukono and Kayunga

Specialized clinics

• Mental Health Clinic: Every Monday 8am to 1pm 

A special clinic for children with mental and learning challenges is run every Monday from 8:00am to 1:00pm with the engagement of a Pediatric psychiatric doctor from Butabika Hospital who assesses reviews and recommends appropriate treatment to individual children depending on their challenges. Children with convulsions, spasms, bizarre behavior such as self hurting, repetitive movements, tantrums and hyperactivity are welcome.

• Neurological clinic: Every forth Friday of the month 

This special clinic will be conducted at KCH in collaboration with a team of neurologists from CURE children’s Hospital Mbale to purposely review and assess children with Hydrocephalus, Spina Bifida and other neurological conditions. The clinic is conducted every forth Friday of the month.