Kinship Projects are located in some of the poorest regions in the world. Access to medical care is restricted by low numbers of medical professionals, lack of transportation, and limited supplies and medicine, especially in rural communities. But your gifts help bridge the gap and provide access to care to people who desperately need it.
Every Ugandan needs better access to medical and dental care, especially families with children. It is so incredibly difficult for the average Ugandan to get their child proper medical care.
That’s where your gifts came in. This summer, the Kireka Kinship Project in Uganda decided to partner with a local hospital to reach out to the needy and helpless in its surrounding community, and as a way to celebrate and share the good news of the Gospel.
Kireka co-sponsored a medical camp with Paradise Hospital, a community hospital near the Kinship Project. For the past several years, the Kireka Kinship Leaders have been able to build relationships with the nurses, doctors, and the owners of Paradise by bringing our Kinship Kids and referring church members to them when medical issues arose. This relationship finally culminated when they decided to partner together to run a medical camp.
The Kireka Kinship Project was able to provide the land to host the big event. That included the provision of all chairs, tables, tents, parking spaces, and, of course, a massive shipment of medication. This medical camp instantly became a ministry priority. Countless members of the community were in need of care, and this was an opportunity to help them get the medical attention they needed.
This event also meant more than helping the sick. This was a chance to be the hands and feet of Jesus. While meeting a physical need, the team from Kireka prayed for the patients, and with them.
“Is any sick among you? (…) Let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up”
- James 5:14-15
The medical camp lasted three days. Over 240 people were given free medical care. This included wound care, minor surgeries, disease diagnoses, prenatal care, dental services, and more. People from all over were given the opportunity to come and meet with doctors for help. For some, this was the first time in years that they were able to have a professional medical examination. Many people received much-needed medications for things like typhoid and malaria, diseases running rampant throughout the community at the moment.
Doctors found the biggest issue among adults was, surprisingly, ulcers. Many people who have contracted viruses did not have the means to pay for medical care, so they were self- prescribing their own concoction of strong local herbs. This did a number on their stomach linings, and their stomachs have been paying the price since. Doctors at Paradise were able to get patients medications and explained diets that would expedite the healing process.
For kids, one of the biggest issues found was tooth decay. The dentist removed teeth from a dozen different patients and instructed all parents on oral hygiene, including brushing and how to act when a future issue came up.
Your gifts and support made this resounding success possible. Thank you for providing the means to positively affect a community in dire need. You have changed and saved hundreds of lives.
You’re also planting seeds of the Gospel to take root in the lives of the new church comers. After the camp was concluded, Kireka saw more than a dozen new faces attending church. It was because of the medical assistance that they heard of the church and started to attend.
There are countless communities in desperate need of the medical camp Kireka was blessed to have. Please consider giving today so more medical assistance can reach more people in need.
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