Past Projects
Mulago Children's Cancer Ward
Cancer treatment in Uganda is sparse. The only centre is in the capital, Kampala, which means that financial and transport problems result in many children having late diagnosis and unable to access treatment.
A common cancer is Burkitt’s Lymphoma, a fast growing cancer, but one that is very responsive to the prohibitively expensive treatment.
Mikwano has, in the past, supported children with Burkitt’s Lymphoma by funding their chemotherapy, but currently Hospice Africa are sponsoring these children. Mikwano will, however, keep in touch and review the situation regularly.
Sanyu Babies Home
Mikwano’s roots are firmly based in Sanyu Babies Home. James in particular, but also Rachel volunteered a lot of time to the home. After the volunteering ceased Mikwano donated funds for the nursery school. Mikwano is currently not funding Sanyu Babies’ Home as the Trustees believe it to be well supported by other organisations. However we continue to visit and take an active interest there.
Street Children's Project - Kids In Need (KIN)
KIN is a Ugandan charity working with street children, both boys and girls, up to the age of nineteen. KIN collects these children from the street and cares for them, providing housing and food, clothing.
KIN also provides education, skills training and counselling to rehabilitate the children back into their families and communities.
In 2008 Mikwano sponsored their tailoring and bakery vocational training and income generating projects. In 2009 we continued to support the tailoring project and paid for 14 girls to attend school. Unfortunately, due to a failure of the Director of the project to meet with Mikwano’s accountability requirements, we have not felt able to sponsor this project. Mikwano will review this decision in the event of a change of circumstances.
Vocational Training
Until 2010 Mikwano sponsored the following two projects. Due to the Trustees’ decision to provide greater assistance to a narrower range of projects, Mikwano has not continued its sponsorship. However we wish them every success.
Single Parents Association Uganda (SPAU)
Mikwano sponsored equipment for a tailoring and a candle making income generating project which teaches mothers these skills in order that they can generate income to care for their children and pay for their school and medical fees. The mothers are extremely grateful for this support and opportunity and conveyed their thanks to the donors by doing a local dance!
Bunyoni Community Secondary School
Bunyoni is a rural community in South West Uganda. Mikwano helped this community by sponsoring materials for a tailoring project in a secondary school. This resulted in the children gaining skills enabling them to generate income – skills that are useful in themselves, but also to support them financially once they have left school.
Home of Joy - Salvation Army
Richard, the child Mikwano currently sponsors at Uganda School for the Deaf, was originally cared for by Sanyu Babies Home. When he became too old for Sanyus but was too young to attend boarding school at Uganda School for the Deaf, a placement was arranged for him at Home of Joy, the Salvation Army Home in Kampala caring for children with physical disabilities whilst they receive medical treatment.
When we visited Richard in 2006 he was covered in mosquito bites and we discovered that malaria was a problem in that part of Kampala. Mikwano paid for mosquito nets for every child and for mosquito screens to be put on the children’s dormitories, with curtains to brighten up their living environment.