CivilSocietyTA working with INGO and CSO learning from running a charitable health clinic in Uganda

The recent months work at Hope Clinic Lukuli has reinforced the belief that creating linkages and using personal and professional contacts is often more effective and has greater long term impact than just paying over a sum of money. From a forum of other philanthropists, we found a health management expert, they visited Uganda at somebody else's expense but had time to visit the clinic. They brought two trainee doctors who provided ideas and encouragement and reference to an electives organisation. The funding is still important, but in case potential supporters don't want to give funds which they cannot monitor, they can be encouraged to advocate for the programme and use their skills. Many people have an experience or professional skill which to them is simple and easy to replicate elsewhere - but to you seems highly technical and very expensive to buy. The concept of Philanthropic Trustee is more active than a normal charity trustee which receives proposals and reviews

One aspect of the growth of Hope Clinic Lukuli has been realising that lots of good projects are set up and funded by bilateral donors and then close with the materials slowly depleting their stocks and the resource being lost. World Bank projects such as CHILD and NECDP in Kampala both had good materials, still admired by the Ministry of Health, but for which almost no copies remain for use. The FANTA project was running with USAID funding under AED a US company and its materials cover infant health and nutrition. I have made contact with the US base who referred me to: Robert KN Mwadime (MSc., MPH, Ph.D) Regional HIV/AIDS Specialist Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance (FANTA) Project Academy for Educational Development c/o Regional Centre for Quality of Health Care, Medical School, Mulago P. O. Box 29140, Kampala, Uganda. Tel: +256-41-530888 (w), +256-77-517438 (c) Fax: +256-41-876 He is based in Kampala, but has a regional remit, and so referred me to Samalie working in the Mi

Their website says: "Engineering Ministries International (eMi) is a non-profit Christian development organization made up of architects, engineers and design professionals who donate their skills to help children and families around the world step out of poverty and into a world of hope ". What this means is that professionals in the design, architecture and construction field have realised that their skills can benefit other people and ensure that good ideas and intentions can be carried out with a cost effective and correctly designed and planned structure. They were working in Uganda on a larger project in Jinja town and met us in 2004 to review our very bad drawings for a new health centre. John Sauder and later, Chad Gamble, went away and came back with full AutoCad architectural sketches with dimensions, cut away of walls, specifications for roof construction and even plans for the latrines and soakpit. Before EMI invest their time and skills they have the understan

Before I give you some information on Mango - I hope that readers don't confuse these posts as attempts to get commercial gain for Hope Clinic Lukuli's owners or the organisations referred to. Mango, for example, is a repository of posts and resources from accounting, administration and field staff around the world who are sharing their ideas and experiences. They don't get paid for it, no matter how much their good ideas are used or adopted. This blog is trying to follow the example set by Mango and GoodwillGallery where somebody who has developed an idea offers it to another person to save their time and effort - which means they can concentrate on their skill areas and perhaps share their ideas. As for the owners of Hope Clinic Lukuli - none of the eight of us take any money or financial benefits from the clinic's operations. (I had to amend that as I almost said benefits of any type. I must admit to a pride in managing to achieve this and a good feeling when the

Kampala City Council is the District authority responsible for health service provision in the city centre and the surrounding residential areas. Our area of Lukuli Nanganda, in Makindye Division is therefore under its jursidiction and guidance. KCC are considering Hope Clinic Lukuli on two fronts, one as a Makindye Teenage Information and Health Centre similar to another one on the other side of the city, the other as part of KCC's response to HIV service needs. The HIV Focal Point person is Dr Sendagire and he is discussing with Dr Penninah and Ms Thayer of IDI about their coordinated development of services in the city. We shall see during June how we get on

Hi, The clinic started over six years ago when a set of friends agreed that a small community health clinic was struggling to continue to function and could be helped. An elderly and very dedicated midwife was tending to the needs of her patients and doing so with little pay or supplies of materials or drugs. More background can follow later. What has been nice about Hope Clinic Lukuli and its growth is that we have achieved it without any of the management committee being medics and with skills ranging from a small shop keeper to civil engineer, a local council member to a teacher, an accountant to a retired civil servant. The community, village, people around the clinic have alternative places to seek medical advice and treatment but choose Hope Clinic Lukuli and return to it with friends. The task of managing the growth between the eight of us on the committee has made very clear that lots of support in terms of materials, advice, best ways of acting and groups to work with alre