Butiru Rehabilitation
Cheshire Home
Butiru is a non govermental organization run by the Sisters of Mary as a home for the rehabilitation of 40 - 60 disabled children. Children with physical disabilities are assessed through outreach clinics. Many of these are in need of operations. FOAG assists annually with the cost of operations.
Opened in 1964 Butiru Rehabilitation Cheshire Home is located 280km north east of Kampala in a village called Bumuketsi between Mbale and Soroti. The emphasis of the work is on short-term rehabilitation for the physically disabled, especially children. In 1992 a vocational training school for tailoring skills was set up. Butiru Cheshire Home is a non-governmental organisation. As a non-profit making voluntary organisation it totally relies on donations and alms giving.
Out reach clinics are carried out in various villages around the home within Mbale district by Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) workers. The children are assessed in these clinics and referred, treated or advised on correct interventions. Surgery is carried out at Cure Hospital Mbale, Kumi Hospital, Mbale Regional Hospital and Tororo Optic Centre. Physiotherapy work continues at the centre and in some out reach clinics. Two local people have been trained as CBR workers and they carry out their work in the communities using cycles, motorcycles and on foot. Through the CBR programme, the community and the (PWDs) have become aware of the services rendered by the home and they are showing a positive response to the programme.
The Centre also has an Orthopaedic workshop whose technicians were trained locally and they are now producing callipers, crutches, surgical boots, C.P. chairs, standing frames and repairing old appliances especially for children. Physiotherapy work is begun from the date of admission to surgery and post operative. Post surgery care is closely supervised at the Centre by the Physiotherapist and staff in that department.
Major Disabilities handled at the Butiru
Polio, Cerebral Palsy, Congenital Deformities, Osteomyalitis, Epilepsy, Hydrocephalus, Spinal Bifida, Vesco Vagina Vestula, T.B. and others. The deaf and blind are referred for specialised care. Butiru often provides help and care for malnourished children. The number of residents at any one time will always be 40 PWDs who are attending various programmes like: pre and post surgery care and other interventions. The number of students attending vocational training ranges from 40 to 50. The figures in the centre may fluctuate as the number of admissions and discharges vary on a daily basis.
Butiru's Aims
· To offer short-term rehabilitation to children with disabilities.
· To offer choice and opportunity to people with disabilities.
· To enable clients to be self-reliant and encourage independence.
· To provide orthopaedic appliances where necessary.
· To provide vocational courses in tailoring for the girls and carpentry or brickwork for the boys.
FOAG's involvement in Butiru
FOAG has been involved with helping to provide the funds for operations since 2002. During this time FOAG has also provided funding for the purchase of a generator for the orthopaedic workshop and has helped with some of the funding needed to acquire an ambulance for the transport of children to and from the hospitals. FOAG currently sends £3000 annually for operations
Present needs of Butiru today
Funding for operations is still vitally important and is an ongoing commitment from year to year. The cost of operations have increased and the average cost is now £60.
There is an urgent need for a new motorbike for the two outreach workers Joseph and Florence as the current one is worn out. They use it to visit the outreach clinics in remote hilly areas and also to be able to continue to monitor children who have undergone operations and are now back with their families.
Project Cordinator: Jane Sturdy
Has been a committee member of FOAG for thirty years. She became involved in FOAG because she was interested in overseas development as a former VSOs (Voluntary Service Overseas). She regularly visits the projects in Uganda on the Project Monitoring Visits.
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Child post operation
Child with Walking Aid
The manufacture of mobility aids
Children in class
A brickwork class
A dress making class
Our Online Shop
Butiru Home - Secondary school fee sponsorship (£250 per year)
Budaka, Butiru and St Frances - Corrective surgery for limb deformity (£60 per operation)
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Budaka Cheshire Home and Rehabilitation Centre - Aims to improve the quality of life for children with disabilities in a relatively poor agricultural area in Eastern Uganda.
St Francis Rehabilitation Centre - St Francis Centre finds children with various physical disabilities, in need of corrective surgery , arranges for their operations at local hospitals, mainly Kumi, and looks after them and their education including vocational training to enable them to be confident, useful members of their communities.
Masindi Centre for the Handicapped - Is a school of 117 pupils with a variety of handicaps. The emphasis is on education and vocational training so that re-integration into family and village life is a real possibility.
Kamurasi Primary School - Offers specialist education such a brail and sign language, vocational training to provide life enhancing skills and a standard curriculum based education. Kamurasi advocates integrated teaching with disabled children learning alongside the able bodied compatriots.