Kiwoko Hospital

Luwero

We have been involved at Kiwoko for many years. FOAG initial involvement was sponsoring VSOs of which Sue Hocking was one. She was at Kiwoko Hospital in charge of setting up the nurse training program. It wasn't long before we discovered that Sue was using the money we sent to help pay the fees of some of students who otherwise couldn't afford to do the training. Before long she was sending us a list of those she considered promising but who were unable to pay. FOAG began to support these students and we have helped an average of 5 per year since 2000. We have also been involved in subsidising the training of trainers and several of these have graduated so that the number of qualified Ugandan staff is steadily increasing. The work continues although Sue had to retire due to ill health and did in fact die in 2005

A recent extension to FOAGs work at Kiwoko nurse training is the 'Top-up Schooling' scheme. The Ugandan Nursing Council has raised the level of qualifications required before prospective nurse trainees can start their training. This is beyond the reach of many of the people FOAG would like to help either because money ran out for the candidate's schooling or because the schools in many of the rural districts of Uganda are not able to offer these qualifications. In cases where a capable student is being held up by a shortage of qualifications, FOAG are helping with support for further academic study prior to commencement of nurse training. The web address for Friends of Kiwoko is http://www.fokh.org.uk

Project Co-ordinator: John Cowie