HEALTH and social care students from Buxton & Leek College are aiming to extend their learning beyond the classroom and gain some real world experience on a medical mission in Uganda.
Course tutor Helena Brown, a registered nurse from Chapel-en-le-Frith, is hoping to accompany a second group of her students to the African country to help needy families as part of the Olive Medical Mission which is aiming to set up a new medical centre in Kampala.
The first group of students flew out two years ago and gained a unique perspective on non-NHS medical care during their half-term visit to the Ugandan capital. Mrs Brown explained: “Like myself and my husband, Robert, who had visited earlier, the students were appalled by the suffering they saw and wanted to do all they can to help the local hospital in Kampala where people were dying while waiting for simple operations and some committed suicide because they could no longer stand the pain. Out there in the slums, parents are having to choose between medicine or feeding their family for a month.”
The Browns became involved in the mission after Olive Bowyer, a headteacher from Chapel, left a legacy to the charity. Mrs Brown said: “Our aim is to provide a beacon of hope with a new mini hospital. We aim to buy an acre of land and build on it and we hope to involve students from the very start – from hod carrying and painting and decorating.
“We are currently looking for fund raising ideas to support the project and are hoping that fun runners and online shoppers might help us. We are only a small charity and we can offer our supporters the chance to fly out to Africa and actually see their funds making a difference.
“A trip to Kampala promises to be a life-changing experience for our students. Here in the UK we have the NHS to rely on and our benefits system takes care of those who cannot work. It changes your perspective when you see children out in Africa and you realise how blessed we are here in the UK.”
The students must raise £1500 to £2000 each to cover the cost of flights, accommodation, food and transport.
Anyone who can support their efforts should contact Helena via the charity’s email info@theolivemedicalmission.org.
For more information, visit the website at www.theolivemedicalmission.org.