Australia gives elderly early Christmas treat

Jan 04, 2009

THE golden rule of the Bible among other commandments, teaches us to do unto to others what we want done to us. For close to a decade, Abdalah Kafeero, had not had a meaningful end of year party, let alone a hefty meal.

By Elvis Basudde

THE golden rule of the Bible among other commandments, teaches us to do unto to others what we want done to us. For close to a decade, Abdalah Kafeero, had not had a meaningful end of year party, let alone a hefty meal.

He painfully struggled with prostrate cancer for years. His body got swollen, he became anemic and was later confined to a wheel chair.

He was admitted to Nsambya Hospital and tranferred to Mulago Hospital. With little hope of recovery, he was discharged.

To this 83-year-old loner, sickness coupled with old age and poverty was the adage. His life was literally a nightmare. He came to a point where he wished death would set him free and take away his pain.

Thanks to the Australia Government (AusAID) that, through Uganda Australia Christian Outreach, showed compassion and treated Kafeero and the other elders to a grand party.

Weak and unable to walk, he was escorted to Busabala Road Nursing Home ground, where the party was held. The epitome being the moment when he cut the cake.

While others vigorously danced in praise and worship, Kafeero sat back, occasionally shook his head and conjured up meagre muscle to clap.

Whipping off his tears of ecstasy, Kafeero was all praises for AusAID, which in his words “are his father and mother as well as his granar.” He was a sick, desolate loner, but that has changed. He can once again smile.

“ I have found solace, love and care from this charity. I eat and dress well and my health has drastically improved,” he said.
In testimony, he said that he would treasure the outreach programme as long as he lives.

“It has given me a new lease of life. Praise God,” he told the guests who showed up to party with him.
Kafeero is just but a fraction of the thousands of vulnerable people; widows, grand parents, orphans and people living with HIV/AIDS, who survive on the services offered by the Australia government.

AusAID works in conjunction with Busabala Road Nursing Home.
The organisation implements the Model of Community Care Programme that has existed for over eight years, offering an assortment of services in Kampala and Wakiso districts.

According to Dr. Edward Ssembatya, country director Aus AID, the programme aims at improving the status of vulnerable people in the community, improving their health, income, providing free medical care and support, and offering weekly packages of balanced food.

The organisation pays school fees for the orphaned, ensuring availability of other forms of educational support while running self-help groups for women and youth where they offer vocational training to improve skills in carpentry brick laying and tailoring.

Among their programmes, they offer care and food supplements, micro-schemes and adult literacy programs to refuges from Congo and Eritrea.

Currently, they cater for over 400 refuges and over 120 HIV/AIDS people. They watch over more than 80 widows and 98 elderly people, routinely showing up for home visits, renovating housing structures, offering clothing, beddings and distributing monthly food supplements.

Sembatya says that through the programme, the community has been equiped with strategies for poverty eradication.

He said: “There has been a reduction in malarial infections because we handout free mosquito nets.” There has been a reduction of HIV/AIDS infections and the sick receive nutritional food supplements.

“Over 6,000 children have been immunised against preventable diseases,” he said.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});