Kampala offers a lot but demands a lot in return. It’s a bustling city, and there’s constantly something happening all around you. I barely arrived and immediately got to work. There are many challenges, and it will be difficult to overcome them all. Nevertheless, I am confident and feel ready to tackle them. Upon my arrival, I meet Benjamin. He has been working at SHAU for the past 4 years. He gives me a tour of the house that welcomes mothers from all corners of Uganda with one hope: to learn how to care for their child with Spina Bifida or Hydrocephalus.
SHAU is an organization dedicated to combating all forms of discrimination against children with Spina Bifida and/or Hydrocephalus. They like to describe themselves as an “umbrella” because SHAU collaborates and works extensively with other regional and international organizations (Child-Help being one of their partners), covering every sector. One of their most significant battles is for inclusion. Beyond providing care before, during, and after various surgeries, they also strive to make parents and children understand that despite their disabilities, there are ways to be “useful” in society by pursuing various professions. SHAU is thus advocating for an inclusive society where these children are accepted for who they are in all existing facets.
Here I am, faced with my first case of Spina Bifida. We begin by discussing the consequences of this condition while providing care to the child. What I see leaves me stoic. I felt a deep sense of compassion for the mother who has to confront this battle every day. The goal of the SHAU members is primarily to restore hope to these mothers. Their work starts from the hospital (where the mothers await surgery for their child) to post-operative treatment.
