Social program
We help to transform a comunity
Health Initiatives associations offers effective assistance to vulnerable individuals and groups in the community. Main focus is on HIV infected and affected households, patients with other chronic diagnoses (e.g. sickle cell disease), orphans, elderly people. Core programmatic areas are education support, healthcare, socioeconomic strengthening and psychosocial support. Our target area is Buikwe district.
Children who has no access to basic education can be enrolled under HIA social program and Slovak charity.
Home visits
HIA staff (mostly community worker, counsellor or doctor) carry out regular home visits to check on bedridden clients, monitor socio-economic background of clients or recover lost to follow up clients.
Home visit activities are part of HIA professional and holistic approach to clients and represent high standard of health care.
Economic strengthening support
Poverty among the households in our catchment area was a trigger for us to focus more on economic strengthening activities. Identified most vulnerable households are assessed for the suitable activity and supported. Majority of the income generating projects are focused on agriculture inputs, animal farming or providing start up capital for small businesses.
VSLA groups
Part of the economic strengthening support is also scheme of VSLA – village saving and loan association. This model of small groups of maximum 30 people enables them to save some money and to benefit either from savings or loans after the cycle ends. In 2021 HIA was able to supervise 16 VSLA groups.
Sponsorship through HIA in Slovakia
The most vulnerable children, who are in need of education support at boarding school, shelter and feeding during the holiday are mostly supported through individual sponsorship by Health Initiatives Association in Slovakia. HIA in Slovakia also offers capacity building program for the employees of HIA in Uganda to build the cadres for continuous development. Generous donors from Slovakia also support the special needs program: surgeries, assistive devices, cancer treatment, imaging methods and many more.
Caritas Slovakia
Children donation project is focused on education support of vulnerable
children – day scholars. In January 2022 we have supported 1075 students.
HIA also benefits from small projects‘ support from Caritas Slovakia e.g. purchase of drugs and laboratory reagents for children with chronic diagnoses, buying of motorcycle, construction of maternity wing etc.
Elderly program
Elderly program, monthly distribution of food and sanitation package to the most vulnerable elderly people from the community, started in December 2018. We supported in total 15 elderly people, unfortunately two of them passed away in 2021. With the food and sanitation they receive also free medical care and most importantly a feeling that someone cares for them.
