\n Damian Wynne first became involved in the project after meeting Fr Ernest, a Kenyan Montfortian missionary, while volunteering in Malawi in 2015 and 2016.\n<\/p>\n
\n Fr Ernest told him about the basic health facility he was running in Kabuyanda, Uganda – a single room with four beds, no window glass and crumbling walls.\n<\/p>\n
\n Damian, of Darlington, initially sent a few hundred pounds to help improve the building, but asked Fr to draw up plans for a centre that could make a lasting difference. Those plans became the foundation of Kabuyanda Health, a charity Damian went on to establish with three trustees.\n<\/p>\n
\n Ugandan health clinic (Image: Damian Wynne)\n<\/p>\n
\n After visiting Uganda to oversee early construction work, Damian helped steer the project through fundraising, planning and delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.\n<\/p>\n
\n The health centre officially opened in November 2021, providing 45 beds across three wards, along with a treatment room, pharmacy, laboratory and sanitation facilities.\n<\/p>\n
\n The \u00a3125,000 build cost was raised entirely through donations and small fundraising events hosted throughout Darlington and Newcastle.\n<\/p>\n
\n Ugandan health clinic (Image: Damian Wynne)\n<\/p>\n
\n Since the centre opened, Damian has continued to play a hands-on role in its development.\n<\/p>\n
\n During a visit in December 2024, he worked with staff to identify ways of maximising the facility\u2019s impact without expanding the building further.\n<\/p>\n
\n As a result, Kabuyanda Health agreed to fund a paediatrician for 2025 and 2026, cover pharmacy costs for children and the elderly, and support treatment for women suffering from urinary tract infections.\n<\/p>\n
\n Ugandan health clinic (Image: Damian Wynne)\n<\/p>\n
\n The charity has also supplied vital medical equipment, including blood testing machines, computers, vaccine refrigeration, an ultrasound system and an incinerator for clinical waste.\n<\/p>\n
\n This year, further funding of around \u00a320,000 is being sent to Uganda to install solar power and upgrade ultrasound technology.\n<\/p>\n
\n Ugandan health clinic (Image: Damian Wynne)\n<\/p>\n
\n Damian said the changes made since the project began have been dramatic.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWhat started as a one-room shack has become a clean, well-organised health centre delivering real improvements in health outcomes,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n
\n Kabuyanda Health operates with no paid staff or overheads, with all funds raised going directly to healthcare provision.\n<\/p>\n
\n Damian is now appealing for long-term support to help cover essential running costs of around \u00a312,000 a year, including the ongoing employment of a paediatrician and vital pharmacy supplies.\n<\/p>\n
\n He added: \u201cWhat might seem like a small amount in the UK can be completely transformational for families in Kabuyanda.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n To get involved with Kabuyanda Health’s fundraising, contact kabuyanda@btinternet.com to speak to Damian Wynne, Tony Brockley, John McGovern or Aidan Lavender.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Damian Wynne first became involved in the project after meeting Fr Ernest, a Kenyan Montfortian missionary, while volunteering…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":404550,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[102,2960,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-404549","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-health","tag-healthcare","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404549","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=404549"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/404549\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/404550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=404549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=404549"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=404549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}