OUTREACH ACTIVITIES DECEMBER 2023

Alinaitwe Eunice is a final year student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Project Planning and Management at Ndejje University. Eunice has a passion for helping others. In December, Eunice offered to support FAAYO in its patient community outreach activity, which we called ‘’SHARING LOVE.”. This was an activity of reaching out to patient families affected by heart disease to provide psychosocial and emotional support. We also provided general home-use goods such as food and soap. We extend great thanks to Eunice who funded the purchase of these basic necessities to create smiles in our HEART COMMUNITY. Eunice believes that even with a little, you can make a positive impact and change lives.

Alinaitwe Eunice

Patience

Patience is an 11-year-old girl who lives in Hoima. She started falling sick in October of 2023 with serious signs of joint swelling, swelling of the body, and a fast heartbeat. A sickle cell test came back negative; then she was diagnosed with pneumonia because of her fast heartbeat and abnormal breathing. In February 2024, Patience was referred to Mulago Hospital after doctors suspected a heart problem. Finally, Patience was diagnosed with Rheumatic heart disease at the Uganda Heart Institute. Patience was started on treatment and referred for surgery out of the country. That surgery is unfortunately delayed, and Patience waits.

Grace, Wakiso District

Grace was born with a heart defect. At the age of 2 and a half years, she travelled to India for heart-saving surgery. Now she is almost 4 years old, very strong, and living a normal life like any other kid. Health information about how to care for a child after
heart surgery still remains insufficient as parents put restrictions on the child because of many myths and misconceptions after surgery—a gap Faayo is working hard on to ensure parents are empowered with the information they need to raise their children with confidence to lead a normal life.

FAAYO works hard to offer continuous psychosocial support to families affected by heart disease—both congenital and rheumatic heart disease. We want to bridge the knowledge gap and promote healthy lifestyles through health education and empowerment for families and communities. We are currently focused on the rural areas of Wakiso and Hoima Districts, reaching out to families affected by CHD and RHD by conducting community awareness campaigns. We need your support for our work through partnerships and donations. If you are interested in partnership opportunities to help us support the heart community in the rural areas of Hoima and Wakiso please email us at faayocommunityheart@gmail.com with Partnership Inquiry in the subject line. We look forward to hearing from you!