Last summer, thanks to incredible support of so many donors, I had the privilege of volunteering at the Matumaini Centre in Tanzania. It was a transformative experience - one that deepened my understanding of how access to rehabilitation, nutrition support and education can truly change lives.

That experience did not end when I returned home. It changed my perspective on health, reinforced my commitment to dietetic practice, and strengthened the responsibility I feel to contribute meaningfully in under-resourced settings. As I progress in my professional development, I recognise that I now have both more to learn and more to offer.

This summer, I will be volunteering in Uganda as a Student Leader and MSc Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics student with UCD Volunteers Overseas (UCDVO) at Church of Uganda Kisiizi Hospital*. The other volunteers and I will take part in a four-week paediatric rehabilitation and nutrition programme, delivered by a multi-disciplinary team of health science students under the supervision of experienced clinical tutors. It builds on UCDVO’s long-standing partnerships in Uganda, bringing sustainable support, education, and capacity-building to children and families in the region. The project combines physiotherapy, disability rehabilitation, and nutrition support. The nutrition project which will support the work of Kisiizi Hospital’s nutrition programme and will involve nutrition assessments and advice, community outreach, education workshops and data collection.

Your support makes this work possible. Each contribution helps fund essential project costs, including therapy materials, nutrition resources, community workshops, and support for families who may otherwise have limited access to these services. These funds do not cover flights and other individual costs such as vaccinations. These will be self-funded.

Thank you so much for your support! Your generosity helps create positive, lasting change for children with disabilities and their families.

* Church of Uganda Kisiizi Hospital is a 285 bed, private, not-for-profit health care provider, in rural Rukungiri district, southwest Uganda. The hospital consists of six wards - Surgical, Maternity, Medical, Isolation, Paediatric, and Psychiatric as well as an outpatient department / A&E, a full rehabilitation department with an attached long-term patient rehabilitation ward. There are numerous other services at the hospital such as community-based outreach clinics, vaccination programmes, rehabilitation programmes, a HIV and antiretroviral treatment centre and a community health insurance project.