Banana plants and fruit trees for hospital in Uganda

Father Peter’s St. Joseph Mosati Thank You Jesus Clinic is located in the extremely poor district of Kasese in Uganda. Until 2012, Father Peter provided medical care to the poorest people in the community in rented rooms. After land had been acquired with donations, construction began on a health clinic, which opened in 2018. People pay what they can spare for being treated here. Widows and orphans receive medical care for free. So far, the project has been largely financed with donations from Znüni Afrikahilfe, which is part of the Catholic pastoral unit in Bad Säckingen.

Now, the ward consists of an external reception room, an examination and treatment room, four rooms for patients and a nurses’ room. A total of 11 nurses can treat diseases such as malaria, typhoid, AIDS, Tuberkulose or diagnose and treat diabetes. Following the installation of solar panels for lighting the infirmary in the first year, it was also possible to purchase a water filtration system in 2019, which purifies industrial water into bacteria-free drinking water. In addition, an ambulance was purchased in 2019. All these steps are necessary for the hospital to obtain official state recognition.

The hospital is located on privately owned land, but does not offer any further land for farming. Not far from the ward, Father Peter was able to purchase two acres of land. The Daniel Schlegel Umweltstiftung took over purchasing the land and will also provide banana plants and trees. A plantation with 490 banana trees will be established on the 9,000 m² land. In addition, 50 Gilveria and 50 Luziana trees will protect the perennials from the outside and 105 cassava trees and 20 mango trees will provide shade inside the plantation. Corn and beans will serve as intercrops.

The trees provide food for the patients in the ward. In addition, Father Peter plans to support the poorest people in the area by giving them the harvested bananas. On the one hand, surplus bananas, mangoes and cassava roots are to be sold to cover the wages of the three farmers in the future. On the other hand, income is to be generated to purchase medical materials. By carrying out this project, we are supporting people in a region of great poverty, where every bit of help is needed. In addition, we are again planting a few trees which are to absorb CO2 , contributing to climate protection.