Friends of Kisiizi

Sponsor an Orphan

Sponsor a Nurse

Sponsor a Nurse is a charity (registered with the Charity Commission of England & Wales) set up in 2000 to help Kisiizi Hospital in Uganda. It was founded by Dr Helen Smith, who is currently the chairperson of the board of trustees, after she made two visits to Kisiizi in 1999. One of the main problems the hospital has is finding enough money to meet its running costs each month. In any hospital, whether in the UK or elsewhere, the main running cost is staff wages. It was therefore decided that the Charity would help to fund these running costs primarily by supporting the nurses’ wage bill. We considered that as the hospital has problems with recruitment and retention, (due to the remote location and competition from government hospitals which can afford to pay higher wages) we would support any incentives which would specifically address these issues. We now fund a monthly food parcel which is given to all staff. This consists of posho (flour), sugar, cooking oil and soap. It is greatly appreciated by the staff. The Ugandan government have allowed it to be a tax free benefit and the hospital can purchase these comodities economically by bulk buying. Staff also qualify for loyalty bonuses after serving in the hospital for a certain period of time.