Life of Bryan (and Katongole) - Part 1

As we mentioned a few weeks back the VSO volunteers came together to paint a children’s ward in Mulago Hospital one weekend and we are due back on Saturday to finish the job. Going to hospital in Uganda is a bit different to the UK; your family also goes in to look after you as the nurses dish out the medicine and food only. If you have no kin then you are on your own unless you are lucky and someone else’s relative looks after you. This may seem harsh but it is the way things are done here.

Whilst painting Mwana Migimu Children’s Ward we met Bryan. Bryan is a proper poorly African baby, like we’ve all seen on the TV all too frequently, and his mum died of AIDS the day before we started painting. He had no other family to look after him so effectively he was on his own and given his malnourished state his chances were pretty grim and he probably didn’t have long to live. Luckily the nurses among us We clubbed together and formed a rota such that we went in at various points during the week to make sure he was clean, getting his food and taken out of his cot at least once a day. When we found him he was completely silent, starring into space and not really registering anything that was happening to him. We're pleased to say that he is now starting to act like a baby again, indicating when he wants more food and crying when he a lot which is good news. Here are some photos of Bryan.

We then found a friend for Bryan in intensive care called Katongole. Kat was abandoned by his family at Mulago hospital after being left at home alone with no-one to care for him. He is 1 and a half years old. When we found Katongole he was very swollen from malnutrition, had been badly neglected and was covered in sores and cuts. Since coming to hospital the social workers have had no luck in contacting his parents – no-one wanted him. So we started to keep an eye on him as well and again I’m pleased to say he is starting to look like a proper little boy, see the photos below.

The story does not end there. We have arranged for an Orphanage to go in every day to check on both boys as we all have other work commitments. We hope when they are better that they will take the boys into care but it is not a certainty and we may have to look again for a good home for the boys. And all of this is dependent on the respective families agreeing to let their children go into care. Bryan's grandmother came into the hospital last week for the first time. She already looks after four kids and cannot afford to take Bryan home so hopefully we can get Bryan into the Orphanage. Kat’s family on the other hand have not been heard of for over a month so we are unsure what will happen with him. We hope to have more good news soon….