A HANBURY medical student needs £3,000 to help provide desperate medical care for sick newborn babies and children in Uganda.
Eleanor Johns, who is in her third year at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, has volunteered to fly to East Africa in August to spend over a month at Mulago Hospital in Kampala.
The money raised will pay for the 22-year-old’s flights, hostel, immunisations and visa. So far she has managed to collect £900 and is appealing to Standard readers to help her find the rest.
During her time at the hospital Eleanor will be spending three weeks working with pregnant women in the department of obstetrics and three weeks working with children and new-born babies in paediatric medicine.
She will also be participating in an outreach programme with Alive Medical Centre in Namuwongo slums for people affected by HIV and AIDs.
While in Uganda, Eleanor will be writing a blog about her experiences to keep her sponsors updated on the work she will be doing there.
Eleanor said she was heading to Uganda because she was really passionate and interested in global health.
“I am a bit nervous but I have volunteered in Kenya and Malawi on a non-medical basis before.
“I volunteered at a school and helped mentally disabled children in Kenya and when I was there I fell in love with East Africa, it was really beautiful.
“As a white female you have to be careful and sensible – for instance you don’t go out on your own at night.
“But, because we are in the main city and we have supervisors, I’m not too worried.
“We have everything in place for our own safety – you have to go through lots of protocols at the university.
“I am hoping to help wherever I can and I also hope to learn from medical professionals and patients at Mulago.
“This trip will be a vital step towards one day being able to work for non-governmental organisations such as UNICEF or MSF, all over the world, in areas where medical care is so vital – something which I am incredibly passionate about.
“I’m really looking forward to it, I can’t wait.”
Visit gogetfunding.com/project/uganda-children-and-women-s-health for more or to sponsor Eleanor.
