Christmas appeal for uganda

A different Christmas story  

St Francis Leprosy Guild supports four leprosy centres in Uganda. Two healthcare centres which screen people for leprosy and provide treatment; Aripea and Ediofe, located in Arua near to the border with Congo and South Sudan. Two leprosy hospitals which also care for long-term residents; Nyenga and Buluba, located near Jinja in southern Uganda. 

Once upon a time, a little boy lived with his family in a remote village in Uganda. When he was four years old, he developed signs of leprosy. A painful, red rash covered his body and then his limbs started to weaken. Eventually he could hardly walk. 

a remote village in northern Uganda

Convinced his son was cursed by evil spirits, his father planned to kill him. But suspecting the truth and to stop his tragic death, his uncle stole him away. He took the boy to our leprosy centre, Aripea, near Arua.

Here they diagnosed him with leprosy and treated him with Multidrug Therapy. Five months later he can walk again, and his rash has improved. When his treatment is finished, there will be no visible signs of leprosy.

The boy towards the end of his treatment

But the boy cannot return home to his family. His father doesn’t believe in modern medicine or that leprosy can be cured. So instead, he will grow up at Aripea, which is funded by charities like ours. 

At Aripea, the boy has been given a new name as well as a new home. They have called him Francis.  

Every penny you give this Christmas will support people affected by leprosy in Uganda

People affected by leprosy at Aripea

Show people affected by leprosy in Uganda that they are not forgotten this Christmas

The republic of Uganda is a landlocked country in central-eastern Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by Democratic Republic of Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda and, to the south by United Republic of Tanzania. It has a population of over 47 million people.

Since Uganda gained independence in 1962, the nation has experienced violent conflict including eight years of military dictatorship by Idi Amin. ​Uganda suffers numerous human rights issues with 1.4 million displaced persons caused by internal conflict, widespread torture, attacks on political freedom, child labour, slavery and people trafficking.

Although Uganda is not a Global Priority Country for leprosy, three of its neighbours, South Sudan, DRC, and URC are endemic and the borders are porous. In some African countries, leprosy is seen as a curse and those with leprosy are greatly feared and rejected.  

Uganda ranks 159 out of 189 in the Human Development Index