Harpenden Spotlight on Africa

In this article Harpenden Spotlight on Africa (HSoA) take great pleasure in updating you on:

• The signifi cant accomplishments made in 2021 by our team in

Uganda • Share with you our plans for 2022 • Give details of a collaborative opportunity with HSoA in 2022

About HSoA

We are made up of two teams who collaborate to deliver great outcomes. The Uganda team (based in Mbale) work with the local community, the Uganda Government, and the UK team, to roll out projects to resolve signifi cant locally identifi ed needs.

The UK team, who are all volunteers are focussed on providing funds and supporting the projects in Uganda. 97% of

all funds raised in the UK go directly to the team in Mbale.

Mbale is the poorest part of Eastern Uganda, and the communities are mainly refugees from confl ict in South Sudan and north Uganda. A large proportion of whom are destitute.

Our Focus

There are many objectives, but these typically fall into four categories:

• Save Lives – adults and children • Educate young people • Enable communities to become fi nancially independent • Create an economically sustainable future

Success in 2021

There have been many successes this year but HSoA have:-

RAISED FUNDS to build a maternity centre which will save many lives of expectant mothers – In the area expectant mothers are 36 x more likely than in the UK to die during childbirth.

BUILT A MATERNITY CLINIC – building work started this summer and we are making great progress, we anticipate that the maternity centre will complete in Q1 2022.

SAVED LIVES through commencing the roll out of a transformational Community Health Programme in Mbale. This delivered 2000 child vaccinations and the creation/ maintenance of 250 voluntary health workers.

We have big plans for next year and HSoA will, in partnership with PEAS, commence the build of a secondary school. This project is currently being fully scoped and costed but will enable young people in Mbale to transition seamlessly from our academically successful primary school to secondary school. At present youngsters travel hours every day to access secondary education.

The 2022 Hertfordshire Business initiative

We are looking to create partnerships with local businesses with the intention to ensure a mutually benefi cial relationship for both parties. The focus of this is to raise funds towards the secondary school planned in 2022.

The benefi ts to your business with an effective CSR initiative, aside from the feel-good factor can include:-

• Improved job satisfaction and increased motivation of employees • Attraction of new business • Retention of customers • Enhance your business’s standing in the community through local PR

We are keen to create bespoke relationships but would welcome your organisation to join us in our 2022 our events programme. These are likely to include:-

• Social events – such as golf event, garden party, local meals • Adventure Activities - such as abseiling • Large functions - such as the HSoA

Summer Ball

We would also welcome any innovative ideas to support our objective of building a muchneeded Secondary School and changing as many lives as possible.

If this article has sparked your interest in working with us at Harpenden Spotlight on Africa, please do follow up by contacting one of us below:

Neil Margereson – neilmargereson@hsoa.org.uk

Andrew Horne - andrewhorne@hsoa.org.uk

We are planning on running a presentation to provide more comprehensive background to HSoA and launch this program in early 2022. If you would like to be kept informed of this, please do let us know.

Finally, Harpenden Spotlight on Africa sends our readers many festive greetings and best wishes for 2022.