Articles by Beth Cole

Dear Friends of Real Medicine,

Jane and her precious two daughters have been caught in the crossfire.

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Due to post election ethnic violence in Uganda, Jane, infected with AIDS and Tuberculosis, and her daughters Naomi and Lucy, were forced to seek refuge in Uganda. They had to leave life as they knew it behind and lost contact with their husband and father while fleeing Kenya. Support was made available for them at a temporary refugee camp in Uganda, but it was just that – temporary.

The Kenyan refugees were moved to a permanent camp in Northern Uganda this past spring. When Naomi was burning up with a raging Malaria fever no medication was available at the refugee clinic. The following morning 13 year old Naomi died before she could be transported to the hospital in town.

Why your support is so critical: At least 65 children are suffering from severe malnutrition and medications are desperately needed. Our urgent call for action is for food for these children and medical supplies for the clinic.

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Upon reaching Tororo, Uganda, the RMF team was greeted by Srs. Clare and Margaret, Franciscan sisters working at the Mama Kevina Comprehensive Secondary School in Tororo, Uganda. The student population at Mama Kevina is mostly from Northern Uganda where the children have been affected by the ongoing wars, floods and HIV/AIDS. Many of the students’ parents were slaughtered by rebels or killed by AIDS and left as orphans. Two of the boys were forced to be children soldiers.

Srs. Clare and Margaret and other Franciscans provided aid relief at the temporary Kenyan refugee camp, Mulanda Transit Center on the outskirts of Tororo. Refugees started coming to the transit center in January, and continued to arrive almost daily through the beginning of May.  The RMF team arrived in Tororo in April 2008 to provide training in acupuncture protocols for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  Upon arrival Sr. Clare introduced Charles Naku, a Young Franciscan and HIV/AIDS counselor.  Charles was instrumental in navigating the RMF team around the refugee camp, making the necessary introductions and dispelling misconceptions regarding the training program.

During the training 21 Kenyan refugees with a health care background were trained in protocols for PTSD and over 500 patients ranging in age from 2 to 77 were treated by trainees during clinically supervised treatment sessions. The day after the trainees graduated from the training, the entire camp began packing their tents.  The following day trucks and buses arrived to transport the refugees to their permanent home, Kiryadongo, in the Masindi district of Uganda. Prior to the relocation, Charles was selected as the local Ugandan Project Coordinator.  Having spent months counseling at the refugee camp and participating in the acupuncture training provided at Mama Kevina, Charles was well qualified to assume the responsibilities of coordinating and supervising the ongoing acupuncture treatments at the new location in Kiryadongo.

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In cooperation with The Pan African Acupuncture Project, Beth Cole, Director of RMF’s Whole Health Team, initiated a training for local health care providers, including nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, medical doctors, traditional healers and HIV/AIDS counselors, in acupuncture protocols in Uganda,  a country devastated by HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The training teaches simple and effective acupuncture techniques that enable the health care providers to treat the devastating and debilitating symptoms associated with HIV/AIDS, malaria, and TB.

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