About Adina FU
Adina Foundation Uganda (AFU) was founded as a local charitable Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in 2009 by three members of Adina Stiftelsen Norway (AS) and two respected Ugandan citizens in order to meet the urgent need for holistic rehabilitation services for children with mobility disabilities in Northern Uganda.
Sponsors & Supporters
AS and AFU have a close collaboration and AS is the main partner and sponsor of AFU. AS receives funding to support AFU through the Norwegian government agency; Norad, Project Possible, as well as Norwegian schools, kindergartens, private sponsors, organizations and businesses. AFU as well receives funding from ELMA Masana Wa Afrika to support its activities. AFU runs Lira Rehabilitation Centre (LRC) project that provides a holistic rehabilitation services to Children with Disabilities (CWDs) in Northern Uganda. AFU also collaborates with other local partners like Comprehensive Rehabilitation Services in Uganda (CoRSU), Cure children’s hospital Mbale, Emergency Children’s’ Surgical Hospital Entebbe, God Help Uganda, Children of the Nation Uganda, Lira Babies’ Home and Central and Local governments (Ministry of Health, Ministry of Gender, Labour & Social Development). AFU operates in Lira City, Lira, Alebtong and Dokolo Districts of Lango Sub region in Northern Uganda respectively.
How It Started
AFU started with physical therapy with no surgery in year one. Surgery was introduced in 2011 with only 3 children benefiting. Today AFU has a target of 100 surgeries per year. In the beginning again, AFU admitted inpatients for the physiotherapy services. With demand and lack of space, outpatient services were introduced in 2013; just as outreach clinics. Outreach clinics were introduced in Ogur Health Centre IV -2013, Aloi Health Centre III-2014 and Amach Health Centre IV-2015; these are conducted fortnightly in Ogur and Monthly in Aloi and Amach. Currently we have extended outreach clinic services to other districts (Alebtong & Dokolo) through their health centers.
Expanding To Education
Education program was introduced at the onset of the organization with only catch up classes run for children in admission. The class enables children who have to drop out for 3-6 months while undergoing rehabilitation to continue with school and children who have not started school leave the rehabilitation centre understanding what happens in school and all continue with school after reunion. In 2012, education sponsorship started with 02 children in boarding secondary school and majority of the children in community primary schools. With no impact on education at community level due to many challenges facing the children e.g. long distance to school, stigma and discrimination, boarding school enrolment was fully introduced in 2013. Vocational skills training too came in same year.
Who We Help
In terms of scope, AFU started working in three sub counties of Ogur, Agweng and Aromo all in the then Lira district. Today AFU has covered Barr, Amach, Apala, Aloi, Agali, Adekokwok and many others coming as walk ins from different parts of the sub region. AFU was able to expand to Alebtong district in 2013. Currently AFU has also extended its services to Dokolo district as well.
AFU currently reaches children with physical disability (CWDs), parents/households of the children, teachers through training in inclusive education, District and Sub county Local government stakeholders and the general community.