Core Values of RAIN
RAIN Uganda is driven by the following core values:
Integrity: RAIN-UGANDA shall focus on transparency and openness in all its operations. In its policies (internal and external), transactions and relationships with its clients and stakeholders, RAIN Uganda shall emphasize adherence to its principles and policies.
Confidentiality: RAIN-UGANDA recognizes that it shall deal with information about clients' medical status and partner organizations: it will not divulge any such information without express approval of the persons or organizations concerned.
Compassion: It is clear that RAIN-UGANDA shall incorporate people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, which up to date has no cure. Many of these persons believe that their lives may end soon. That means that RAIN and its staff shall be cognizant of this fact and take efforts to ensure that the staff act with empathy while dealing with the clients.
Mutual respect: RAIN-UGANDA shall bring together individuals for a common cause and through its operations, it shall work with different partner organizations. It recognizes the contribution of each and every individual involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS and other health related issues and supports all such endeavors. The organization outlaws all practices which demean staff or stakeholders such as sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace.
Continuous learning and innovation: RAIN-UGANDA recognizes that it must engage in continuous learning and innovation to keep up-to-date with modern scientific and medical information, and make sure that its staff is accordingly kept up to date. In addition, RAIN personnel will strive to continually learn about the needs, hopes and fears of their clients through direct and ongoing empathetic interaction.
Accountability: RAIN-UGANDA knows that it is accountable to its clients, partner organizations, board members, staff, the government of Uganda and the general public. That being the case, RAIN shall conduct itself in a manner that shows that its contribution and success must be in line with the expectations of its constituents, and therefore the manner in which it uses its resources is in line with its mandate. All RAIN personnel are expected to be truthful, reliable, and accountable for their actions.
Vision
Our vision for the Eastern Uganda Region covering the districts of Budaka, Mbale, Pallisa and Namutumba is that of a region with low HIV transmission rates, and where all those living with HIV and AIDS are cared for and supported to attain the highest standard of health.
Mission
The mission of RAIN-UGANDA is to curb the further spread of HIV infections in Budaka, Mbale, Pallisa and Namutumba districts by informing all the residents about HIV/AIDS, and to enable those who are already living with HIV/AIDS to live a responsible, positive, and dignified life.
RAIN-Uganda will serve as a dynamic information resource, sharing its knowledge and experience with other communities, in order to ensure that similar independent, community-owned programs are successfully proliferated.
Our main objective is to provide free medical care, social, spiritual and emotional support to those who are affected and infected with HIV/AIDS in Budaka, Mbale, Pallisa and Namutumba Districts, with a special focus on those for whom such services are otherwise out of reach.
Ours is a philosophy of holistic health care, and the staff and volunteers of RAIN-Uganda believe that health service delivery does not end with drug prescription and supply. It must include efforts to break the vicious cycle of ill health, poverty and desolation, for we appreciate that medicine is less helpful without food and food is of no consequence when patients are not certain of a future. In turn, the future could look bleak when there is nothing to inspire the person to continue living - a hope.
RAIN-Uganda therefore strives to restore health in its entirety: physical, social, mental, spiritual and socioeconomic, defining each component as necessary in the delivery of the minimum health care package as defined in Uganda's Health Sector Strategic Plan (MOH, Uganda) and contributing to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs).
Background Information on RAIN-UGANDA
In early 2006, a young Ugandan doctor and an American volunteer sat together, brainstorming, as they had so many times before, about the serious needs of the local people especially concerning HIV. They were particularly concerned with the people in the local villages surrounding Mbale, Uganda, where Ugandan Jews are living. The agreed upon immediate need was to give residents of these villages access to HIV information and testing.
With funding provided by the volunteer, Hedy Cohen, she and the doctor, Samson Wamani, began outreach HIV testing. In the first two years the actual testing was performed by contracting with a local HIV/AIDS outreach organization. After that, the founders began to organize their own team for testing.
That team consists of four to six trained HIV counselors, a community organizer/team leader, one or sometimes two lab technicians and two to three mobilizers. There is also a large group of volunteers that assist on each testing day. Over the next six years, that team has successfully completed over 30 rural testings, conducting well over 4,000 tests. The target is for testing in each community twice a year.
There have also been ongoing conversations in these villages so that men, women and youth are guided in the choices they are making for themselves and their families. Topics such as HIV and its transmission, health and care of HIV+ clients, getting tested, family planning, infidelity, and condom use are freely and openly discussed.
While this is definitely providing a new level of service, it is clear that it is not enough. Through voluntary counseling and testing, individuals are identified as HIV positive and counseled about where to go for medical intervention and care. This medical care is free at any government facility and available in Mbale.
Yet because these are rural, agricultural people, often the cost of getting to Mbale Town is prohibitive; they typically have no funds for the fare and public transport is difficult and often unreliable. Moreover, the cost of a trip to town in time and money is a day’s work in the fields for the person seeking help and their companion. The infected person often sees the HIV+ label as a death sentence as there are few community role models who are living healthy lives with HIV.
Clearly, testing and referral is just the beginning of HIV care. These rural clients must be given more support in order to live healthy lives with HIV. In addition to ongoing medical care, they need home health care and monitoring. Their families must be given ongoing support and counseling to understand the needs of the infected person and the needs of the client as he/she relates to the family. The importance of the medical regiment must be constantly reinforced. HIV is a family responsibility and without that understanding and support, these infected people will not survive. And, although there is now a funding grant for HIV testing, that is insufficient to extend the necessary services to HIV infected individuals.
This is the challenge that RAIN-UGANDA faces.
1/22/2013 10:18:54 PM - 000055651339
Dear Rachel Namudosi and Naume Saban,
This past year I have been collaborating with your colleague, Sam Wamani, in writing a grant to help local girls' sanitary needs. I have not been able to reach him these past few weeks and I'm concerned about him. He referred me to you in the past as point persons in this project and I'm hoping you could let me know that Sam is okay as well as provide an update on the status of our grant which was to be submitted a few weeks ago in order to coordinate on a shipment of supplies for the girls.
Best,
Kerry Quimi
Sheffield74@yahoo.com
1/11/2012 3:19:01 PM - 004076963825
Iam Proud to be part of the team rostoring hope to those who need it most. Rain-uganda can do more.....
11/9/2011 4:37:35 AM - 001024823374
Thank you for making the world a better place!
10/9/2011 8:36:36 PM - 004047921879
So proud of the work you are doing with RAIN-Uganda. May you go from strength to strength!