Dear Mr's Greggs and Holland's, I regret to inform you that your profits are about to be severley dented as I go into training for the Benidorm 1/2 marathon.

Gone are the sausage roll breakfast, velvety vegetable past dinners and hot pie suppers; and in comes the all bran, riveta and celery. 

 I am running to raise money for KITOUV HOSPITAL, Uganda where I worked as an accountant for 2 1/2 years. 

Kitovu Hospital

* Founded in 1954 by a mission community, some of whom still work in Uganda.

* £750,000 annual budget

 * Treats 35,000 out patients annually

* Treats 12,000 in patients annually

* Common Medical Treatment

* Malaria - Treatable for £3. Not treated = death within 2 weeks.

* Maternity Ward -Treats 2,500 patients annually. The hospital is focussed on women and children. The % of children dying under 5 years is 13%. The average women produces 6-8 children. So the average woman has lost a child under the age of 5 years - World Health Organisation.

* National Obstetric Fistula Training Centre - a condition where women can not stop leaking urine for the rest of their lives after giving birth. Cures 300 patients annually.  - see link below with Dr. Catherine Hamlin from Ethiopia discussing fistula on the Oprah Whinfrey show.

 * Specialist Malnutrition Unit - treats severely malnourished children and educates mothers. The only unit for miles around. It can save lives by educating mothers on the nutritional value of fruit, beans and milk as oppose to millet and corn that are high in carbohydrates but low in nutritional value.

* Regional Blood Bank - 8,500 donors pear year. Every pint of blood can save the lives of 2 children with sever anaemia. You may say this is no caused by the malaria, but by not being able to afford the transport costs to the hospital, instead gambling the syptoms are that of a flu until it may be too late.

* 12% of the patients are dying from HIV / AIDS - look around the room. In Uganda more than 1 person in 20 has HIV AIDS. Life can be prolonged through anti-retroviral drugs. This could give a parent an extra 5 - 10 years to prepare their child for life ahead without them.

PLEASE, PLEASE CHECK OUT THE LINKS BELOW including DR. HAMLIN on the OPRAH WINFREY SHOW.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ztn22-cgm28

http://www.mmmworldwide.org 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aXi3AaGLwo

 

I am running with my good friend Colonel Anthony C Hughes. If you can not sponsor the hospital for the run, then I beg that you sponsor me in the pie off challenge with Anthony. The winner will be declared as the first person after the race to down 1 pie barm, 1 bean pasty, a sausage roll and a steak bake. I won't let you down. 

Also, I am off to Kitovu in October with 5 of Wythenshawe's finest who shall remain nameless. If anyone wishes to contribute to the following  I will pass the money onto the hospital.

 * Mosquito net - to protect 2 children form malaria  - £5

 * Obstetric Fistula Operation  - £200

 *  Water well - provides clean water for 2,500 people and lasts > 10 years - £1,000

 * Training a nurse for 3 years - £2,200

THANK-YOU for your sponsorship. Appreciate the demands on your money especially in these times.

  Katonda Mukukume