How it started
The manifestation that is Relief Care Uganda-RCU was inspired partly by Richard Lutaaya’s experience working in vulnerable communities as a Field Officer with The Aids Support organisation in 2006. Riding home to home delivering Anti Retro Viral-ARV drugs, providing medical care and psychosocial counselling services to persons infected and affected by HIV/AIDS on a daily basis so as to support their drug adherence, those with mental health, depression, stigma, bereavement, stress, fear, denial so as to help them practice positive living.
He saw people badly stricken by poverty and HIV/AIDS in several vulnerable communities, malnutrition and deaths among children and people of other age groups, girls being married off at tender ages, children doing hard work so as to have a meal while others ending up on streets and prisons. While on their death beds, many of the mothers/parents requested Richard to take on the support of their children once they are dead. Many children remained orphaned while others were left with very old grandparents who could hardly give a helping hand. This tapestry of experience was the foundation of the manifestation of a vision to establish Relief Care Uganda-RCU.
In the years since, our programs have expanded to cover a broad range of sustainable community development programs.
Our approach to programming is holistic, responsive, and driven by the needs of the communities we serve. Our programs are diverse because the needs of vulnerable rural communities are, and we seek to empower the vulnerable rural communities towards sustainability, but also recognize immediate needs and demand for immediate relief.
In our journey, support from international volunteers, and collaborations from other organisations, institutions, companies, religious groups and individuals have been pivotal and the backbone of our success. Relief Care Uganda-RCU has been offering a range of local activities including; community health outreaches, international work-camps, skills empowerment programs to eradicate poverty, provision of education to children community-based projects and internships for both local and international students, exchange programs and youth camps.
At Relief Care Uganda, we value people over profits, and this has inspired our participants to become active global citizens.
Over the years, the internships, volunteer programs, exchange programs and youth camps we run in Uganda have provided opportunities for several participants from different countries, backgrounds and cultures to meet and develop friendships with local people and work on various community development projects under RCU.
Through these community development programs, by God’s grace, we have been able to serve hundreds of vulnerable people and communities in rural Uganda, lifting individuals and families out of extreme poverty.