Autumn Newsletter 2025: The Latest from KCF

Another shipment to Kumi!

After the success of our collaboration with PhysioNet in 2024 to send a shipment of donated mobility equipment to Uganda, KCF are pleased to announce that we have managed to fund another shipment this year. Thanks to funding provided by the Rope Trust, KCF were able to partner with PhysioNet again to send a 40ft container of over 593 pieces of mobility equipment that will arrive in Kumi in November.

Our third collaboration with PhysioNet, and their 179th shipment globally, the container included:

• 106 pieces of paediatric equipment

• 90 wheelchairs

• Children’s buggies and other mobility aids

The container also contains 15 specialised hospital beds and 10 children’s cot beds that were desperately needed by Kumi Hospital for their patients. We also received a generous donation of over 250 pairs of orthopaedic shoes and boots from Ortho Europe, which will be used to help children and adults with their walking.

All other equipment has been donated and collected by both PhysioNet and KCF, then collated and refurbished where necessary at PhysioNet’s depot just outside York. All this work was undertaken by volunteers, including members of Ripon Rotary Club, and we are extremely thankful for their dedication of time and expertise.

Once the container arrives at Kumi Hospital, it will be unloaded and the beds and cots distributed around the hospital. The rest of the equipment will be stored until our team of volunteers arrive in February.

Six therapists — a mixture of physiotherapists and occupational therapists — together with technicians and a team leader, will travel to Kumi Hospital on 17th February 2026 to host a six-day distribution camp.

Our KCF outreach team based at Kumi Hospital are busy identifying potential clients who desperately need mobility equipment and will organise for them to attend one of the clinic days. We aim to see approximately 50 clients each day.

Once clients arrive at the hospital and are checked in, they are assessed by one of the therapists and the most suitable piece of equipment is identified. The technicians then work to ensure any modifications the equipment might need to suit its recipient are made.

It is an extremely busy few days, but hugely rewarding for all involved — and life-changing for those who receive equipment and regain their independence.

The Problem of Gluteal Fibrosis

Gluteal Fibrosis (GF) is prevalent in Uganda, but specifically in eastern Teso regions, which includes Kumi. In our fieldwork, our UK team found that over 30% of the children seen in our outreach clinics had conditions resulting from malarial episodes, and many had been treated for malaria with quinine injections.

The treatment for malaria in rural Teso is to inject quinine directly into the gluteal muscles. After several injections into this area, some children begin to show symptoms of GF as the muscles harden with scar tissue.

People affected by GF present with pain in the buttocks, difficulty walking, and limitations in hip movement. Those with GF may also experience an “out-toeing” gait, a “frog-leg” posture when squatting, which makes it very difficult or impossible to squat.

Being able to squat is essential in Uganda in order to use the latrine.

Poorly trained healthcare workers in rural clinics, coupled with the false belief held by mothers that medicine is more potent if injected rather than ingested, has led to an increase of GF cases in Uganda. Whilst the treatment for malaria worldwide is quinine injections, it is not known exactly why GF is only found in small geographical pockets.

The treatment for GF is surgery to release the contractures in the gluteal muscles. After surgery, children require immediate physiotherapy to maintain the range of movement gained in theatre, and these exercises must continue for at least three months after discharge.

The cost of surgery in Kumi varies, but is currently around £200 per patient.

KCF works with another UK charity — Farmers Overseas Action Group (FOAG) — that supports rural communities in Uganda to fund regular surgical camps at Kumi Hospital, alleviating the suffering of the many GF patients identified by our outreach team in Kumi District.

This year, we have jointly paid for 38 surgeries and hope to fund many more in the future.

Would you consider supporting this work through a monthly donation?

For more information, contact Hannah Meeson at hannahmeeson@googlemail.com