The Orthopedic workshop at Gulu Referral Hospital – Health
Supported by AVSI and The Trust Fund for Victims, the Orthopedic workshop at Gulu Referral Hospital make 400 legs every year. AVSI offers psychological support, physio therapy, mobility equipment, and social workers who offer counselling to the clients. Once a month AVSI does community outreaches for community sensitization, identification of clients and follow ups where counselling for war victims is done in groups, couples and individuals. There are many cases of post trauma, depression, anxiety, nightmares among others.
AVSI also offers livelihoods support after a community member has gone through the counselling sessions. The trainings are given to communities, training in VSLA and IGAs.
Community members have seen changes - are able to support their children in school, farm for home use and sell, are able to pay their medical bills etc. And through the savings, the members have been able to earn and invest in other activities.
Odong Sunday, war victim
In Omoro District, we met Odong Sunday, a 35 year old farmer who is a war victim.
He was abducted during the war, at age 12. When he tried to escape one day, he was ambushed, bombed and he lost his leg. With AVSI’s support, he was taken to the hospital, given a prosthetic limb and trained until he could use the legs fully. AVSI also trained him in tailoring, after which he was given the tailoring machine that he’s still using at the shop. He was also trained in farmer field school by AVSI, and he started a vegetable garden from which he has earns a living.
Sunday said his social life has improved, he is more confident. The leg is helping him achieve the mobility he had lost.
