They are surely humans! They have established a personal relationship with me and have baptized me Mama. They no longer refer to me by names or title. Such a lovely and honest community but stricken by poverty and illiteracy! I often challenge God to empower us to be in better position to serve the community, but also to cause that most desired change in the community-increase the literacy level and socio-economically empower the community.
Serving this community has been very challenging and yet very fulfilling too, a bundle of joy for me. Here I have seen genuine need but also love and a willingness to change for the better.
THE PRESENT CHALLENGES AT OUR LADY OF FATIMA
We are a private-not-for-profit organization and only charge a modest user fee which even many of our patients are unable to pay.
- We must employ appropriately qualified staff and in right numbers to provide quality health care and must pay them commensurately.
- Our infrastructure must be improve to meet the increasing demand both for patient care and for staff accommodation.
- We must provide the medicines and medical supplies/consumables necessary.
- Administrative and utility costs too must be taken care of on a day-to-day basis.
- Our financial constraints are real. We have limited source of income with very limited government support through Primary Health Care (PHC) which is given quarterly and occasionally also some donor funds.
But we make appropriate use of the limited resources and put them to best possible use. This has kept us relevant and vibrant amidst the scarcity of resources.
God has also been kind enough to us and has sometimes provided for us support for infrastructure development and medicines and consumables. These have however often been short-lived with challenging reliability and sustainability for the consumables.
We are however immensely grateful to all our stakeholders for the support they have given us in one way or another.
Finally, we give God all the glory that is duly His and remain hopeful that we’ll be empowered to better serve this community.
Thank You. May God Bless You All.