Maranatha Health is a non-profit organisation that aims to improve health outcomes, empower the poor, and make positive lasting change to the people of rural Uganda.  We are passionate about making aid genuinely effective, and take a ‘for the people, by the people’ approach.  Our aim is to collaborate with local people, empowering them to first imagine and then create the change they want to see in their lives and communities.

Australian Directors Dr Michael and Kim Findlay established Maranatha Health over 10 years ago.  Their dream is that every individual in the Kabarole region of Uganda has access to high quality compassionate health care, and is empowered to make healthy choices so their household can thrive.  The Findlays have recently moved back to Australia after working in Uganda since 2011, and continue to provide oversight and support to the organisation.

Maranatha Health runs a paediatric clinic, seeing 9,000 patients per year, offering high quality care for kids who couldn’t afford healthcare otherwise.  We also work with remote communities to elect, train and empower village health advisors who become change agents in their local area.  Our outpatient services are for both adults and children.  We have a laboratory and pharmacy, ultrasound service, HIV/AIDS clinic, and operating theatre.  We treat 50 patients each day with 15 inpatients at any given time.

Our focus is on the holistic health and wellbeing of the communities we work with.  We yearn to see populations that are enabled, thriving, confident, and resilient.  We are very aware of the limitations of direct service provision, both in terms of impact and sustainability.  And we realise that treating the symptoms of ill health cannot create long-term change: it must be paired with preventing people from getting sick in the first place.

Because of this, the work we support is focused on both training and equipping and community health and development initiatives, as well as the provision of exceptional, model healthcare for children.

This role is focused on providing curative and preventative health services, especially in maternal and child health.  The key responsibilities include:

• Diagnosis, treatment and management of clinic patients
• Providing oversight, teaching and support to the clinical team and visiting medical students
• Working in outpatients and conducting daily ward rounds
• Liaising with lab technicians to ensure results are reviewed and necessary follow up provided
• Offering on-call support via phone and attending if required

Maranatha Health’s project centre and paediatric clinic is located in Fort Portal in Western Uganda, a 4-hour drive from the capital Kampala.  Fort Portal is a beautiful tourist and university town with coffee shops and restaurants, set in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains and is close to a range of tourist attractions and major national parks.

Quality accommodation can be arranged prior to arrival, and can be within walking distance of the clinic.  Transport includes local taxis or motorbikes, as well as the Maranatha Health vehicle with our driver, for shorter stays.  For longer stays, it is advisable to rent a vehicle, which can be arranged with the support of our administration team.

Your contact before and during your stay in Uganda will be with our volunteer coordinator, William Karamagi.  Throughout your placement you will also stay connected with Dr Joe Inauen who supports our volunteers from Australia, as well as founder Dr Michael Findlay.