BeadforLife Health Program

Two of the services we offer in our BeadforLife health program are family planning and deworming for the entire family.  Currently the average woman in Uganda will bear at least 7 children, many of whom will die in infancy.  This repeated child bearing often saps the health of the mother and impoverishes the family who can not feed or send their children to school.  We feel that impoverished families need the capability to plan how many children is right for them and offer them contraceptive options including condoms, oral contraceptives, and injections.   We choose to offer “deworming” as part of our health services because it has been shown that regular deworming (four times a year) will improve the health of the family and improve children’s performance in school.   Our members can exchange beads for both of these health services as well as others such as mosquito nets and eye glasses.

Here is one woman’s experience with our health program:

Namusoke Jane, a 32 year old mother of 4 children had this to say about two of BeadforLife’s  health services;

“I have always heard about family planning but I feared it because I had never really been taught about family planning.  I used to hear about it on the radio but my fears were based a lot on hear say (lugambo/rumours). When I joined BFL, we were told about the importance of having a family that one can manage in order to come out of poverty. I thought about this opportunity and shortly a family planning team was brought to the health support club. They came with a TV and showed us different methods of family planning and how they work.  I had a chance to ask the nurse that day all the things I used to doubt about family planning. The next support club had a family planning clinic and I got the service of my choice and I am comfortable. And I’m so relieved!

I feel I have energy to do many things and I do not have to worry about having another child who I can not take good care of.  I also like the deworming medicine because they have helped me take care of my children. Ever since I started periodic deworming of my children last year, they look healthier and happy. Before that, my children were always sick and we frequented the health centre so much. Now I get enough time to work on my business and make beads as well.”

Jane now owns a brick making business and is determined to buy land and build a house of her own in the near future. She is well known for her glowing smiley face and brings so much energy and live spirit to the her bead group during their sales on Thursdays.

Tags: Africa, BeadforLife, Child Poverty, Childcare, Empowering Women, healthcare, poverty, Uganda