Next month CanUgan will participate in the Great Canadian Giving Challenge. Our goal is to raise $10,000 to support our efforts in providing assistive devices for persons with disabilities (PWDs) in rural west Uganda. Your support means so much to us.

So here’s what we’ve been up to:

• We have revamped our website making almost all of our fundraising virtual
• We are active on social media
• We are sending spring and fall newsletters to keep our members and donors informed 
• We had a successful Holiday Season Giving Campaign in December 2020

This past year has been challenging for us all. The pandemic however has highlighted the profound inequality PWDs face. In Kasese Uganda, food insecurity and job loss are on the rise. Disabled women are at greater risk of sexual violence. The fear of COVID-19 is everywhere. PWDs are more isolated than ever and need our help.

CanUgan has been described as a small but mighty organization. Each assistive device, be it a set of crutches, a raised shoe, a white cane or a wheelchair goes a long way to helping PWDs participate in their communities. This gift of mobility is so critical.

Thank you for your support in the past and we look forward to your continued financial support in June’s campaign. Please reach out to your networks to promote the campaign. We are all a part of a global family.

For more information, check us out at canugan.org.

Sincerely, 

Jack McCarthy
Chair, CanUgan Disability Support

Dear Sponsors and Friends,

2020 has impacted all of us, especially persons with disabilities. This holiday season you can #GiveALittle to make a big impact for persons with disabilities in Kasese, Uganda.

For those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to #GiveALittle this year, we can #GiveMobility to those who need it most. Not only will your donation #GiveMobility but it can also provide recipients the ability to move autonomously, boost self-confidence and independently earn a living for themselves.
 
Whether you donate on your behalf, or as a gift to someone else, include the gift of mobility on your shopping list this holiday season. All donors will receive a special e-card confirming your holiday gift when you donate any of these items:
 

Assistive devices are not simply shipped from Canada to Uganda rather they are locally sourced which builds community capacity in Kasese.

So, will you #GiveALittle this year?
 

Save the Date: Annual General Meeting November 10, 2020 

We will hold our sixth Annual General Meeting (AGM) on November 10, 2020 from 6:30-8:00pm.

This year's meeting will be held virtually to allow us to respect Public Health and social distancing guidelines. 

Members will hear reports on CanUgan’s activities and finances for the past year and be invited to provide input on future directions.

We hope to see you there!

Impacts of Covid‑19 on the Ugandan Society
Moses Olong, CanUgan Board Member
 
Although the impacts of this unprecedented catastrophe on Uganda’s society is rather hard to establish, there are some incontestable ones such as loss of lives. As of September 27, 2020, there were 7218 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 71 deaths according to Uganda’s Ministry of Health. A dilapidated health system and fragile economy notwithstanding, the number of deaths in this East African state have been comparatively low.
 
Looking very keenly at people with disabilities (PWDs), I will assert that although all people have been affected in one way or another by this pandemic, PWDs in the entire country are being hit comparably hardest. The lockdown strategy has exacerbated the usually difficult situation for PWDs as they face unique obstacles accentuated by the pandemic. Public transport has been significantly limited affecting PWDs as this group of people need transport more than any other. Accessing social services has been extremely difficult for them throughout the country.
 
Through my correspondence with some of the folks back in Uganda, I was able to identify other adverse impacts of COVID‑19: increased idleness among the general population; a rise in crime rate; shattered social fabric attributed to social distancing tool; diminished livelihoods for many households; increased teenage pregnancies and early marriages as well as living in constant fear of what effect COVID‑19 may have on the population. Dreams of many students are in a state of limbo since they are unsure whether they will ever return to their normal career paths.
 
Whereas the entire world is at crossroads in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to remain resolute and unwavering. It is only in doing so that together we will defeat this calamity.

Dear Sponsors and Friends, 
 

I hope you and your families are all healthy and safe. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world to a standstill, as many of us remain inside 'physically distancing' while others remain outside, fighting for the health of our communities. 

With deep regret, I want to inform you all that as a result of the pandemic, we are temporarily suspending the work of CanUgan for the next three months and possibly longer. With restrictions on gatherings and a refocusing of many health programs to fight COVID-19, we have found it too difficult to continue our efforts and implement our programming. Within Canada, it has become too difficult for the board of CanUgan to fundraise in the current climate. Three months from now the board will reassess and decide on next steps.

We are deeply concerned about our friends and colleagues in Uganda, who are on lockdown and have seen multiple cases, have lost jobs, and are unable to continue important health and disability programming. 
 
Like Uganda, Canada has been dramatically impacted by the pandemic. Many people have lost their jobs. Schools and most businesses are closed. Thousands of Canadians have died from the virus, and there is lots of fear and apprehension. Many NGOs are having a very difficult time sustaining their work. 

We hope Canada, Uganda, and the global community will weather this storm as best as it possibly can. Our hearts go out to you all, your families and your communities....and in particular the PWD community who are such an integral part of the CanUgan family. 

However, I will always choose to be an optimist. We will get through this very challenging time. Our partnership in Uganda, with KADUPEDI, remains strong. We will learn from each other. We can virtually support each other. We are all in this together.

Sincerely 
Jack