Our last Annual General Meeting was on April 15, 2024. In 2024, the Board met via Zoom on 5 occasions including the AGM.
Board of Directors
In 2024, the 9-person Board was very active. I want to thank all Board members for their tireless efforts as volunteers in support of CanUgan.
Tim McCarthy resigned from the Board in November 2024.
Sarah Muhwezi resigned from the Board in September 2024.
Ben Scott joined the Board in July 2024.
KADUPEDI
Our partnership with the Kasese District Union of Persons with Disabilities (KADUPEDI) remains strong thanks in large measure to our close working relationship with Baluku Peter. All documentation to support the transfer of funds on a quarterly basis for assistive devices remains thorough and comprehensive.
Great Canadian Giving Challenge, June 2024
This past June, thanks to 37 generous donors, we raised $7,139 in our online fundraising campaign, in support of purchasing assistive devices (wheelchairs, crutches, calipers, white canes, etc.). This is a drop from the Great Canadian Giving Challenge campaign in 2023 which raised $10,041.
Special thanks are in order to CanUgan Board members, who reached out to their networks to support the campaign, and the many donors who are now making regular annual contributions to CanUgan
Holiday Giving Campaign, November and December 2024
The end of 2024 was marked by a successful online fundraising campaign. Thanks to 44 donors, $9,810 was raised to support the purchase of assistive devices for persons with disabilities in the Kasese district in western Uganda. We want to thank all of our donors for their generosity in giving the gift of mobility. Our social media campaign and our outreach to past donors via our newsletters have helped with fundraising, thanks to the lead of Board members Shauna Devlin and Caroline Marshall.
Overall annual fundraising totals from our two online campaigns for the last four years:
In 2021, $18,977 In 2022, $20,005.
In 2023, $18,181. In 2024, $16,949
2024 Trip to Uganda – June 05 to June 12
As a result of the partnership in the Project Echo project with the University of Ottawa Physiotherapy department, a site visit to Kasese Uganda was undertaken by CanUgan board member Rick Morello and University of Ottawa professor Jennifer O’Neil.
The focus of the visit was seeking input from disabled communities in Kasese district related to rehabilitation needs and services as well as the need for assistive devices as provided by CanUgan. The Kasese and District Union of Persons with Disabilities (KADUPEDI), and specifically Baluku Peter and Bwambale Robert, organized 6 community events for our visit with a total attendance of over 375 participants and over 130 lived experience representations. We were grateful for the support provided by Peter, Robert and Janet, who moderated and provided translation for the many voices of persons living with a disability (PWD) that participated in these events.
A summary of recommendations to improve rehabilitation services is on the CanUgan website https://canugan.org/2024-trip-to-uganda-june-05-to-june-12/
SUMMARY OF ASSISTIVE DEVICES DISTRIBUTED
2023 - 2024
| No. | Particulars | Year | |
| 2023 | 2024 | ||
| 1 | Tricycles | 15 | 14 |
| 2 | Corner seat | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | Wheelchairs | 4 | 7 |
| 4 | Crutches | 28 | 31 |
| 5 | White Canes | 20 | 22 |
| 6 | Raised Shoes | 12 | 16 |
| 7 | Surgical Boots | 15 | 15 |
| 8 | Calipers | 6 | 5 |
| Total | 100 | 112 | |
Hearing Aids
As a result in part of Rick Morello reaching out to the StarKey Foundation in the US, which had previously provided hearing aids to persons from Kasese experiencing hearing loss, StarKey launched a mission to provide hearing aids to students in Kasese. Consequently, in 2024 KADUPEDI received 138 Hearing aids and had another 113 hearing aids serviced and repaired.
International Collaboration
CanUgan has been participating in a Prosthetic Limb Collaboration Working Group Meetings consisting of a variety of global NGOs and medical practitioners since May 2024.
The purpose of these meetings is to identify synergies between organizations; discuss and collaborate on potential funding opportunities; build practical connections; and share lessons learned.
One of the main topics of discussion is the importance of providing low cost options to individuals requiring prosthetic limbs in rural communities (in Indonesia and Africa) using a portable pressure casting technique (PCAST).
CanUgan’s participation in these meetings has allowed our organization to foster some strong connections with like-minded organizations and has the potential to bring forth some exciting collaborations in the future.
Support for Kule Festus
The Board of Directors financially supported Kule Festus, who is a young disabled man and seen as a possible future leader with KADUPEDI. Funds were approved to cover some of his university related expenses ($300 on a quarterly basis for cellular expenses and a guide who helps him with his mobility, and a one-time payment of $300 for a laptop computer).
Gratitude
To volunteer Paula Campbell for being our webmaster.
To donors Myrna Fenton and Margaret Nelson who donate to CanUgan on a recurring monthly basis.
Strategic Plan
In the fall of 2022, the Board reviewed the strategic plan put in place in 2021. Future directions include:
Highlighted bullets indicate action taken.
