Manuella Project

The process imagining what latter became Manuela Project started as far as 2016, when our friends Ismael and Maite from Spain knew about Manuela, a girl in Moyo Babies Home with evident signs some mental disabilities. The story of Manuela is a tough one, with a mother that just disappeared and a father who never knew how to deal with the situation. Observing Manuela’s case, the visitors realized this is a very common situation among families with children with special needs. Some of the families believe is a curse, others a disgrace and most of them feel there is something to feel ashamed about. In conversation with LDG authorities, the need of starting a project to give response to the challenges of these families was notorious.

Everybody has an agenda and to spare time to organise a whole new project is not easy, specially if your home is more than 7,000 km away from the target area. Yet, in August 2019, Ismael came back to Moyo with another friend, Ainhoa, and started the process of preparing the ground for the inception of a centre for children with special needs. This way, we would be able of addressing Manuela’s situation, as well as many other children’s one.

At the same time, Cooperative Growth – Uganda (CG-U), the NGO in charge of Manuela Project, was granted funding from Pamplona-Iruña Town Council to build an Arts School, part of a Cultural Centre to be set up in Moyo and the new home for our Vura Music Project, an initiative for the social development, focusing on cooperation and integration between boys and girs. As the project was being built, so was the Arts School. Despite it was not the original purpose, it would temporarily host the project to come.

One of the steps the Spanish couple did in their 2019 visit was to meet institutions in Uganda with similar aims, providing them with all the relevant data they may need at the time. Mukisa Foundation was among the places from which they seek for support, which led to a good understanding that is still standing, now that Manuela Project is already a reality. Mukisa 15 years of experience in the sector which they have willingly shared with us. From the project design, hiring of suitable human resource , provision of an apprenticeship space to train and mentor the staff, equipping of our centre with the necessary appliances and other resources, facilitating and supporting our team during the inception/ baseline assessments of beneficiaries and providing on going mentorship / support for the team.

The baseline brought together 100 children with disabilites some of whom needed operations and additional services which we have been able to achieve through the Mukisa foundation networks. Word has quickly gone round the entire Moyo district about the work being done and the lives being impacted by the Manuela Project it has now become a refferal place for the entire district with an attendance of atleast 40 children per day.

This project is very promising, something only possible thanks to the team in Spain, looking for funding and technical support, to Mukisa Foundation, an organisation that is sharing with us all the knowledge and connections they may have available, and Solidarios con Arua – Arua Elksartasuna Spanish NGO, which is providing funds and spreading the project among the people of Spain. Our biggest gratitude to you