Guiding Light Orphans: Kurt & Jolly Lux
The most recent GLO mission trip led by Jolly & Kurt was in June and July of this year. Jolly and Kurt shared a few of the GLO clinic's patient success stories with Rotary, as a thank you for our support.
Jovia, is a future nurse, who they met 2 years ago, when she was just 16. She had come to the clinic as a patient and had many medical and social issues. She was poor, epileptic, had no father and was pregnant, having been raped. Her mother wanted to eject her from their home but GLO found a way to help her and keep her in school. She had become a head of household while caring for her baby, so frequently missed medication, as her mother was often not present to share childcare duties. Later Jovia was found to be homeless and living with others in the same predicament in the home of a Reverend. A fundraiser was initiated to raise $420.00 to allow her to be placed in a boarding school, so she can finish high school and eventually pursue her dream, to become a nurse.
Remi, another clinic patient, became epileptic due to a high school motorcycle accident. Now a father of 8 children, he had become known as the "Gospel Preacher of Health." He had become a community care worker and advocate for other GLO patients. Now he cares for his family, raises tobacco and pigs and is successful in his life.
Augusto is a third patient helped by the GLO clinic and introduced to us today. Previously confined to a wheelchair and epileptic, Kurt and Jolly witnessed his ability to stand and walk after GLO's care stabilized his health, a true miracle.
One important role of the GLO clinic is to provide seizure control medication to patients in need. The Masindi area of Uganda has a high rate of epilepsy and long term it is hoped that new research will identify the cause or causes and better, more affordable treatments. The clinic and patients are forced to use older medications as newer medications are much more expensive. In the past, the government supplied those medications, but have since discontinued that support, so the funding for both staff and medicines are GLO's independent responsibility.
Jolly next pointed out that the clinic-associated water tank, which was funded by us with $3000.oo of support, allows the people to avoid using water from contaminated streams and rivers, and having to walk miles to obtain and carry back that water. To quote Jolly, "This simple thing has altered and vastly improved the hygiene and health of the local population."
The clinic also provides nutritional intervention for mothers and children, and advice on which crops to grow and how to grow them to sustain the land and health. Kurt and Jolly have been able to touch the lives of many others, and to experience having them touch their lives, in a very large part, due to the support of Rotary.
One of Kurt's final slides showed him cradling his new "inseparable best friend for life", a very young girl named McClean, who stuck to him like glue when they were together. The joy Kurt experiences from that relationship is evident in his tone of voice and in his words. [Ed. Note: To quote the late Jackie Gleason, "How sweet it is!"].
Our Club and our Rotary district have been instrumental and integral to the success of GLO since its inception. Kurt and Jolly will continue their efforts and in the coming year plan to teach sewing skills to young girls, so they may supplement their families' income. GLO has a bright future and we thank God for the dedication of Kurt and Jolly Lux!
Learn more about Guiding Light Orphans at: https://www.guidinglightorphans.org/
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