Helping Hands began in 2004 out of a friendship between Debbie Newman and Pastor Moses Nachitembe. They both saw the needs of the children in Kamuli but beyond that they saw how the love of God could begin to change things as it was expressed practically through healthcare.
"Helping Hands officially began in the September as a project overseen by Church Relief International. They kindly nursed us through the early days until we were ready to register as an independent charity.
It took several months to raise enough funds to employ Joy, our nurse, and guarantee a year's worth of healthcare. We had not wanted to start and then stop and so let down the children. So we kicked off in June 2005 with a community diagnosis to confirm what we thought were the main health issues. By September we were ready to launch our work in the schools.
A year later we were given the use of a house in the village of Kisozi. This has been like having a launch pad for us when we visit from the UK as it has resulted in a wonderful increase in friendships. Moses has said that by staying in the village we have 'removed the question mark over us'. We are not visitors but friends."
