We are currently active in four East African countries: Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda. Our work is based around our cooperation partners: In Ethiopia, the Karamara General Hospital in Jijiga. In Rwanda, our partner is Dr. Laurent Siborurema. In Somalia, the Somcare Hospital and Cleft Center in Garowe. In Uganda, the teaching hospital of the University of Mbarara in southern Uganda.
We are also deeply indebted to the support of bishop Severine Niwemugizi of the Rulenge-Ngara diocese in Tanzania, as well as DCKH volunteer medical project guides Dr. Dr. Oliver Blume and Gunther Au-Balbach, who in addition to their organizational work also perform surgeries in various countries (most recently Sierra Leone) and train local medical personnel. Volunteer cleft specialists from our projects in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan have travelled to Ethiopia and Somalia to treat patients there, and a surgeon from Ethiopia has been trained by our Pakistani partners and returned to Ethiopia to treat patients there.
A transnational network
The African projects work closely together. Past surgical missions by Gunther Au-Balbach and Dr. Dr. Oliver Blume to treat patients, most recently in Sierra Leone, were supported by various specialists from Mbarara, particularly Ugandan anaestheist Dr. Emmanuel Munyarugero, but also surgeon Dr. Deus Twesigye and intensive care nurse Caroline Nakyanzi.
We are constantly working to further expand our ability to provide cleft care in the region.
Deutsche Cleft Kinderhilfe e.V. was founded in the autumn of 2002. Its goal is to help children with cleft lip and palate from all over the world to receive comprehensive treatment.
