Tucked in this expansive region of Northern Uganda, is a far flung Lamwo district, bordering south Sudan. The district epitomizes a harrowing story of gruesome a civil war which spanned nearly two decades (1987-2006), claiming hundreds of innocent lives. At its peak, the displaced people were more than 1.8 million, experiencing hunger, ill physiological health, mental health challenges, sexual violence, absolute poverty and untold suffering. The war led to total destruction of livelihood, social protection structures, and supportive systems. Consequently, life in this region has been characterized by extreme poverty, poor healthcare and other social services, food insecurity, and an enduring psychological trauma arising from horrors of the civil war.
Realizing the desperation, particularly caused by a broken down health structure and the suffering of patients and their families, our organization founder, Mr. John Bosco Oroma, who is a Medical Clinical officer begun voluntarily helping some of the victims’ families to access medical care and livelihood support by applying improvised technologies including; use of locally made bamboo admission beds and sharing his life means such as soap, salt and seeds to severely distressed, depressed victims with the aim of averting death and restoring normal livelihood.
In the year 2010, due to the magnitude of the work which was beyond his ability to manage, John Bosco Oroma mobilized colleagues and was joined by colleagues Joyce Marango, Joseph Bill Olara and volunteer health workers hailing from Lamwo district to form a structured setting through which organized and planned help could be delivered to the multitude that gravely needed it. Subsequently, Pearl Rural Care organization was formed and registered in the year 2012, with the mandate to offer inclusive sustainable primary health care and livelihood support to the vulnerable impoverished community of Lamwo district.
Since then, we have mobilized in-kind and financial resources, and have established a functional Community Based Healthcare Center in Lamwo district which is offering life-saving care to women, children, adolescents and the general population, including refugees from south Sudan currently. The services, which have benefited over 13,000 persons are provided onsite and in outreaches to reach the most Vulnerable.