St. Francis Rehabilitation Centre Pamba is a faith-based organization that helps children with disabilities to have access to quality rehabilitation services while being in families because every child deserves to be loved, safe, and have dignity.
St. Francis staff after completing further training in child protection and safeguarding
Our dream for all children with disabilities
We want to see a society where all children with disabilities have access to rehabilitation services, adaptive equipment, medical care, and are empowered live to their full potential with their rights advocated for in the community.
St. Francis is currently supporting...
Today, the home cares for 202 children total.
Of these, 40 children are currently in our home, receiving rehabilitation and essential need support.
In addition, we are providing support and family strengthening to 168 children in their communities and with families.
Note: We're currently transitioning our model to support family-based care. Us transitioning our model will reduce the dependency on institutionalization so that we can help and impact more children by providing disability services from within their families.
Formerly the Madera Province Home
Our home previously served as a feeding unit and a residential home for the adults and elderly in need within our community.
In 1996 leadership turned our home into a short-term rehabilitation centre for children with disabilities.
We are certified by The Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development's OVCs/ Alternative Care Department, and we have the capacity to for 40 residential clients.
Leadership changed the Madera Province Home's name, mission, and location in 1996 to what we now know today as St. Francis Rehabilitation Centre Pamba: Soroti.
1969: Our Founding
St. Francis Rehabilitation Centre Pamba - Soroti, formerly known as Madera Providence Home, was opened in 1969 by Rev. Fr. Van Russell, a Mill Hill Missionary, collaborating with the Franciscan Missionary Sisters for Africa who acted as the administrators in the home.
The purpose of our home at its start, and for 53 years after its founding, was to provide long-term residential services to adults in need within our community. Namely, we provided services to:
- The elderly whose relatives could not care for them
- Those who had recovered from leprosy discharged from Leprosariums
- Those abandoned by relatives or shunned from their homes or communities
- Those whose financial status rendered them homeless
The Franciscan Missionary Sisters for Africa handed the Home to the Little Sisters in 1978.
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1986: Providing hope during the insurgency
From 1986 to 1992, there was an insurgency in this part of our country. Many people in the region came to live in our home, searching for security, safety, and food.
However, our home relied on donors for resources to carry on with the service, and those were sparse. Fortunately, government support provided our home with basic needs like food, clothes, and medical care. Yet still, the facilities were far too limited in capacity. During this time, many people we served, after finding accommodations, received our services for basic needs.
For about five years, our home served as a feeding unit, especially to the non-residents. By the end of 1992, the region regained stability, and our home activities resumed as usual for three more years.
1996: New name, mission, and location
In 1996 we turned our home into a short-term rehabilitation center for children with disabilities.
In collaboration with donors, our home administration had learned of the benefits for children in family-based or community-based care compared to long-term institution-based care or orphanages.
With donor support, we happily resettled all our former Providence Home residents with their close relatives.
Because our Home had changed, in 2005, our administration changed our home's name to St. Francis Rehabilitation Center--moving to Pamba Ward in Soroti Municipality, Western Division, shortly after.
The Ministry of Gender Labour and Social Development's OVCs/ Alternative Care Department granted us a certificate of operation as a Rehabilitation Center and given the capacity for 40 residential clients. From that point, we took on 18 Boys and 22 Girls.
The Problem
Due to lack of services, familial poverty, or social stigma, children with disabilities needed support in:
- Quality rehabilitation services, physical and occupational therapies, and assistive devices
- Essential needs (shelter, clean water, nutritious food, and clothing)
- Medical support to stay healthy, and surgeries/hospital care
- Counseling and psychosocial support
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The Solution
While caring for children within our home, we also currently run other community rehabilitation services to 158 direct beneficiaries. These include children with cerebral palsy and other disabilities who might need surgeries, medical care, or rehabilitation services.
In addition, we conduct follow-ups to monitor the progress of children who have gone home to live with their families and caretakers to support the transition back home. As a result, most, if not all, reunited children can thrive, focus on their academics, and find their place in the broader community.
Home Photos
St. Francis Rehabilitation Center in 2005
St. Francis Rehabilitation Center in 2005
St. Francis Rehabilitation Center today
St. Francis Rehabilitation Center
Photo taken outside of the Phisio and Occupational Therapy department in St. Francis Rehabilitation Center
Outside of the St. Francis Rehabiltation Center - Bakery building
St. Francis Rehabilitation Center
St. Francis Rehabilitation Center today
St. Francis Rehabilitation Center today
Vision
To nurture and improve the quality of life of children with disabilities for future self-reliance, integrating into society while thriving in family-based care or community-based care.
Mission
To be center of excellence in Uganda providing rehabilitation and medical care to children with disabilities for future self-reliance with collaboration, physical and occupational therapies, and training for social-cultural and economic transformation. We also want to prevent family separation by sustaining and empowering families economically and giving skills to better care for their children.
The Solution
To safeguard the lives of children and restore their dignity, especially children with disabilities. While doing the following:
- Reuniting children with biological parents when possible
- Placing children with next of kin
- Recruiting and preparing foster parents or community-based caretakers
A child happy to be reunited with a community caretaker after receiving rehabilitation and services at our home.
St. Francis is making an impact in our community and beyond
Studies show that children thrive in families. Our dream is to be able to impact and transform the lives of more children by serving them from their homes and families rather than having them live at the home.
Leadership Team
Rev. Joseph Ecriru Oliach
Bishop of Soroti Catholic Diocese
Sr. M. Cecilia Nferi
Mother General Superior
Ordinary
Sr. Sylvia Aketch
Administrator
