7 March 2023
Trustee visit to Potter's Village - Jan 2023
In January a team of Trustees and other friends of Potter’s Village were able to visit for the first time in three years. Our aims were to see how they had coped wit
h the Covid pandemic, to meet with the staff and the Board of Governors, to gather stories to bring back to the UK and to help and support in any way we could. We brought out with us medical equipment, clothing and other items for the crisis Centre.
Crisis centre
We found the Crisis Centre had expanded, with 27 babies living in 3 houses. Both Covid 19 and an influx of refugees from the DRC had led to this increase and there appears to be no let-up in the numbers. In some cases, babies were being resettled with their families earlier than normal to make space. We were pleased to see the babies were being monitored for their health by the medical centre and for their development by the team from disability rehab.
Community Support
On Monday. Potter’s Village was buzzing when all the families on Community support came back for monthly monitoring. Several little girls were the lucky recipients of dresses and bags sent form the UK.
Several of the team also had the opportunity to accompany Festo (social worker) and Rodgers (Clinical Officer in charge of nutrition) on visits to families in their homes. We were struck by how much PV is doing to help so many people, but also by how great the need is and how much more they could do if they had the funds.
Medical Centre
While we were there the medical centre took delivery of 16 wonderful new cots for the Special care Baby Unit, kindly donated by the Solihull Rotary Club. No need to use baby baths and fish boxes any more! 
We saw the new nurses changing room which had been built since out last visit., giving the staff a much more pleasant place to change and freeing up space in the medical centre for a second consulting room.
Disability Rehabilitation
Our arr
ival at PV coincided with the return of Janie Robson from the UK for a 3 month visit. Janie set up the rehab centre 3 years ago and has trained 2 excellent nurses, Keti and Annah. One of our team, who is an OT was able to spend time working alongside them and was also able to put her sewing skills to good use. They would love to be able to employ a Ugandan Physiotherapist but still need funding to be able to pay a competitive wage.
Idah
We were especially pleased to meet Idah, the administrator, who has been in post for just over 3 years and is capable and well organised. Under her leadership, Potter’s Village Ministries has been registered as an NGO which brings extra responsibilities in terms of standards to be met.
Brenda Beardwood - Assistant Treasurer
