Inauguration of the SALEM-Uganda School of Nursing

The school has been recognised by the Nurses Council of Uganda – the highest body responsible for overseeing all training courses in social and health care in the country. It is very important for SALEM-Uganda and the neighbouring district for a number of reasons:

• There is great need for medical training courses in the region
• It has created training for nurses and midwives that are urgently needed. This is important not only for hospitals and small clinics, but also in rural welfare services.
• Young people have been given the chance to learn a profession with good prospects for employment. The school will cater for 120 students when it reaches capacity in 2011.
• The teaching and administrative staff required to run the school provides other local employment opportunities

Two of the school buildings were awarded funding in 2006, partly financed by the KFW (German bank for reconstruction) programme, but it was not until this year when the completion of additional buildings finally created the conditions necessary for School of Nursing to accept its first intake of students.
With the help of sponsorship from LICHTzeichen e. V. from Duesseldorf and the Help and Hope Foundation, excellent facilities have been created providing optimal conditions for the training of nurses and midwives. The architectural work was carried out by Prof. Dr. Peter Schmieg of Karlsruhe. Other supporters include the TU Dresden, Faculty of Architecture and librarian Christina Pohl who organised the school library. The purchase of the necessary medical books was made possible by the special commitment of the upper classes of the Max-Planck High School in Duesseldorf.

The first phase of construction included classrooms, library, sluice room, training room, toilets and showers, office and leisure area. The second phase of building, began in March 2010, during which the student halls of residence, dining room, kitchen, staff room and teachers’ flats will be built. The design of the outdoor areas will finally complete the project by May 2011. By this time another 80 students will have been enrolled in the school, taking the total number of students to 120.

SALEM would like to take this opportunity to give its sincere thanks to all donors and sponsors, without whom this exciting and important project could not have been realised. We look forward to updating you on the progress of the school.