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Virtual Volunteering

Summary

The idea of ‘virtual volunteering’ placements has evolved over time. We cannot ignore the harmful climate impact of international air travel, and need to carefully balance this with the positive impacts of our health partnership on the Ugandan and Tanzanian health care system, and the NHS. The dramatic pause in international travel in 2020/2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic gave us an opportunity to rethink what volunteering and student elective placements can look like alongside K4C’s commitment to environmental sustainability. High quality internet access was rapidly established across Uganda during the Covid lockdowns: an unforeseen positive side effect. This has greatly expanded opportunities for knowledge sharing and engagement in global health for those who may previously have been unable to commit to travelling abroad for ‘traditional’ placements.

 

Activities

Virtual Volunteering and Doctoral Research Workshops

In 2021/2022 THET funded two pilot ‘Virtual Volunteering’ projects to trial and evaluate the potential of virtual partnerships between the UK and Uganda:

1) Generating an evidence-based approach to the
management of sepsis through a virtual, multi-professional wound management project.

2) Demonstrating the potential for virtual volunteering in the co-design of assistive technologies and orthopaedic technologies.

These hugely successful pilots enabled the establishment of a Virtual Learning Hub, embedded within the Fort Portal Regional Referral Hospital, which links us to colleagues all around the world. PhD researcher Claire Horder, midwife, previous volunteer and K4C Trustee, focused on assessing the potential contribution of virtual engagement in health partnerships and the mutual benefits to health systems in low-resource settings and the UK. Claire spent time working in Fort Portal, Uganda, alongside the K4C Uganda team.

 

Pictured on left: K4C Midwife and Trustee, Clare Horder and Miriam Namtamu, working together at The University of
Salford to lead the Virtual Workshop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictured above and below: K4C Orthopaedic Technician Timothy Isingoma and Ministry of Health worker, Margaret, in Fort Portal, Uganda, practising the bubble drape technique following remote guidance from virtual volunteers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictured on right and below: K4C Orthopaedic Technician Henry Gizambi Mafabi sanding the prosthetic mould, and checking measurements.

 

Watch the video below to see more!

 

 

Virtual Engagement in the programme to reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality from sepsis in four public health facilities in Uganda.

Another of our virtual volunteering programmes focused on reducing neonatal morbidity and mortality from sepsis, in four public health facilities in Uganda. Starting in March 2024, in partnership with the Ministry of Health in Uganda, K4C was commissioned by the Tropical Health and Education Trust (THET) to undertake an 18-month intervention to develop and deliver a multi-disciplinary orientation programme to reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality from sepsis in four public health facilities in Uganda. The project was led by Dr Judith Auma, Clinical Fellow and K4C Clinical Advisor, and Professor Louise Ackers, Chair of Global Social Justice at the University of Salford.

Using our links with NHS Trusts, global universities and healthcare workers, K4C recruited two paediatric trainee doctors to act as ‘virtual volunteers’, to work as part of a multidisciplinary team including a Ugandan clinical team and UK volunteer clinicians in Uganda (midwives, nurses, doctors and pharmacists). The role for the chosen virtual volunteers involved providing virtual support and mentorship to colleagues in Uganda, helping to design and review
training materials, evaluating project data, and contributing to a quarterly meeting of the project steering group.

The virtual role required an average of 6 hours per month, including attending a quarterly steering group meeting (online or in person). As with our ongoing virtual opportunities, K4C ensures the role is flexible to the person and is tailored to their strengths, experience and availability.