Vital and unsung work helping Africa’s forgotten elderly will be the subject of two special presentations in Croyde and Braunton this week.
A group of local ladies will be speaking about their visit to some of the more remote and rural areas of Uganda last autumn to help the charity ROTOM mark its 20 th anniversary.
The talks are at Croyde Baptist Church on Tuesday (April 9) at 7.30pm and to Braunton Caen Rotary Club at The Mariners Arms on Wednesday (April 10) at 7pm, with guests welcome.
ROTOM (Reach One, Touch One Ministries) is a Christian organisation that provides support for the growing number of elderly people in Uganda, including health and medical or social as well as spiritual support.
Helen Milton, Hilary Earnshaw, Adrienne Shaw, Lynn Talbot and Rose Thorn visited in October 2023 to help celebrate the anniversary, taking with them packed suitcases of provisions to share with their charges and the charity workers over there.
The North Devon group sponsors various seniors in Uganda, which has no social care or support system, yet these older people still have a vital role to play in their communities.
ROTOM also works in Ethiopia and due to war, illness and early death in both countries taking working age parents, the orphaned children are often left in the care of grand parents or older relatives.
Helen said: “There is a huge sense of community in Ugandan villages but as you might imagine, there are few or no resources to support older people who are still perfectly capable of raising their grandchildren, but need a little support.
“When we consider that elderly social care is so often debated in this country and yet there is still never enough money to go around, you can appreciate how much harder it is in Uganda.
“ROTOM helps with practical measures such as home visits for medical and social care to enable older people to retain their independence, as well as fundraising for vital basics such as water tanks, mattresses, essential medication and school fees.”
The charity also runs a school that provides places for the children and grandchildren of those who are sponsored.
The charity was set up in 2023 by a Ugandan man called Kenneth Mugayehwenkyi due to the lack of support and the growing number of elderly people in Africa.
In North Devon, the Philip J Milton & Company Plc Charitable Foundation, of which Helen is a trustee, has also given ongoing support to ROTOM.
All are welcome to attend the presentation at Croyde Baptist Church on Tuesday, April 9 at 7.30pm. If you are unable to make that, there is another presentation to Braunton Caen Rotary Club at The Mariners Arms on Wednesday (April 10) at 7pm.
Anyone who would like to find out more about ROTOM or perhaps become a sponsor can do so at https://reachone-touchone.org
