Saving Lives in Bupoto

By Therese Quiao


In February, twelve Arlington Academy of Hope volunteers traveled to Uganda for the Bupoto clinic opening ceremony. It was built in loving memory of Joyce Wanda’s four sisters. Recently, three babies were delivered in the maternity ward.


“The clinic is the biggest thing that has ever happened in this village,” said Jennifer Paul, who has taken an active role in AAH since it was founded. It had been Jennifer’s dream to go to Africa, and this trip was a surprise present from her husband.


It had taken a year to build the clinic. With the combination of support and monetary backing from Beatrice Tierney and others, the Bupoto community pulled together. While village members provided reduced labor, women brought food for the workers. The elders formed a committee to manage the clinic. Every morning individuals would walk to the site to see it. The building of a clinic brought the hope of a better life to an area that lacked a health facility. There was unimaginable suffering from sickness that could have been treated.


The entire village welcomed the volunteers in a heart-warming procession the night they arrived in Bupoto. It was definitely a sight to see. The villagers danced, sang, laughed and clapped in unison. Exhilaration and gratitude filled the air. They were taken slowly up the hill where they were able to see the clinic lit up in the darkness.



There were 2,000 in attendance at the opening ceremony. The day the clinic opened, many lined up at seven in the morning to be seen and treated. A mother frantically ran into the clinic with her daughter in her arms. The medics did everything they could, but all of her veins collapsed. Her lips quivered. She was in dire need of a blood transfusion. Beatrice Tierney and two of her friends paid to have the girl taken to the nearest hospital. Thankfully, the girl survived. The whole ordeal was very emotional and eye opening for Beatrice. “The idea of opening this clinic was to save lives. If the clinic hadn’t been there, she would have died. The first day we opened, this happened, and she lived. The day that we opened the clinic… we saved a life."