The concert raised £10,000 for both the Queen’s NDF Charity (for pre-natal and post natal care for mothers in rural Uganda) and the Ganda Foundation. The event was a substantial success in all ways. In the run-up to the concert, the media was full of Ganda Boys interviews, TV appearances, radio shows and interviews covering the Ganda Foundation activities, and even an unplugged appearance by Denis, Craig and Dan at the British High Commission in Kampala on April 3rd.

The Queen of Buganda was beaming, so very happy and she came up onto the stage, even as the Ganda Boys were playing the last number, and she enthusiastically met the whole band and singers one by one.

Here is a Ugandan Observer review of the concert: http://www.observer.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24624%3Aganda-boys-light-up-kampala&catid=73%3Ahighlights&Itemid=70

New Vision article: http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/641453-ganda-boys-fire-up-nagginda-s-fundraising-concert.html

The fund-raising aspects of the concert were well covered. Below is a link from the Royal website:

http://www.buganda.or.ug/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=566:ganda-boys-concert-raises-405-million-for-the-nnabagereka-development-foundation&catid=8:news&Itemid=296

Here are some pictures from the different Ganda Boys songs performed during the evening.

“One Love”, showing African leaders and conciliation themes on the big screen:

The Queen meeting the Ganda Boys on stage:

“Prayer” – the opening piece of the concert, sung by Daniel Sewagudde and Denis Mugagga

The Queen meeting Craig Pruess on stage at the culmination of the show.

“Take a Bus” – the back projection screen was 32 feet wide. Two big screens either side of the stage showed camera feeds from the performers on stage.

“Body of Africa” – the emotion of the song comes across… a cry to protect the beauty and treasures of Africa.

The Queen meeting Denis and Dan

A special version of “Mdomo” was very popular with the predominantly Ugandan audience.

“Ambuuse” showing the Ganda Boys backing singers

With Ugandan jazz artists, Isaiah Katumwa on sax (“Mountains of the Moon”)

Kawolo Hospital, 40 km outside Kampala, the capital of Uganda, has been one of the first places to capture the Ganda Foundation’s attention.

This busy hospital was built in 1967, commissioned by former president Milton Obote. However, there has been no renewal of facilities, equipment or materials since that time! The hospital is located on the Jinja to Kampala highway, a notorious black spot for serious road accidents. Often multiple injury incidents overflow the two operating theatres, while dedicated staff continually struggle with obsolete equipment and a serious shortage of essential supplies such as drugs, sanitation equipment, linen and even mattresses.

Incubators need replacing

Premature babies born at this hospital have greatly diminished chances of survival – the two incubators are pathetically old and damaged with broken glass, often heated by only one bare light bulb. There is a serious lack of staff — at the moment there are only four doctors to cope with a hospital of over 350 outpatients per day, in addition to the excessively over stretched inpatient burden, with crumbling infrastructure to add to their problems.

The Ganda Foundation has completed two days of evaluation at the hospital. Dr. Ivan, the chief medical superintendant at Kawolo Hospital, and his dedicated core staff, have given Foundation directors a comprehensive breakdown of the most urgent needs at the hospital. With numbers of patients increasing daily, it is a race against time.

The maternity ward, designed and built for 25 beds, regularly accommodates 50 expectant mothers, many having to lie on the floor. There are no consultants at the hospital, electricity bills remain unpaid, while the obsolete equipment still in use creates severe challenges for the staff on a daily basis.

Denis Mugagga meets Dr. Ivan at the Kawolo Hospital

American musician, Craig Pruess, one of the Ganda Boys and co-director of the Ganda Foundation, said after his October 2009 visit: “There is so much we can do. It needs to be done right away. The staff are very dedicated, and any direct help with equipment, even old second-hand equipment from Europe or America would go directly into immediate use.

It’s shocking, but there are not even enough rubber gloves or basic sanitary equipment at the hospital for day to day use, including a complete lack of modern operating tables, trolley beds, proper lighting or surgical instruments. There is a serious shortage of medicines and drugs, essential for operating procedures.”

The Ganda Foundation has recently focussed on programmes to aid Lugazi Community Primary School, as part of wider aim to promote programmes for economic and social regeneration and self esteem to communities traumatised by armed conflict, malaria and displacement.

Denis Mugagga’s Visit to Lugazi Community Primary School – Uganda

The Foundation is working with Lugazi Community Primary School for urgent supplies of education materials, including books, maps, science equipment, language aids, audio visual devices and other learning tools, including computers and flat screen monitors.

The Ganda Foundation visits to meet Dr. Bernard, principal of the school have involved Ganda Foundation guidance in programmes for stutterers and left-handedness (quality treatment of left-handers).

The students are excited to interface with well-known musicians, and the Ganda Foundation is in a unique position to achieve a tremendous amount of practical assistance to a dedicated project.

This is Denis, a young boy who suffers from a severe cancer, manifesting as a badly swollen lymphoma (lymph gland cancer).

Since December 2010, he has been resident at the Childrens’ Cancer Institute in Kampala, Uganda. His father, a single parent, can’t afford the costs for his needed course of treatment, nor to even feed him on a regular basis.

The Ganda Foundation first met young Denis during a visit to the Institute by Dr. Sangeeta Maharajan, who was also visiting Kawolo Hospital and Lugazi School for the Ganda Foundation during Feburary, 2010. We all felt that we should immediately get involved, to help fund his treatment and perhaps put him on the path to permanent recovery.

Since our Ganda Foundation visit in February, he has undergone immediate and urgent treatment, and as a result, we have seen truly wonderful progress with Denis. His original lymphoma growth, which you see in the picture above, is now much smaller. We are now funding further treatment for his road to recovery. Thanks go to all our supporters, donors and well-wishers, all which have helped raise these needed funds for Denis and made such a big difference. The Ganda Foundation and the founding directors, the Ganda Boys, will be holding a charity concert in aid of the cancer unit in Kampala. For more information, please see the Ganda Foundation home page.