Giving Compass' Take:

• Sydni Brecher explains how the Suubi Health Center turned a burst of donations to the tune of $400,000 into lasting impact through infrastructure improvements. 

• How can organizations strategically turn a quick influx of funding into long-term improvements? 

• Learn more about the importance of capacity-building. 

In 2014, an organization called Mama Hope worked with a local family in Uganda to build the Suubi Health Center, drastically improving the health prospects of 56,000 people living in Budondo, Eastern Uganda.

But the center needed funds to operate. Without them, it would run out of supplies and its promise of local transformation would be squandered.

That’s where Denis Muwanguzi, the son of Suubi’s founder, comes in. Muwanguzi is a Global Citizen youth advocate, and last year he had the fundraising opportunity of a lifetime.

At the 2017 Global Citizen Festival, Muwanguzi was able to get on stage to advocate for his work on maternal health in Uganda. The event inspired artists such as French Montana and The Weeknd to donate to the cause. In the year since he become an advocate, $400,000 has been raised for the Suubi Health Center.

This funding has allowed Suubi to become 100% dependent on solar energy; build a second birthing house and prenatal clinic; buy more hospital beds, pay staff salaries, and maintain both ambulances; and expand overall services and outreach.

Most importantly, the funding has helped Suubi to address barriers to health care for many women from a variety of angles including locally generating income to support 60% of its annual operational cost. As the only health center in the area, the progress will help the health center reach 300,000 people in need.

Read the full article about funding and impact by Sydni Brecher at Global Citizen.