Fred is a senior six candidate at Reverend Jabuloni Isoke Secondary School in Kitgum district, northern Uganda waiting to sit his final exams.  Despite his busy schedule, Fred will always get time to donate blood because of his childhood experience. This is his fifth time to donate. Fred says his mother told him that while he was 3 years old, during the time of the Lord’s Resistance Army war that ravaged northern for over 2 decades, he got severe malaria and was admitted at Kitgum government hospital.

The doctors at the hospital told her mother, her son needed blood and that the hospital did not have any. As her mother was still pondering and taking in news of an impending outcome if she does not find a blood donor to save his son, luckily there were two men walking around the hospital compound and when she narrated to them her plea, they accepted to donate their blood. That’s how Fred’s life was saved and that is his motivation to donate blood every time he gets a chance to save a life, just like his was saved by a stranger.

The inspiration of Ronald Joyce Idiba, a senior three student at the same school is not different from Fred’s. Ronald a fourth time blood donor says his young brother always gets severe malaria and is in need of blood. So whenever he presents his blood donation card, they give him free blood and that motivates me to donate blood every time he gets a chance.

For Ochora Winfred, a 19-year student in S3 has a brother with sickle cells who always needs blood whenever he runs out of blood. That’s why I also give blood to save others.

From the many of the blood donors I interacted with, many give blood for lifetime experiences themselves have experienced or their relatives. Akena Robinson a senior six student says, he will continue donating blood because he is surviving on someone’s blood. Akena says his mother told him at 2 years old, he got malaria and I needed blood and because someone else donated blood to save his life, he will keep donating. This was his fourth time to donate.

To Lamwaka Dorcas, it is because of his grandfather who has diabetes and sometimes needs blood. Others think about what would befall them in future. To Lakot Monica, I want to save someone life by donating blood because even me when I fall sick someone else will donate their blood. This is my 3rd time to donate blood and will continue donating more.

To others most especially students, they say by donating blood at a tender age, that’s the best they can give back to the world to save a life. To others they want to give back to humanity through donating blood. Akera Alfred Lukwata says, he is convinced that giving blood is good, you give back to humanity such that, that good ness will come back to you when yourself need the blood.

Enabel recently supported a blood donation drive in Acholi region. The drive targeted mainly secondary schools and tertiary institutions. The week-long exercise collected a total of 827 units. According to Dr. Gerald Rukundo, the Director Lango/Acholi region Blood Bank, there is a high prevalence of malaria in Acholi region and this calls for high demand of blood, yet people in the region reluctantly donate blood. This calls for mass mobilisation and sensitisation to be done in the region.  

Dr. Gerald says, every day they receive over 150 requests of blood units, but they can only issue-out 60 units daily. Lacor hospital alone is given 40 units out of the 60 units disbursed daily from Gulu region blood bank.

Human beings need blood to be alive. It is pumped by the heart  to all parts of the body, after which it is returned to the heart to repeat the process. Blood is therefore important in transporting oxygen and nutrients to the cells and carries away carbon dioxide and other waste products.