You can also read about this announcement here. 

Thank you for being part of this story.

As always, there were moments that reminded me exactly why we do this work. I met families who took part in our agriculture project back in 2023 and are still farming today - feeding their families and building small businesses from what started as a one-off intervention. I met women who had safe pregnancies and healthy births with the support of our midwives. I met people in remote parts of the settlements who have been reached, for the first time ever, with wheelchairs and prosthetics through our outreach clinics.

There was joy - real joy - in those conversations. The kind that comes with dignity being restored, with people being able to provide for themselves, and with inclusion becoming the new norm in communities.

A Growing Gap Between Need and Support

But alongside that, this trip felt different. It was my first time back since the widespread international aid cuts last year, and the change was obvious. The level of need has deepened, and, honestly, in some moments, it felt overwhelming.

One woman I spoke to now walks four hours each way to reach our centre for physiotherapy, after losing the transport support she once relied on. I spent time with a father caring for twenty-two children - his own and his late brother’s - with no food rations to support them. And in Bidibidi, a healthcare leader shared that some people are choosing to return to South Sudan, despite the insecurity, because “they would rather die in their home country than in a foreign land.”

These aren’t isolated stories - they reflect a wider shift. And being there, hearing them first-hand, I was so saddened by the injustice of it: that these people, who have already experienced such hardship, conflict and displacement, are now facing even more suffering.

Ready To Respond

But more than saddened, I felt incredibly frustrated - and I know this is a sentiment that many of my colleagues in our local team feel too. Because, in many cases, we already have most of what we need to respond. We have a dedicated, experienced local team who are still there, still showing up every day. We have the relationships in the community, the trust, the infrastructure. We know what works.

But we don’t always have the resources to meet the need in front of us.

We have patients who need the care we can provide, but can’t afford to travel to reach it. We have an agriculture programme that we know can work, but not enough funding to provide seeds to everyone who needs them. We have outreach clinics ready to go - but only one vehicle shared across two countries, meaning clinics are sometimes cancelled. We have a huge waiting list of children in need of wheelchairs, and a team of experienced technicians able to fit them, but currently no supply of paediatric chairs.

Where Hope Can Take Root

I wanted to share this honestly because, while we often tell stories of hope and transformation - and those stories are real - they are not the whole picture. As a fundraiser, I'm often tempted to fit stories into a neat, happy, hopeful narrative, but the reality is much more complex.

But this doesn’t mean hope is lost.

If anything, it makes it clearer where hope can take root. Hope is not about pretending everything is fine, or simple sunny optimism, but recognising that these challenges are not insurmountable. The foundations are there. What’s missing is the support to keep going and to reach further.

So I share this not to diminish the impact we’re having together, but to invite you further into it. There is still so much more to be done - and the opportunity to make a tangible difference is right in front of us.

If you’re able to stand with us at this time - whether through giving, prayer, or simply staying engaged with this work - I want you to know that your support is deeply needed and genuinely matters. It helps ensure that people are not left behind, and that the hope we see glimpses of can continue to grow.

Thank you for being part of this with us.

This reflection captures just 24 hours of my recent visit to Uganda – a day that held both sobering challenges and surprising moments of hope. It was a powerful reminder of the complexity of the context we work in, and the difference that even small seeds of support can make.

Crippled Systems, Growing Desperation

This was my first trip back to Uganda since the latest round of global aid cuts began to severely disrupt services for refugees. Uganda remains home to Africa’s largest refugee population, with over 1.8 million people seeking safety here. But the international response is faltering.

In May, the UN Refugee Agency announced that food rations for around 1 million refugees would be cut entirely. The rest have seen their monthly rations slashed to unmanageable levels. We arrived in Palorinya Refugee Settlement – home to many South Sudanese refugees – where we were met by Robert, our Nutrition Officer. Normally an unshakably positive presence, Robert didn’t mince his words. “The health system is crippled. Education is crippled. Nutrition is crippled,” he said as we travelled along the dusty tracks towards our HHA projects.

What does this mean in practice? It means services that once offered a lifeline are now reducing or in some cases gone. NGOs and UN agencies have made huge staffing cuts. Essential, life-saving supplies are running desperately low.

Take Plumpy’Nut – a therapeutic food used to treat severe acute malnutrition. Since 2018, HHA has partnered with Edesia (a US supplier of Plumpy’Nut) and UNHCR to help plug supply gaps, shipping this life-saving product to frontline clinics. But the pipeline is now critically strained. One aid worker told us plainly: without extra support, they soon won’t be able to treat malnourished children at all.

The result? Children who could be saved will die.

I struggle to write that sentence. Many of you know our personal story – my wife and I lost one of our sons, Noah. Yet amidst that grief, we carry the comfort that Noah received the very best care possible. The very best support, the very best love. That’s a gift every parent should have. But it’s no longer the reality for thousands of families across the world – families who watch helplessly as health centres run out of the basics they need to save their child’s life. To then face the prospect of losing your child inside a health facility, not because the treatment doesn’t exist, but because it’s simply not there – that leaves me speechless, and angry.

Hope amongst the cabbages

And then, on the same day, against this harrowing backdrop, we stepped into a field of cabbages – more cabbages than I’ve ever seen.

Walking through maize fields to one of our agricultural sites, we found ourselves in what felt like an oasis of peace. A refugee father welcomed us, proudly overlooking his crops. “Before I was introduced to HHA, it felt like I was walking through a desert,” he said. “Living in the dark, with nothing to show for my efforts.” Now, he’s harvesting over 800 cabbages – enough to generate over £475 for his family and others, a huge amount when many families in the settlements live on less than $1 a day. Beyond that field, over 100 acres of HHA-sponsored farmland stretched to the horizon.

Further along, we found 100 wheelbarrows, each filled with tools and seeds funded by one of our amazing donors. These will support 100 new families – most of them including a person with a disability – to join this growing movement of hope. It was a joy to see each family walk away smiling, carrying not just equipment but renewed purpose.

A powerful reminder of the ongoing need

At the edge of the crowd of this distribution, we noticed a mother and her beautiful daughter, who has Down syndrome – much like my eldest son. They arrived in recent months, having fled the war in Khartoum, Sudan, with seven children. As she shared her story, I was struck by the familiarity of her expression. It mirrored the faces of South Sudanese mothers I met in 2017 when this settlement first opened – a mixture of grief, confusion and quiet resilience. A kind of dignified calm in the midst of deep upheaval. They’re not yet enrolled on our programme, but our team took their details to ensure follow-up support through our Community-Based Rehabilitation team. Meeting this family was a sobering reminder that this refugee crisis is ongoing; that, just like when I first visited in 2017, new people are arriving every day and are in desperate need of support.

Extraordinary News – and an Urgent Need

And to add to this extraordinary 24 hours, we also received a message from our partners at Edesia. Not one, but two containers of Plumpy’Nut had been secured for our joint efforts. Over 3,400 cartons. Each one representing a child who can now be saved from malnutrition. It’s extraordinary. An answer to prayer.

But here’s the challenge. We’d only budgeted to ship one container this year. The second wasn’t planned – and isn’t funded. We’ve taken the decision to say yes anyway. Because how could we not? We’re now urgently working to raise the additional £7,500 needed to ship both containers and get them to Uganda as soon as possible.

This was one day. One glimpse. But it says so much. It tells the story of why your support – your prayers, your donations, your advocacy – matters so deeply. In a world of overwhelming need, your generosity is changing lives.

If you’re moved to respond, we’d love you to consider helping us fund the second Plumpy’Nut container. We have the product. We have the team. We have the need. We just need the means to deliver it.

Donate Now – and help us bring hope and healing, one carton at a time.

With deep gratitude,
Carwyn

It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through the year! As we reflect on the past six months, we are so grateful for the incredible progress happening across our projects – all made possible through your prayers, generosity, and partnership.

It’s been a while since we shared a big update, so this news item is a little longer as we celebrate some of the most joyful highlights from recent months. Be sure to read to the end for an exciting opportunity this autumn to get involved alongside our (brave? slightly crazy?) CEO Carwyn and a team of other intrepid supporters!

This major global acknowledgment is a true testament to the team’s dedication in making a real difference in the lives of vulnerable households and communities. With this incredible honour, HHA EA is empowered to expand the impact of the winning project, providing critical agriculture and livelihood support to further 100 vulnerable refugee-households in 2024/25.

By strengthening food security and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for the most vulnerable, the project is not only combating hunger, but also breaking down barriers and stigma against people with disabilities. It’s absolutely wonderful to see this holistic approach recognised for its innovation and celebrated by the global community!

Our heartfelt thanks to the prestigious awards jury for recognising the exceptional efforts and impact of the HHA EA Nutrition team. This acknowledgment will inspire us all to continue our commitment to creating positive change.

Here is an update from our Haiti Director, Michael Goldsmith:

Many of you have reached out to us in the past few days. As you may have heard, Haiti is experiencing heightened instability and gang activity, casting a shadow of fear and uncertainty over the country we hold dear. Thankfully, we have not experienced any violence at our partner hospital, HCBH, and services are operating as normal. Yet, even in the midst of turmoil, we stand firm in our commitment to serving those in need, guided by the unwavering light of our faith.

We recognise that our work is more vital than ever, providing hope to those affected by the chaos surrounding them. Our team on the ground remains steadfast in their dedication, facing each day with courage and resilience, fuelled by the love and support from all of you. We can assure you that their safety and well-being remain one of our top priorities.

In times such as these, we humbly ask for your continued prayers for our staff, volunteers, and the vulnerable communities we serve. Your ongoing support sustains us through these trials, giving us hope in the darkest of times. Where our faith remains, love triumphs over fear. We will keep you updated on any developments and how they may impact our work. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our mission and the people of Haiti.

Michael and the HHA Team

Follow our social channels for up-to-date news as this situation develops. 

A few more of the things we’ve bought that have made a real difference…

Battery chargers - enabling us to keep vital equipment (like blood pressure machines, thermometers and calculators) working, even with limited access to electricity

Zip ties - helping our technicians to make specialised adaptations to wheelchairs, to make sure that beneficiaries are comfortable and well-seated, and most importantly to help avoid pressure sores 

Footballs and coloured chalks - for students at Amazing Grace School

LED light strips - used for our sensory classroom at Amazing Grace and in New Hope Rehabilitation Centre BidiBidi - to create safe, inclusive and educational spaces for children and adults with disabilities

Post-partum maternity pads - to provide dignity to new mothers at our clinic in South Sudan

Coloured chopping boards - to help improve food hygiene standards in our staff kitchens in both BidiBidi and Kajo-Keji

Safety glasses and ‘quality’ power tools for our workshop, where we custom-make prosthetics and orthotics

Brackets and wallplugs (particularly difficult to buy in-country) that enabled us to construct shelves in our pharmacy in Kajo-Keji - keeping the space organised and tidy!

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this campaign making the purchase of these small, but hugely important, items possible.

1. GLOBAL DISABILITY CARE

We continued to provide empowerment, dignity, and support to people with disabilities in Haiti, Uganda, and South Sudan. Last year, we provided over 1,450 wheelchairs, more than 300 prosthetic and orthotic devices, and thousands of rehabilitation sessions. We also opened a new rehab garden for patients with spinal cord injuries in Haiti, hosted another wonderful 'Night to Shine' for young people with special needs, and got a new vehicle in Uganda, enabling us to reach more people through mobile clinics.

HHA are taking part in this global day of charity where, for 24 hours, every donation will be worth more. The fundraising platform Global Giving is offering $1.2 million of ‘incentive funds’, and the more we raise on the day, the more of these funds we receive. This is an amazing opportunity for us, a great way to kick off our Christmas campaign, and can have a huge impact on our year-end fundraising (last year we received over $20,000 in incentive funds alone, just from this 24 hours of fundraising!)

If you are able to make a donation to HHA this Giving Tuesday, and increase the value of your gift at no extra cost to you, please make your donation directly through our Global Giving project today! 

We will be using this opportunity to raise vital funds for our maternal and infant health projects globally. Pregnancy and motherhood should be a time of joy and hope - something we are reminded of at Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. But for thousands of women and girls around the world, it is simply a time of fear: a girl in South Sudan is more likely to die in childbirth than finish secondary school; 1 in every 39 babies born in Haiti will not survive their first month. 

We provide maternal and infant healthcare in Haiti, South Sudan, and Uganda, to make pregnancy, birth and childhood safer, happier, and less scary. This includes community outreach to identify and refer high-risk pregnancies, expert maternal and neonatal care at our dedicated clinics, training and resource provision within communities to make home births safer, and nutritional support and vaccinations in early childhood. With our new clinic in South Sudan, rapidly expanding community outreach projects in Uganda, and growing awareness of, and demand for, our services in Haiti, we have more capacity than ever to improve outcomes for mothers and babies. But we desperately need funds to be able to do so. 

Giving Tuesday kicks off our period of festive fundraising, and is a great opportunity to make your Christmas donation go further. But don't worry if you can't donate  today - we'll be sharing other ways to support our maternal and infant health work very soon, so stay tuned!

The next phase of the project began with food distributions for all of the households, to address immediate food insecurity (particularly acute at the moment following recent ration cuts in the settlements) and ensure participant households are physically able and strong enough to participate in the project. We also distributed seeds to all the households, which have now been planted. When these crops are harvested, they will provide a sustainable source of food, as well as livelihood opportunities for some families that are able to sell their extra produce.

On top of the provision of resources and land, a key part of this project is training - crucial to making a lasting impact. As well as education sessions on planting, cultivation, business skills and income generation for the 1,100 households involved in the project, we have also recently begun nutrition training for the beneficiaries at New Hope Rehabilitation Centre. This means that while they wait for treatment - whether that’s a wheelchair, physiotherapy or fitting for a prosthetic - they are provided with information about basic nutrition and food groups, empowering them with knowledge to improve their own health.

Stay tuned for updates on this life-changing project!

We were so grateful to the team of 7, who travelled all the way from the US to visit our projects and see the incredible impact of our partnership. As well as seeing our work in the north of Uganda, we visited Nakivale – a refugee settlement in the south of the country that is home to over 175,000 people of several nationalities. It is the world’s eighth-largest refugee camp, and continues to grow: since the closure of a transit camp in nearby Kisoro in October 2022, 30,000 people from the Democratic Republic of Congo have arrived in the settlement, fleeing fighting linked to the resurgence of the M23 armed group. Despite the huge influx of people into the settlement, very few extra resources or infrastructure have been provided – and this, combined with recent ration cuts, means that thousands of people are living without the basics they need to live a dignified, healthy life.

Thanks to our collaboration with Edesia, we have been able to provide Plumpy’Nut to thousands of children in Nakivale, and as our support becomes more needed than ever, we are incredibly grateful for their continued partnership.