Susan Katushabe

I am the secretary of ESAU at the national level. We are seven committee members.
I took all my levels of education. I got epilepsy in 1989.
I`m 27 years old.

ESAU is concered with people with Epilepsy. It started in 1997. Four south-western districts were involved.

ESAU has some main activities:
-Training parents/guadians with children/relatives with epilepsy.
-Passing information to the community and leaders as well about epilepsy.
-Workshop practices in different districts.
-Information given to the community through the media ie radios,televisions, and others.
-Meetings attended by the BOD 4 times per year.
-District meetings of the executive members.
-District wookshps.

People with epilepsy have many problems they face:
-Social stigmatisation.
-Issolation.
-Lack of support and neglection whereby some PWE are given separate residence which can be behind the main houses.
-Irregular medication b`se families with PWE spend alot of money on anti-epileptic drugs.
-Lack of education b`se as they are sent away from schools with the belief that it is contagious and to some a spiritual disease.

Co-operation of ESAU:
ESAU co-operates both nationally and internationally, ie:
NUWODU: This helps by giving information to mothers of children with epilepsy.
USAID:Has given a meeting room to PWE in Mbarara district.
MHU:The Ministry of Health, Uganda brings idea about Epilepsy.
Ministry of Education Uganda, has give advice to people to know that PWE can have education.
Denmark Epilepsy Association helps ESAU financially.
ADD is a financial assistant and gives knowldge to ESAU about budgeting.
WHO helps to bring ESAU and the mentally disabled under diasbility.
ACFODE
OURS
NUDIPU which is the umbrella of the disabled in Uganda and has accepted epilepsy under disability.
USDC:Uganda Society for Disabled Children has provided ESAU with an office room.

Successful activities in ESAU:
-Capacity building: PWE are trained to manage their own lives via workshops and seminars. Work ie handcraft is told to them and other things like drammer.
-Advocacy and lobbying: Here PWE have come to other organisations like the Danish Epilepsy Organisation and others which help it financially and with advice.
The giving of awareness to the community about epilepsy to know that it is not contagious.

Structure of ESAU:
So far ESAU deals with 10 districts in Uganda.
There are some in the North, East, Southwest and in the is planning for more in the coming year.
The General Assembly meets after three years and also elects the BOD.
The BOD meets every after three months and plans for the G.A and for the districts.This is the National executive
The Secretariate is the office of ESAU with two voluntary workers ie the co-ordinator and the secretary.

My achievements at Egmont/Denmark:
-I have leant more about democracy in my organisation,
ie in workshops, in the homes and in the society generally.
-I have leant how to hold a workshop myself without fear.
-I have leant how to budget for a wokshp and to call.
-The creation of friends has been wonderful.
-I have experienced the European weather.
-I have enjoyed the trips in Denmark.
-The computer training.
-Much more have I learnt about the standard rules.
-Identifying the organisational problems and analysing them.

Epilepsy Support Association contact: Uganda Society for Disabled Children building. Plot 1, Kamwokya street P.O.BOX 16260, Wandegeya. Tel 256-41-540407 Mobile: 256-77-450383 Fax: 256-41-532589 E-Mail: amugarura@yahoo.co.uk
	-This is a day when members of ESAU were holding a workshop together with their Psychiatrist. Psychiatrist contact, Mbarara: ESAU C/O Department of Psychiatry Mbarara University Teaching Hospital P.O.Box 1410 Tel/Fax: 256-0485-20299 256-0485-20782. Mobile:256-77-650803 Personal contact C/O Rwemiyenje Primary School P.O.Box 620 Mbarara- Uganda. E-Mail:skatushabeb@yohoo.co.uk. Thanks.