War conflicts have an undeniable impact on people's quality of life. Material deprivation or physical and mental health problems are just some of the disastrous consequences that war has on the civilian population. Furthermore, poverty leads to the appearance of other problems, often invisible, such as the neglect of domestic animals. At this point, The Big Fix Uganda project has repaired, a solidarity initiative that aims, on the one hand, to mitigate the abandonment of these animals and, on the other, to involve local communities in this task to help them overcome the traumas of war. .
Uganda is currently one of the poorest countries in the world, with a GDP per capita of just $600, as a result of more than two decades of war between Joseph Kony's rebel army and the legitimate government. The communities in the north of the African country still suffer today from the wounds of the conflict and maintain living conditions that make it difficult for them to keep their animals healthy. Big Fix Uganda now operates the only veterinary hospital in the area.
The lack of veterinary personnel and the inability to pay for these services has caused the spread of several diseases such as rabies in the area, with great lethality among animals and people. This, together with the absence of animal birth control, has led to populations of dogs and cats languishing and dying of hunger in the streets of the region.
The opening of the Big Fix Uganda veterinary hospital has been a real reaction against this scourge, since the organization offers medical care, vaccination, sterilization and castration services for animals completely free of charge. About twenty professionals attend the center seven days a week and have carried out 530 field trips in which they have reached the most remote villages.
Apart from its work at the hospital, Big Fix Uganda also runs the Comfort Dog Project, a project that uses canine support for the psychosocial rehabilitation of children who have survived the war. Northern Uganda was an area especially affected by the recruitment by militias of child soldiers, a group in which post-traumatic stress disorders are common. Big Fix Uganda now uses three dogs in its victim support program that has already reached more than 300 educational centers.
Thanks to the Comfort Dog project, the organization has carried out intense outreach work to raise awareness among the younger population regarding the importance of animal welfare. Education thus forms one of Big Fix Uganda's pillars of action, through initiatives such as recruiting 'animal guardians', radio programs or artistic interventions, among others.
