By Joan Abaasa
Communications Officer -ICPAU
The Mid-Eastern Regional Members Network recently partnered with the Uganda Red Cross Society and Regional Blood Bank for a successful blood donation drive, held from 27 July to 3 August, 2024. The event, themed "A Service Beyond Self," rallied around the motto "Together We Can."
The drive, which aimed to collect 1,000 units of blood, saw teams of volunteers organising at multiple centres, including, Mbale College, Good Shepherd S.S., Hamdan Girls, Iki-Iki S.S., Iki-Iki High, Bukonde S.S., Oloki Seed Secondary School, University Link H.S. Campus, Kameke S.S, Malaba Seed Secondary School, Kamuge S.S, St Paul’s College Mbale, Kumi Town Community, Mbale Central Market , Bukonde S.S, Bugisu High School, Kameke S.S, Nakalokke S.S, Atiri S.S, Highway Integrated, Bugwere Kings College, Mbale Resort Hotel and Jamie Trading Centre.
Support for the initiative came from both members and local leaders, with doctors from the blood bank present to encourage donations. Community members expressed their gratitude, with some remarking, "Thanks to the CPAs for saving the human race”.
“We are all beneficiaries of this blood — you never know when you will need it," they remarked.
Among the donors were notable figures such as CPA Nandala Mafabi, communities, students and members of the ICPAU Mid-Eastern Regional Members Network.
The drive collected over 995 units of blood, with significant contributions from specific locations: Nakaloke S.S (119 units), Mbale Central Market (96 units), Iki-Iki S.S. and Iki-Iki High School (116 units), Bukonde S.S. (52 units), Malaba Secondary School (47 units), Kameke Secondary School (70 units), and Kumi Town (85 units).
On the final day of the donation drive, CPA Timothy Ediomu, a member of the ICPAU Council and the Chief Guest, handed over the donated blood to Mbale Regional Blood Bank. He also visited Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, where he presented gifts to new mothers in the maternity ward and distributed sodas to patients and children in the adult wards.
In addition to the blood donations, several organisations supported the drive financially, including Duckhill Microfinance, Bugisu Cooperative Union, Bugisu High School, Retouch Consulting Limited, Rotary Club of Mbale, Balloon Ventures, and Save the Mother East Africa, contributing a cost of actualising the blood donation.
ICPAU Regional Members Networks are formal associations of members of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Uganda who work, reside or hail from a region as registered with ICPAU. Regional Members Networks were introduced in 2016 by ICPAU to improve member collaboration.
There are 12 Regional Members Networks: Acholi Regional Members Network, Ankole Regional Members Network, Central Regional Members Network, Kigezi Regional Members Network, Lango Regional Members Network, Mid-Eastern Regional Members Network, West Nile Regional Members Network, Bunyoro Regional Members Network, Busoga Regional Members Network, Southern Buganda Regional Members Network, Rwenzori Regional Members Network, & Teso/Karamoja Regional Members Network.
The Regional Members Networks are one of the avenues through which accountants are creating impact in the communities.
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