In just over a fortnight’s time local nurse Rian Gale will be setting off to Uganda for six weeks to use her skills working on health projects there.

For Rian, who works in the Day Surgery Unit at Noble’s Hospital, this trip will be the fulfillment of a long-held dream.

Born in New Zealand, Rian has lived for the last 17 years in Onchan with her husband, Ian, and son Phoenix, who is 18.

She formerly worked in horticulture and retrained as a nurse 10 years ago, gaining a BSc Hons Health and Social Care and a Masters level qualification in Mentoring and Assessing.

She said: ’While I was doing the training I was working as a care assistant to supplement the study for which I only received a small bursary. I said to Ian: "Because this is such a commitment if I’m going to dedicate this much time and effort to it one day I’ll go and do something that fulfills a dream of mine to go and volunteer in Africa or South America".’

With the assistance of non-profit organisation, Iko Poran, Rian has secured a placement with Africa Sustainable Tourism Care Foundation, based outside Kampala.

She explained: ’I will be working in two clinics, three weeks at each, one focussed on vaccinations and health promotion, the other on HIV treatment and education.

’Quite a big part of my role is to educate health workers, a lot of whom are local volunteers.

’One of the things that attracted me to Uganda is that somewhere in the region of 50% of the population are under 16 years old, through war and disease, so skills are limited and education is key to provide lasting change.

’You can’t imagine not having that layer of knowledge or skills or wisdom to pass on to the next generation.’

She will have one other contact when she gets there:

’I recently met with a lovely Manx teacher, Elizabeth Bankes-Jones who founded the charity School for Uganda and built a school near Kampala called Hope and Joy. I said I would visit her pupils to send a little love on her behalf.

’Some of her teacher friends are gathering primary-sized summer clothes for me to take and donate. I will also be proving a health lesson to the children, at Elizabeth’s request, and a yoga session.’

Rian is self-funding her trip, taking half the time as unpaid leave, and paying for her accommodation, plane fare and other expenses such as £600 for vaccines and anti-malaria medication.

She and Ian did a sponsored skate and cycle to help raise some money towards it: he rollerbladed for 54 miles and with Rian cycling alongside.

She has also started a GoFundMe page: one donation she has received that was very close to her heart was from a former healthcare worker who prefers to remain anonymous but told her: ’Take this and go and vaccinate some children on my behalf.’

Rian is looking forward to doing just that.

â?¢ You can find more information and make a donation at https://www.gofundme.com/help-rian-to-help-in-rural-uganda