Robert Kateera, a Ugandan social entrepreneur was inspired to start a non-profit to help children and teens living with disabilities after his cousin was born without a tibia and a kneecap.
Kateera, a pilot by profession currently lives and works in British Columbia, but he hasn't forgotten his home country that he left in 2015.
His foundation Trudeau Youth Council Foundation was started after seeing the medical expenses they incurred to amputate his cousin, who was born with a congenital limb infection.
The process to amputate her took about two and a half years and they also hired to get her an artificial leg.
That's a very expensive medical endeavor that most people wouldn't afford.
Through his organisation, which he started on January 19, 2019, Kateera is mobilising resources to support underprivileged disabled children to get medical care
The organiation has already acquired 115 prosthetic limbs that have been fixed on 82 children
Kateera, who collects funds from relatives and well-wishers, said that each limb costs Shs900,000, and they have so far spent Shs71,235,454
"Today, most of our funds come from friends and kind-hearted people from all over the world who go out of their way to give their widow’s mite to see children fulfilling their dreams in life," he said.
He said some of their biggest challenges are having to import some of the items that are not readily available in Uganda and doctors being sourced from different parts of the country.
He said he looks forward to a time when they can have 250 limbs fixed in a year across the county.
Robert Kateera went to Uganda Martyrs Primary School, then joined Taibah College in Bwebajja for high school, where he was until 2012.
After high school, he decided to pursue his passion of flying planes and joined Kajjansi Flying School, which he left to relocate to Canada in 2015.
In January 2021, he a pilot's license from the Canadian Flight Academy in British Columbia.
