Kilembe Mines Hospital is a community hospital located in Kilembe, in the Kasese District of Western Uganda, at the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Founded in 1952, the hospital originally served as a medical center for workers of the nearby copper and cobalt mines beneath the Rwenzori Mountains. These mines were initially operated by Canadian companies before being sold to the Ugandan government in 1975. When mining activities ceased in 1982, the hospital transitioned into a community hospital, opening its doors to the wider population.

Today, the hospital has fewer than 200 beds and serves as a referral center for numerous primary health centers in the region. Despite limited resources, it provides essential care to a vast catchment area. Many patients travel long distances — often on foot — to receive treatment. The need is great, and the hospital continuously strives to deliver quality care under challenging circumstances.

How Daktari Project Originated

The story of Daktari Project began in the summer of 2010, when six enthusiastic medical students traveled to Uganda for a voluntary internship. Through a friendship with a Ugandan doctor, they found their way to Kilembe Mines Hospital.

What started as a learning experience quickly grew into a long-lasting partnership and friendship. Inspired by the dedication of the local healthcare workers and the needs they witnessed, the students committed themselves to ongoing support.

Since then, a team has visited the hospital every year. In 2015, Daktari Project officially became a registered non-profit organization, strengthening its mission and expanding its impact.

What Daktari Project Does

Over the years, more than 100 volunteers have contributed to Daktari Project’s mission.

We support Kilembe Mines Hospital in a sustainable and long-term way, providing:

• Financial support for essential equipment and infrastructure

• Logistical assistance with medical supplies and organization

• Educational support through training and knowledge exchange

Our support happens both on-site in Uganda and through fundraising and awareness initiatives abroad.

Today, Daktari Project focuses on four main areas:

• Infection Prevention – improving hygiene standards and reducing hospital-acquired infections
  
• Orthopedics – strengthening trauma and fracture care
  
• Maternity Care – improving safe deliveries and neonatal outcomes
  
• Wound Care – optimizing treatment for acute and chronic wounds
  

Through collaboration, respect, and long-term commitment, we aim to strengthen local healthcare capacity and help build a healthier future for the community of Kilembe and the wider Kasese region.