We are continuing our partnership with Sole Hope for the third time, taking their outstanding initiatives and extending them throughout Uganda. This project focuses on identifying hotspots for jigger infestations and running monthly prevention education classes throughout 2022.

Healing Soles All Year Long, we are partnering with 

 yet again on their Zero Jiggers Campaign. Sole Hope’s Mission is to bring healing to people suffering from jigger infections in Uganda.

They conduct clinics throughout rural villages in Uganda, removing thousands of jiggers in a single day. Jiggers are small parasitic fleas that burrow into the hands and feet of individuals before laying eggs. They cause pain, isolation, and loss of toes among thousands of people in Uganda. They prevent children from going to school, mothers from fetching clean water, and fathers from working.

Knowledge is power and Sole Hope’s monthly education classes are aimed at equipping individuals with the correct practical information on how to prevent jigger infections. Their goal for this phase of the project is to conduct 60 monthly education sessions across the year with 200 attendees per seminar, targeting 36,000 people in total.

30 sessions will be conducted in the community, while the other 30 sessions will take place in schools in the Busoga and Bugisu regions in Eastern Uganda. Sole Hope will be working in communities across five districts: Sironko, Luuka, Namisindwa, Manafwa, and Bududa.

Help Sole Hope with their goal of a “zero-jiggers Uganda”. Prevention is the best solution to the harms that jiggers cause. Please support the incredible work of Sole Hope by sponsoring jigger education classes throughout 2022.

We are continuing our partnership with Sole Hope for the third time, taking their outstanding initiatives and extending them throughout Uganda.  This project focuses on identifying hot spots for jigger infestations and running monthly prevention education classes throughout 2022.

Bugisu, Uganda

Sole Hope

Zero Jiggers Education - Uganda

Social workers held individual counseling sessions with 29 patients to explore their past and present struggles & got support. In addition, 4 group sessions were held to enhance socialization through peer mentoring. During these sessions, the social workers highlighted some factors that increase the risk of jigger infections, such as unhygienic living conditions, child and elder neglect, substance abuse, and mental illness. 

Some patients didn’t know how to treat their jigger infections & tried using pesticides, which worsened their symptoms. The sessions educated patients on proper jigger removal and prevention. 

The education sessions are impacting jigger re-infestation rates dropping from 43% in April to 28% in May! Former patients are using skills learned in these sessions to remove jiggers and are also practicing better hygiene, therefore, reducing their risk of jigger re-infestation.

Learning how to prevent jigger infestations

Sole Hope had a busy February, conducting screenings and pick-ups in 3 districts* in the Bugishu region. Those found with severe jigger infestations were treated as inpatients at the Hope Center and provided with 24-hour care and jigger-prevention education. Almost 8,000 jiggers were removed from these patients. 

In addition, community clinics were conducted in Buikwe, Luuka, Jinja, Bududa, Namisindwa, and Manafwa. 453 patients were treated, and 4,000 jiggers were removed. 

As part of the community jigger prevention program, our partner's shoe workshop produced 1,459 pairs of denim shoes which were given to patients and other at-risk individuals to keep their feet clean and safe. Phenomenal efforts from the whole team!

*Districts: Namisindwa, Manafwa, Bududa. 

 SUCCESS STORY: 

15-year-old Kasango lives with his aunt and his four cousins in Bujagali Village. He lived in a jigger-infested environment and had many infections. Thankfully, Kasango was able to be treated at an outreach clinic, removing 72 jiggers from his feet. He also received a care kit, two pairs of denim shoes, and a jigger education pack on prevention. We are so happy to hear that Kasango remains jigger-free after one month of his treatment. He's no longer in pain and very happy to be back at school, working towards his dreams of becoming a mechanic.

*Face has been hidden and name changed for privacy reasons. 

Twelve Thousand Jiggers Removed!

Can you imagine that something so tiny, slightly bigger than a pinhead, could cause you so much pain that you wouldn’t be able to walk? This is the reality for thousands in underserved Ugandan communities. Jiggers are small parasitic fleas found in soil that burrow into people’s feet and lay eggs. They cause debilitating pain &, if left untreated, can disable people permanently.

But they are easily prevented by wearing protective shoes & using correct hygiene. A gift of $20 provides freedom from jiggers for 8 people. They receive jigger treatment, follow-up education, and shoes.

February Update

We are thrilled to announce that we conducted the first clinic in Sironko! This community clinic has reached 98 patients so far, of which 91 were treated onsite, with seven being referred to the Hope Center to treat severe jigger infestations. 

Our partner also conducted two radio talk shows on Open Gate and Elgon FM with support from the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), District Health Educator (DHE), and District Health Officer (DHO). 

The radio station reaches 17 districts with an audience of 9 million people. During the interview, a team member of Sole Hope talked about their work. Listeners had the opportunity to call in for any questions or comments, and they received 23 calls from Bugisu region residents!

April Update


Goleja* is 67 years old, unmarried, and has no biological children. He lives in a semi-permanent structure in a remote village in the Manafwa district. Every night he sleeps on an old dirty mat without a mosquito net. Due to a dependency on alcohol, he has neglected all self-care, and his jigger infestation crippled any potential source of income. 

Our partner Sole Hope met Goleja during a patient pick-up due to the severity of his jigger infestation. He was pale and weak. His jigger infestation affected his feet, fingers, elbows, and buttocks. 

Goleja was immediately admitted to the Hope Center, where a medical team extracted 1,229 jiggers and treated all the wounds over several weeks. Most importantly, he received health education on how to stay jigger-free and psychosocial support which helped him to make informed decisions about his life in the future. 

At the end of his time at the Hope Center Goleja said: 
"I am glad that Sole Hope put up such a center that supports people like me." 

He pledges to be a change agent in the village, encouraging jigger-infested people to access treatment at the partner health facilities and fighting stigma associated with jigger infestation. He hopes to sensitize other vulnerable people about the fact that jiggers are a treatable infection, not witchcraft.

*Names have been changed for privacy reasons. 

A Restored Life - Goleja's Story

"Good donations and good hearts! Caring for people you have never seen- that's the very, very best heart I've ever seen!" — that's Enoch Kwagala's message to you. 

The Sole Hope nurse goes on to say, "May God reward you for this beautiful donation." We agree wholeheartedly. 

Thanks to your kindness, our partner SoleHope removed thousands of jigger parasites from 3,600 people in Jinja, Uganda. They also delivered 60 education sessions on how to remain jigger-free reaching more than 36,000 lives. An exceptional effort!

Join us in celebrating Project 41 - Zero Jiggers completion! Please like and share- let's spread the joy of hope and giving.
