Message from the founding member - Dr Iqra Ilyas. 

    Access to basic healthcare is a fundamental right of every human being. I, Dr Iqra Ilyas, am a medical graduate with a mission to promote primary healthcare in all the rural communities across Uganda. Primary healthcare is an objective that organizations such as World Health Organization strive towards achieving. In my work, I have realized that there are vulnerable populations such as children, elderly, the disabled, and pregnant mothers that need one step further; they need this basic health care brought closer to them. An aim that inspired the creation of Serenity Trust Organization (STO).

    As part of my medical training, I had the privilege to visit, conduct community diagnoses and deliver health awareness talks in rural communities such as; Nyenga village in Buikwe District in Eastern Uganda and Kasangati village in Wakiso District, Central Uganda. This eye opening experience brought me face to face with my true calling; ensuring basic health care is realistically accessible to all communities; rural, urban, educated, illiterate, rich and poor alike. 

    STO was thus established in 2016 in auspice of Al-Shafa Modern Hospital, Jinja, Uganda. The aim was to make basic health care affordable and accessible to rural communities in Eastern Uganda. With this mission in mind, and the support of Al-Shafa Modern Hospital, we initially begun this organization as a private non-profit based entity that conducted activities such as free general, dental eye, free immunization, free family planning, free cervical cancer screening and free health education and health promotion talks.

    I sincerely congratulate and thank the members, partners, supporters and well-wishers who have directly and indirectly played a vital role in the development and activities of STO.  In the same spirit I extend my gratitude to the management of Al-Shafa Modern Hospital Ltd for graciously availing STO with medical personnel, technical support, designating a distinct ward for serenity at the hospital as well as funding to keep the organization running smoothly. I am also grateful to the NGO Bureau and all leaders and authorities of the local and central government of Uganda for supporting our effort, and the communities that welcomed and embraced STO’s work with open arms.

    We genuinely wish to develop STO such that we have the capacity to run centers across the entirety of Pearl of Africa; Uganda. With this regard, I appeal to the members of national and international communities to actively get involved by becoming a member, donating, volunteering and doing internships and getting involved with research projects that will augment the development of the health sector in Uganda. `