Fort Portal to Kampala: Giving and Caring Across Uganda with CCF and Haven Welfare 

Uganda is a big country. A trip from Fort Portal in the west to Kampala in the middle can take many hours. Now think about a sick person making that trip, or a child in a small school far from the city. Distance can make life harder for both. But kindness can travel across the country too.

Meet Gilbert Kevin Jimmy Kwizera

Gilbert Kevin Jimmy Kwizera was born in Kampala on 30 November 1971. He has studied Commerce and Finance, and is an international consultant. He now resides in the United Arab Emirates, however his charitable causes are dedicated to assisting folks in his home state of Uganda.

He established two foundations. One of these is the Cancer Charity Foundation (CCF). The other is Haven Welfare. His profile states he's more interested in long-term results than being famous.

Kampala: A Safe Place During Treatment

There are big hospitals for treating cancer in Kampala, and many people come from villages and small towns for treatment. It's good, but it presents a problem. Treatment for cancer may last for weeks or months and patients require a place to sleep and food to eat throughout the treatment.

Mr. Kwizera was aware of the number of patients that were dropped in treatment, and therefore started CCF. The medicine didn't end up being a failure. They did not have enough funds for rent, food, and other expenses.

CCF has a program known as The Haven. It's a support centre close to the cancer hospitals in Kampala. It provides patients with free housing, meals and counselling, and sometimes, a family member may live there as well. In February 2026, the Daily Express newspaper reported on this work. It said CCF helps hundreds of patients each year.

It is important to pay attention to these little things. With a safe bed, a patient shouldn't have to worry about rent. A caregiver who has a room to stay in may be just around the corner. They work together to support individuals to continue attending treatment.

Why Distance Is a Real Problem

Imagine a woman living in a village in the West of Uganda. An example and not a real person. She finds out that she has to go to Kampala for cancer treatment. She has to cover the cost of a room, food and transportation to the hospital. When money is low, she may be forced to leave the hospital before she's healthy.

There are countless families that have experienced this. So housing and food issues help matters. It enables the residents to remain near the hospital until the doctors declare the work finished.

Those who have experienced it have described this sort of help. One female stated that she received tests and treatment through CCF and she recovered. Another reported that not her family had paid for her chemotherapy medicine, but Mr. Kwizera.

Fort Portal: Tools for Learning

Let's now head back west. On 19th March, 2026, Divine Mercy Nursery and Primary School, Kiko, Fort Portal, was presented with a gift by Mr. Kwizera. It was the school books, pens and teaching charts.

Unfortunately, he wasn't at the school that day but the teachers thanked him and the pupils celebrated. A video was posted from the event, entitled “School Charity Support”.

This was not a CCF program, it was about education, not cancer care. But it's from the same mindset: Identify the little obstacle that prevents people and remove it. For a patient, it could be rented. It's a book or pen for a pupil.

Haven Welfare: Respect on the Road to Recovery

Mr. Kwizera is also a founder of Haven Welfare, a charity in Uganda that helps individuals overcome addiction. Little is publicly known about what it does on a day-to-day basis so we won't speculate. We can say that it does fit his predominant theme of the respecting of people. Recovery is difficult and people are better off when treated as a person and not as a problem.

What Links Fort Portal and Kampala?

Three ideas run through his work:

• Meet basic needs. A bed, a meal, a book and a pen are simple things, but they can change a person’s chances.

• Give with dignity. CCF is described as avoiding the habit of treating patients as “cases.” Respect matters as much as money.

• Think long term. His site tells the story of Salim Bwagu, who lived with cancer for 24 years. Mr. Kwizera met him in 2006, and the charity paid for the rest of his treatment. Salim finished his full course of medicine in 2007. Good help stays until the job is done.

How You Can Help

You do not have to run a charity to make a difference. Here are some easy ideas:

• Visit or call a sick neighbor.

• Tell families about support services that may help them.

• Encourage loved ones to see a health worker early if they notice a strange change in the body.

• Give books or pens to a local school.

• Support a trusted local charity.

The Road Is Long, but Care Can Cover It

From Fort Portal to Kampala, the road is long. But the work of Gilbert Kevin Jimmy Kwizera shows that care can cover that distance. Through CCF, patients find a place to stay while they heal. Through Haven Welfare, people on the road to recovery are met with respect. And through a gift of books and pens, children in Kiko got a better start.

Giving does not have to be loud to matter. It only has to reach the person who needs it.