For Ugandan singer Vinka, the applause from her latest concert did not end when the lights went down.
Days after her “Vinka Live & Loud” concert on August 21, the singer, real name Veronica Nakiyingi Lugya, took part of the proceeds to a different kind of stage, the Paediatric Surgery Unit (Block B, Level 5) at Mulago National Referral Hospital , to support mothers and children facing difficult medical journeys.
Accompanied by the Swangz Avenue management team, Vinka visited mothers, newborns and families as part of her “Mother to Mother” initiative.
As a mother herself, the singer had privately committed to dedicating part of her concert earnings to supporting fellow mothers and children experiencing complications after childbirth.
The donation included diapers, baby wipes, maternity pads, blankets, bar soap and Vaseline, but the visit went beyond the supplies. Vinka spent time speaking and praying with mothers, engaging the nursing team and comforting families whose babies are facing serious health challenges or awaiting surgery.
“I just had a concert recently and part of the proceeds were to support the mothers that get complications after giving birth and the children that have complications after childbirth,” Vinka said.
“It’s very emotional, but what gives you strength is that the mothers are very strong.”
For an artiste whose music often occupies the lighter, louder side of popular culture, the hospital visit offered a quieter expression of the person behind the performer.
Vinka said her own experience of motherhood had deepened her desire to support women going through difficult circumstances.
“As a mother, I know what a mother can go through after giving birth. I know what a child can go through, the depression, everything. If you are out there and you want to join the cause, please support the mothers out there,” she said.
The reality inside Mulago’s Paediatric Surgery Unit puts the weight of the initiative into perspective.
Nursing Officer Domitira Ashabahebwa said the ward receives patients from their first day of life up to 18 years, handling both congenital and non-congenital surgical conditions.
Some cases require emergency intervention, with doctors available around the clock and patients frequently proceeding to theatre. The unit handles approximately 150 to 200 inpatients every month, in addition to its outpatient clinic held every Wednesday.
“The mothers here are very strong and we pray to God to support them,” Ashabahebwa said.
Mulago National Referral Hospital thanked Vinka and the Swangz Avenue team for the visit, noting her interaction with the hospital’s Executive Director, nursing team, newborns and parents.