Light in Wisdom Ltd, a film production company with a range of non-communicable diseases advocates and renown celebrities have embarked on a noble mission to address the problem of the consequences of ignorance about Sickle Cell Disease through their upcoming Doc-film titled “Understanding Love”.
In a press conference held at Capital Kitchen in Kampala, Enoch Ronnin Wisdom, the director of the film said English and Lukiga will be used the most commonly used languages in the film, but it will be recorded in every region of the country and there will be people in those particular regions to translate for the local people for them to understand better.
Wisdom said Sickle cell screening will be free in the given regions during the shooting of and they hope to get support from the government during that time.
The “Understanding Love” doc-film will depict crises, prevention, and management of sickle cell disease, its impact on loved ones, families, and economic development.
Dr. Gerald Mutungi, the commissioner for non-communicable diseases at the Ministry of Health, said couples intending to marry should first test for sickle cell traits because Sickle cell anaemia occurs in children whose both parents are genetic carriers.
He also added that he is delighted to be part of the project because communication to the public through music and drama moves faster than just talking to the people.
“Communication to the public through music and drama moves faster than just talking. So we are excited to come together and help in doing this to create awareness of Sickle Cell Disease.” He said
Tracy Nagawa, a counsellor at Uganda Sickle Cell Rescue Foundation said they offer free counselling to people with sickle cell disease to help them feel comfortable among others.
The Doc-Film features Miss Uganda 2018/19, Miss Quiin Abenakyo, WKF Intercontinental champion Alex Matsiko, Miss Tourism 2017/18 Miss Challa Elma, the Ghetto Kids, and Tanzania Model and Actress of the Year 2018/19 Miss Lucy Charles.
WKF Kickboxing champion Alex Matsiko promised to use his big following to help and create awareness of the disease among Ugandans.
National Housing, Capital Kitchen and Beyond the Sky tours and Travel bureau are the sponsors of the movie and there aim is to help find ways to improve the lives of people living with Sickle Cell and inspire others to do the same and they are grateful to be part of the project.
The film started shooting on 23rd December 2018, and they hope to complete by the end of February, and it will be set to be released by the end of June this year. It will be released and screened in secondary schools, universities, Military and police barracks as well as national televisions.
About Light in Wisdom Ltd
Light in Wisdom Ltd is a registered company with a vision to be leading producers of audio-visual content that adds value to human life in Africa. The company exists to enlighten the African people about love, health and prosperity in matters that pertain to life through audio-visual technology.
About Sickle Cell Disease
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of blood disorders typically inherited from a person’s parents. It results in an abnormality in the oxygen-carrying protein hemoglobin found in red blood cells.
It is estimated that around 33,000 babies are born annually in Uganda with Sickle cell disease of which five die before five years according to (http://www.sicklecelluganda.org)
The Uganda Sickle Surveillance Study which was conducted in 2016 established that Sickle cell trait was found in all the 112 districts in Uganda with the lowest rates in South Western Uganda being less than 5 percent and the highest in East Central region being more than 20%.
It is estimated that 0.7 percent of the population, about 280,000 people in Uganda have Sickle Cell disease.