Before dawn breaks over the rolling hills of Kasese, 65-year-old Pantalo Razaro Muhindo is already awake.
At 6:30 a.m., the father, grandfather, farmer, and Uganda Red Cross Society volunteer splashes water on his face outside his modest home. A green kavera containing his work boots hangs from his hand as he bids farewell to his wife and begins a journey few would willingly make every day.
His destination lies nearly 10 kilometers away at the Mpondwe border crossing between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. His mission is simple but critical: help stop Ebola from crossing into Uganda.

For 17 years, Pantalo has served as a Uganda Red Cross volunteer. Yet what strikes you most about him is not the years of service, but the quiet determination with which he carries them.
As we walk together through valleys and across narrow bridges, Pantalo greets everyone he meets. Schoolchildren receive warm smiles and gentle reminders to wash their hands. Villagers wave as he passes. He seems to know almost everyone along the route.
At the border, the atmosphere changes. Long queues of trucks inch their way toward Uganda. Drivers prepare to undergo screening as part of the country’s response to the ongoing Ebola outbreak.
“Please give me a moment,” Pantalo says politely. “I need to spray disinfectant on these trailers that are about to cross into Uganda.”

Within minutes, he has exchanged his walking shoes for work boots, donned his protective gear, and begun mixing disinfectant. Soon, he is moving briskly from truck to truck, spraying tyres and surfaces that could potentially carry infection across the border.

The work is demanding. The risks are real. Yet Pantalo’s energy never seems to fade.
“I have finished disinfecting a queue of 12 trailers. Let’s continue!” he says enthusiastically.
Watching him work, it is difficult to imagine that his journey to humanitarian service began simply by observing a friend.
He recalls Samuel Tibihwa, a fellow community member who joined the Red Cross in 1990 and became known for helping people during disasters and emergencies.
“His dedication caught my attention,” Pantalo remembers with a smile. “After seeing Samuel, I felt compelled to ask him if I could join the Red Cross and follow in his footsteps. That’s how I became a member.”
Seventeen years later, Pantalo has responded to disasters, disease outbreaks, the COVID-19 pandemic, and now the Ebola response at Mpondwe.

For him, volunteering is no longer just community service. It has become a calling.
“I now believe this is my purpose,” he says thoughtfully. “This is the part of myself that I offer to my community and my nation. It is very satisfying, and I do it with my head held high.”
Just a few metres away stands another volunteer, Bagambe Doreen.
Despite being heavily pregnant, Doreen spends her days guiding truck drivers and travellers through handwashing stations. With sharp attention and unwavering commitment, she ensures everyone follows the preventive measures designed to keep communities safe.
When asked why she continues to volunteer despite her condition, her answer is immediate.
“I am here to serve the community,” she says. “There is nothing more satisfying to me than guiding my people to do the right thing.”
Then she pauses and gently places a hand on her stomach.
“As an expectant mother, I hope this Ebola outbreak will be resolved by the time I give birth. That is why I am here helping to stop it.”
Her words capture the spirit that defines Uganda Red Cross volunteers across the country.

They are mothers protecting the future children they have not yet met. They are grandfathers like Pantalo who rise before sunrise and walk for hours so others can remain safe. They are ordinary people performing extraordinary acts of service, often without recognition, simply because they care.
As Uganda continues its fight against Ebola, the country’s greatest strength may not be found in screening equipment, disinfectants, or protective gear alone.
It is found in people like Pantalo and Doreen—volunteers whose compassion, resilience, and unwavering commitment stand as the first line of defence against disease.
Every morning, Pantalo makes the long walk from his home to the border. And with every step, he carries more than a disinfectant sprayer.
He carries the hope of a community, the spirit of humanity, and the determination of a nation committed to overcoming Ebola together.