Overview:
Heart & Soul Rendezvous returns next month for an afternoon of Soul, Jazz and R&B, and a gift that will outlast the evening: safe blood for those who need it.
On Saturday, November 14, 2026, Premier Gardens in Kigo will come alive with the sounds of soul, jazz and R&B.
Glasses will clink, conversations will flow, and strangers will become friends as the second edition of Heart & Soul Rendezvous returns.
The elegant, invitation-only gathering has a purpose that extends well beyond the gardens: supporting the Mengo Hospital Rotary Blood Bank.
The need for blood
According to Uganda Blood Transfusion Services (UBTS), Uganda is projected to need about 450,000 units of blood annually, yet only about 300,000 units are collected, leaving a shortfall of roughly 150,000 units.
The country uses about 1,000 units of blood daily, with officials linking demand to road crashes and rising malaria cases among children and pregnant women.
Women experiencing pregnancy-related complications account for about 30 per cent of blood demand, while excessive bleeding is blamed for at least 41 per cent of maternal deaths during childbirth.
Children under five, many battling anaemia caused by severe malaria or malnutrition, consume as much as half of the available blood supply. The remaining 20 per cent goes to surgical patients, trauma victims and people living with conditions such as cancer and sickle cell disease.
The gift of giving
Voluntary blood donation is one of the few acts of generosity in which the giver and recipient may never meet. The donor may never see the mother who returns home with her newborn or the child who gets back on their feet after weeks in a hospital bed.
Yet they give, knowing that their contribution could make the difference between life and death.
Blood donation is also a gift that can be repeated. Men can safely donate up to four times a year, while women can donate up to three times, subject to medical eligibility. This is why blood banks depend not only on first-time donors but also on regular, committed volunteers.
A single donation can help save a life, while a lifetime of giving can benefit dozens of patients.
The World Health Organisation recommends that countries collect blood equivalent to at least one per cent of their population, underscoring the importance of sustained voluntary donation.
The Mengo Hospital Rotary Blood Bank
The Mengo Hospital Rotary Blood Bank exists because people recognised a need and chose not to look away. Supported by the Rotary community, generous donors and medical professionals, the bank has helped sustain the supply of blood for patients who need it.
The commitment of long-term voluntary donors, some of whom have given blood consistently for decades, demonstrates that extraordinary impact does not always require extraordinary means. It begins with one person choosing to give, then returning to give again.
The stories and voices of these long-serving donors will take centre stage in a documentary accompanying this year’s Heart & Soul Rendezvous, highlighting the people behind the gift of blood and the lives touched by their generosity.
An afternoon with purpose
Guests can look forward to soulful live performances, meaningful conversations and the pleasure of good company, all in an elegant setting where music and fellowship meet a life-saving cause.
Beyond the music and the ambience, Heart & Soul Rendezvous offers an opportunity to reflect on the power of collective generosity and the difference that sustained blood donation can make to patients, families and communities.