Kids’ grassroots emergency relief campaign a success. A Thank you!

April 1, 2010  |   Filed under: Blog  |   Posted by:

“I saw it was important to help because right now, the Bududa people cannot work and even their gardens were destroyed by the mudslides and they have no where to sleep, that is why I have got the strength to move around the community looking for help for those people,”  Rachael, Senior 2

Greetings friends!   A few weeks ago, massive landslides washed away villages in eastern Uganda leaving hundreds of people in desperate need. URF stepped up to help, launching a grassroots campaign, school children in south western Uganda went door-to-door collecting corn and beans. In a week, they collected 1,000kgs of corn. Our Kampala young professionals chapter collected cloths. On the global front, we raised $2,800 in two weeks. Thanks to all of you who responded generously and contributed in various ways. Many thanks to radio Buddu, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and UNAA Times for spreading the word. Below is what URF delivered to the victims of the landslides with help of your donations: 

  • 1,000kg of corn flour
  • 150 blankets
  • 72 saucepans

    tent school at the camp

  • 30 dozens of cups
  • 30 dozens of plates
  • 50 basins
  • 40 jerrycans
  • 8 boxes of soap
  • 10 cartons of salt
  • Extra $200 was donated to an area orphanage, Bunabumali, which took five children after the mudslides. In addition, some of the funds were use for transporting the supplies.

Pictures from the camps are posted here – in blue t-shirts are URF team who delivered the supplies http://picasaweb.google.com/nakhokhoe/BududaLatestPicturesMarch2010#

Why We Help? Student Testimonies

cooking in the camps

Our goal was to empower local people to help each other. Teachers and students got deeply involved in the campaign and they all sacrificed a day without studying, feeling that their studies could not help much unless they have helped in raising resources to help these people. Students in sharing their experience and testimonies, they said it was passion for the suffering, that made them go out to search for help for the Bududa and students had this to say.

 
“As students of hope we started a campaign collecting Maize, Beans and money so that we can  help those suffering in Bududa and we are still appealing to people so that we can raise more in contribution. Iam more appreciative of the event and since it was my first time to do this, I thought it would be hard but it was very simple as people easily understood the reason why I went to them, there is a woman in the corner as you go to Gankaga whom I have known to be   difficult when you approach her but she welcomed us and willingly   offered us a tin of Maize without hesitation, I therefore call upon more students in other schools  from Kyetume and beyondto do this kind of drive. Thanks to hope Integrated academy for giving me the opportunity to study andbe able to offer my service to the rest. At first I thought I will never get the opportunity to study, but with the presence andhelp of Uganda Rural Fund, I feel I will be able to get my   future set goals fulfilled. Therefore when called upon to help, I willigly offered myself because URF has also helped me”. Deo  Kassigwa  S.3 

 

“As students of Hope Integrated Academy we felt very sorry to those people and  we decided to give a voluntary service to those people, so we decided to move in villages asking help from people, even the community felt very sorry and they massively provided whatever they had and their response was very good in that they gave us food, clothes and money. I felt it was very important to help those people because next time it might be us in problems and they will help us, I call upon other  communities to help in relief of Buduuda, I also thank Uganda Rural Fund in brightening my future by offering and sponsoring my Education through Hope integrated academy and I’m now in  Senior three”. Nakato Rose S.3

“Iam Ssekitto Ronald a student of Hope, I was requested to make this campaign of collecting Maize and Beans so that we can help people who are suffering, we started the campaign on 9th March. On my side since it was my first time, I thought it will be hard for me,  but I have got a very  nice experience in soliciting for help, I thank  our teachers and URF staff, for initiating the idea and joining us in the door to door relief campaign. I also appreciate the education I get from Hope Integrated Academy this education has opened up my chances in life, thanks to Uganda Rural Fund for the opportunity,” Ssekitto Ronald S.3,  
“What we have done as students, is that we have tried to move in villages looking for help, we have got a lot of Maize, beans and some money, the people’s response was very good because they also saw that there was a need for people to be helped, on my side I saw it was important to help because right now, the Bududa people cannot work and even their gardens were destroyed by the mudslides and they have no where to sleep, that is why I have got the strength to move around the community looking for help for those people in  Bududa. Hope Intergrated Academy has been a place through which Iam being trained to become a responsible citizen of my country, Credit goes to Uganda Rural Fund for sponsoring my education,” Nababuga Racheal S.2,   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

URF Kampala Chapter collection day