UGANDA: Mudslide Victims in Uganda Receive Humanitarian Aid from Church
Peter Masereka
who lost his entire family
The Diocese of Kasese in collaboration with HOFOKAM donated food and non-food relief items to mudslide victims in Kasika Village in Rukoki sub-county, Kasese district with a call to conserve the environment.
HOFOKAM is one of the oldest and largest Micro finance institution serving the rural poor in Western Uganda whose vision is to be the champion of vibrant and economically empowered households in Uganda.
The team led by the Local Ordinary of Kasese Rt. Rev. Francis Kibira Kambale visited the camps at Kasika Roman Catholic Church and Anglican Church where over 120 household are camping among the people in the camp includes Mr. Christopher a mudslide survival who lost his entire family including his wife and four children.
Addressing victims at Kasika Roman Catholic Church this evening, the Ordinary of Kasese Rt. Rev. Francis Kibira Kambale who condoled with the grieved families that lost over 16 people said the diocese of Kasese will continue praying for the soul of the deceased, asking them to continue trusting in God, the relief items include saucepans, plates, groundnuts and scholastic materials for the school going children, cassava and maize flour among others.
Bishop Kibira directed the director Caritas-Kasese Rev. Fr. Anyasio Mbusa to organize a day and invite him to sensitize women in Kasika about financial literacy, before asking local leaders to mobilize the women and form a saving and credit group.
The Prelate asked government of Uganda to quicken measure of resettling 2022 floods victims in Kasese district who have spent over two years camping at Muhokya as they think towards getting permanent solution of floods in the district.
The Managing Director HOFOKAM, Mr. Charles Isingoma Amooti who extending his condolence the families that lost relatives and urged the always seek for the intercession of Mother Mary said his office is open to provide loans at relatively low interest rate.
The diocesan coordinator Caritas-Kasese Rev. Fr. Anyasio Mbusa, re-echoed the Pope Message in his encyclical Laudato Si calling for massive tree planting on the bare hills in Kasese district.
The tragedy befell homes at Kasika village, Rukoki Sub County in Kasese District lift over 16 people buried by the mudslide that hit at around 4am on 8th Sept when everyone was asleep.
According to the Uganda Red Cross spokesperson, most of the deceased are women and children who were asleep when the landslides hit after a heavy downpour. Efforts are still ongoing to search for the other missing persons.
In the past years, Kasese district has been experiencing floods and landslides during the rainy months of the year. These have left scores dead, houses washed away, other property destroyed and thousands displaced. The situation has been exacerbated by some locals who use poor farming methods, especially those living in hilly areas making their areas prone to disaster.
The Uganda National Meteorological Authority recently warned that Rwenzori sub region which takes charge of the districts of Kasese, Bundibugyo, Ntoroko, Kabarole and Bunyangabu is currently in the middle of the seasonal rainfall that they said will continue until mid to late November.
