Wednesday, January 4th, 2023
Flooding has continued, and most of the community has been displaced. We were able to raise approximately $150 towards emergency relief. We are working with community leaders to figure out the best way to distribute emergency relief. Some families have left the community in order to find shelter, while many have moved into other village buildings until the flooding subsides. We do not have solutions at this time, but we will continue to evaluate the issue in an effort to support the village.
Saturday, November 6th
11:00 pm (Uganda Time Zone)
There have not been any more rainstorms, but homes are still flooded. We received photos from group leaders of the homes that were most severely impacted. Families will continue to stay in the community center until they are able to rebuild, while the rest will continue to stay with others in the village. Sadly, reconstruction may not be possible during the rainy season, which will likely last until January.
Homes in rural, impoverished communities like Rwenshama are generally constructed from small sticks, sand, and animal dung with grass roofs. Cement and brick are expensive are difficult to get in remote areas. With two rainy seasons a year, each lasting 2-3 months, homes are often in disrepair. We hope to work with the community to find long-term solutions that will provide secure housing year-round.
Akiiki (weraing orange in first photo) is a community leader and working tirelessly to find resources to support the village. He will continue to send updates as he has them.
Thursday, November 3rd
6:00 pm (Uganda Time Zone) - Community leaders have worked tirelessly all day to help flood victims in the village. One family had to be rescued as their home collapsed on top of them. Thankfully, everyone is ok. There are currently 21 displaced families. Some homes are flooded and uninhabitable, some developed holes in roofs and walls, while others have collapsed completely. Some families may be able to stay in community buildings temporarily, while some may stay with other families in the village. We are working with the community to evaluate how best to support them long-term.
We will continue to post updates here as we get them.
8:00 am (Uganda Time Zone) - Overnight, Rwenshama was hit by heavy rainstorms leaving more families displaced. We are still for more information from community leaders, but we were able to get some photos of the village from this morning (November 4, 2022).
We are currently raising funds to support relief efforts. This will include food, weather-proof food storage containers, medical supplies, and any other urgent needs.
We will continue to update this post as we receive information from community leaders.
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