Margaret & Emma Uganda currently works with 7 groups consisting mostly of women in southwestern Uganda. Arguably the most vulnerable of these groups is the Rwenshama group. Rwenshama is a community located within the Queen Elizabeth National Park in southwestern Uganda. This community was relocated in the 1980's when they were forced from their ancestral homes by the government. Because they live in the national park, they are unable to farm, so they rely on fishing in Lake Edward for food and income. They construct homes from whatever local materials they can find, most commonly sticks, sand mixed with animal dung, and grass. As you can imagine, these are not the best materials for secure homes.
Recently, Rwenshama was hit with flooding and wind storms that left 12 families homeless. We are in communication with community leaders to assess how best we can offer support. This is likely to be with emergency food supplies until we can evaluate more permanent solutions. We will continue to update you as we learn more about the situation.
Above are some of the photos taken of homes after the rain and wind storms. Many rooves were damaged, there is standing water in homes and throughout the village, holes formed in walls, and some homes crumbled completely.
If you would like to support emergency efforts in Rwenshama, you can make a tax deductible donation on our website. If you have any questions, or suggestions on how else to aid in these efforts, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you for your support.
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