Food Baskets for Ugandan Families

After nearly a year of closures, the Ugandan government has announced the re-opening of schools.  It will be a scattered reopening to ensure that the infection rate doesn't dramatically increase.  March 1st will see the first round of children returning, followed by another group in April.

While this is great news for the children, it's even better for their mothers.  Many children in the Acholi Quarter attend boarding schools through sponsored programs, which reduces the number of mouths to feed within a home.  For the past year, mothers have desperately searched for the means to feed all of their children.

We hope that by late spring, the need for food security will be reduced and we will be able to return to focusing on our education priorities within the Quarter.

Thanks to your support, we have been able to provide 100 emergency food baskets to families in need during this COVID crisis. Sadly, the crisis continues.

Uganda’s government took swift and strong action when the COVID-19 crisis emerged, enforcing a strict lockdown.   While other countries continue to struggle to contain it, Uganda has just over 5000 cases with only 58 deaths.

Uganda closed schools and banned large gatherings three days before confirming its first case on March 21. By the end of March, most businesses were shut, vehicle movement was banned, and an overnight curfew was in force. Masks became mandatory in public in May.

Previous Ebola outbreaks prepared Uganda for how to screen passengers effectively in airports, create isolation wards, and trace those infected.

Although these measures have had great success in preventing the spread of Covid-19, which would be devastating to a population that has limited access to healthcare, there has still been a cost. The economic implications are devastating.

A majority of small businesses, particularly in the service sector, predict they will have to close within one to three months if the pandemic persists and current restrictions are maintained.

Please consider donating $25 so that two families will benefit from a food distribution.