This past term, before students departed for term break, the upper classes (P6 and P7) organized dozens of large sacks of clothing and shoes into smaller bundles for individual families at the camp. Then all 100 students and over 15 staff members spent all afternoon until evening personally walking from tent to tent distributing the items. These items had been donated by Bukumbale Primary School, Kampala City School, and Buyobo Women Microfinance Initiative. Donations included: maize flour, soap, salt, clothing, shoes, and other food items. Each of these institutions asked AAH to do the job of distributing their donated items because they trusted that AAH would get the task completed efficiently. That same day, AAH also supplied two truckloads of firewood, since this was an urgent need at the camp for cooking.

It was a job very well done by all staff and students of AAH. The residents of the camp were very grateful to all oh AAH’s hard work and commented on the direct efforts AAH has made. It was also a powerful learning experience for the Arlington students. They learned how important it is to give and to take time to help others in need.

Photos taken by AAH Director: James Nabitawo

Bududa Survivors Still Hope to Bury Their Relatives a Month After Landslide

Daily Monitor newspaper in Uganda: Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Joyce Wanda visits camp for landslide survivors

It has been gratifying speaking on phone this morning to Mrs. Joyce Wanda who is in Nametsi, Bududa, the very place where the land slide occurred!!!!!!!!!!!!  Thank you very much for your concern and efforts to support the people of Bududa and this particular time, the landslide victims!

As a representative of Bududa district in the parliament of Uganda, I have no words to express the gratitude for all the assistance that you have marshaled towards this cause!!  I have visited the displaced peoples’ camp and found AAH, FIMRC and Save the Children in Uganda running the health unit, and constructing kitchen sheds among the many other activities going on at the camp.

Putting a system in place to cater for all the emergencies has not been easy.  The Government of Uganda together with many well wishers including the Red Cross Society which is at the forefront of the humanitarian aid, Development Partners are grappling with the medium and long term solution to the issue.

Once again thank you and have a Blessed EASTER.

Wonekha, Olive MP

April 2, 2010

AAH Emergency Response for Landslide Survivors

More than 400 people died in the landslide which hit on March 1st and affected four villages located about three miles from the AAH primary school.  The government is urging approximately 10,000 people to relocate due to threats of additional landslides and continued heavy rains.  Two temporary camps for displaced persons have been set up within a 40-minute hike of AAH.  All AAH students are safe and accounted for and the AAH school building and other facilities are not under threat.  Thankfully no immediate family members of AAH students or staff were lost in the landslide as originally feared but our children did lose extended family members and neighbors and the entire community is shaken.

The AAH Executive Committee met on Sunday, March 7th at the home of John and Joyce Wanda and agreed upon several immediate actions:

• AAH will support a temporary health center being opened near the landslide site by our partner the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC) and will coordinate closely with FIMRC throughout the emergency response to the landslide.

• An AAH emergency response task force will take the lead in planning and implementing AAH’s response to the Bududa landslide.  The task force will include representatives on the ground from the AAH staff, from AAH PTA and from the area affected by the landslide.

• The mission of the task force is to develop and carry out a response plan that addresses short-term and long-term priority needs that are not being adequately met by other groups with primary focus on education and healthcare of children from the area affected by the massive landslide.

The AAH Emergency Response Task Force is being led by AAH Program Director James Nabitawo.  James traveled to the site of the landslide on Monday and on Tuesday and Wednesday, he and other task force members – AAH Volunteer Coordinator Carolyn Edlebeck, AAH Teacher Patrick Wasswa and AAH PTA member Michael Wanditi — traveled to the temporary camps where they met with representative of the Red Cross, Save the Children and other relief agencies.  Carolyn reports, “there is plenty of food and basic need supplies for the time being.”  Currently, the government and major NGO’s have committed to providing food and temporary shelter for 3-4 months.  Children, as you can imagine, are especially vulnerable at this time.  Carolyn noted, “Many children were wandering around lost and crying.” Temporary classrooms are being constructed by Save the Children and are expected to open on Monday. AAH is coordinating on the ground to support this effort and fill urgent gaps and ease some of the immediate feelings of helplessness that children are experiencing.

First and foremost, we want to make sure that those children most in need are the ones getting help.  Unfortunately there are people who were not impacted by the landslide coming into the camps because they have heard food and supplies are being distributed.  One idea is to provide a set of clothing of a uniform look and color for all the children in the camps.  Most children are in need of clothing as they have nothing more than what they’re wearing and a uniform would help identify the children who belong in the camp and should be receiving emergency services.  AAH will give priority to ensuring there are enough teachers and supplies on hand to support the educational programs in the camps.  Our staff is also evaluating whether there is adequate means to prepare food for meals for the children who will attend the temporary classrooms.  We also want to look at other ways we can help children with the psycho-social issues they’re experiencing and are considering the provision of recreational activities and supplies.

In addition to direct emergency response services, AAH is providing housing to relief workers who are descending on the region from across Uganda.  The Red Cross has called for Peace Corps Volunteers to donate one or two weeks of time to help in the temporary camps that are being set up for displaced villagers.  Peace Corps Volunteers and staff members from SOS Children’s Villages are currently staying at the AAH guesthouse and are appreciative for a great place to stay in a nearby location.

We’re grateful to these volunteers as well as to the AAH staff members on the ground, who are working nearly round the clock and who have shown exemplary dedication to doing everything they possibly can to help the victims of this tragedy.

Thank you again to all the AAH supporters who have contributed to the AAH emergency response in Bududa.  Your generosity, concern and commitment at this critical time are making a tremendous difference. We will continue to keep you informed of our progress through the AAH blog, email newsletter and other communications.

To make a donation to the AAH Emergency Fund, please give online or mail a check payable to AAH at PO Box 7694; Arlington, VA  22207. Write “Bududa Landslide Relief” on the memo line.

Thank you!

Jennifer Paul

AAH Executive Director

Those who survived are now being asked to move 12 miles away to live in a camp site. The government is worried that more landslides will follow as the rains keep coming. Twelve miles may not look too far for our friends in America, but in this village there are many people who have never left the village or traveled that far. Everyone they know lives in the village, and their lives center around it. They are reluctant to leave it all and go to a “foreign” place to start anew. But government has directed they must leave, so they will. About 10,000 people will evacuate, according to government estimates.  They expect the resettlement to take 3 months.

The needs of these communities are enormous. They will go into the camps without any personal property.  The most urgent needs are for food, basic utensils and cooking equipment, blankets and clothing, water purification equipment, and first aid kits. A number of local relief agencies are working in the area and delivering some of the supplies but of course there can never be enough. Delivering these supplies in itself will be difficult because according to reports, flooding rivers have cut off some of the small roads in the villages. One report today said vehicles stop about 7.5 miles away and relief workers walk the rest of the way.

Torrential rain continues to fall in the eastern portion of Uganda and more landslides continue to be a risk.  We are in constant contact with the school.  Although it will take a long time for the full ramifications of this tragedy to become evident, AAH staff is committed to working with government and community leaders to find a way to help the community.

- John Wanda

The communities of Bunametsi, Bumwalukani and neighboring villages, which were already vulnerable with very few resources to fall back on, have sustained an enormous loss. Although the AAH school building has not been affected, our community of students, families, staff and teachers has. The family of an AAH student, who was on her way home from school, is missing and feared dead.

AAH is committed to supporting its students, teachers and neighbors during this tragedy and as they recover. We have been a long-term partner of the local communities and plan to continue doing so long after the immediate emergency relief operations end. The next few weeks will be critical. Emergency relief workers are going to have to address injuries and emerging illnesses from unclean water and unsafe living conditions. We’re in close contact with our partners on the ground and are coordinating our efforts. We need your help as we reach out to this devastated community. We ask you to consider donating to the “AAH Emergency Fund” which will go toward immediate relief aid, support for children impacted by the landslide and strengthen our community development initiatives to help with the recovery.

- John and Joyce Wanda

Latest News Reports:

http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/873452/-/wj62c8/-/index.html

http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=88319

CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/03/02/uganda.landslide/index.html?hpt=T3