Uganda, the Congo, and Refugees
Can you help us help them?
Uganda, the Congo, and Refugees.
Can you help us help them?
Hi Friends. In just a few weeks, this August, Suzanne and I will be volunteering in Uganda helping with the huge influx of refugees from neighboring countries who have fled from violence, political instability and extreme hardship. Uganda is currently hosting an estimated 2 million refugees from neighboring countries such as South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo(DRC).
As in the past, Suzanne and I have respect and admiration for countries who have plenty of difficulties of their own but still accept and support refugees from their neighbors, such as Lebanon, Bangladesh, and now, Uganda.
We will be volunteering in Western Uganda in one of the largest refugee settlements called Kyaka 2. They have received an estimated 90,000 new refugees from the DRC since March 2019, and now in country, host and estimated 345,000 Congolese refugees.
The heart of Africa is on fire, with very little news coverage and even less help.
The Congolese are fleeing ethnic wars and have unbelievable stories of torture and genocide.
Unfortunately, in addition to violence, the DRC is also currently suffering from an outbreak of Ebola, with over 2,000 confirmed cases and an approximately 70% mortality rate. This is the second largest outbreak in history of this deadly virus and health organization officials are calling it “the most complex public health emergency in history.”
It’s spreading, now with confirmed cases in Uganda as of mid June.
We want to help them. We are going to help them. Can you help us help them?
In Kyaka 2, we will be volunteering with an organization called Adventist Help (based in Switzerland) who we got to know thru our mutual work helping with the influx of refugee on “boats” arriving on the Greek island of Lesvos from Turkey in 2016. Adventist Help are currently finishing construction on the one and only hospital in this vast refugee settlement. We will begin volunteering on the opening day of this project which is a small Emergency Department and outpatient department. Dr. Suzanne will be volunteering in this Emergency department which will be open 24 hours a day.
I will be volunteering in the refugee settlement assisting with WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene). As you can imagine, with tens of thousands of neglected refugees in one place, the need for those basics are great. I will be installing water filters for them to have safe water, I will be advising about proper locations and styles of latrines, and teaching about proper hygiene, which can cut down and sometimes even eliminate transmission of diseases such as Ebola.
Would you be interested in helping us help these refugees who have almost nothing?
We know this emergency in Uganda and the DRC isn’t on most peoples radar, but our impact there will be much greater with your assistance. We humbly ask for your help.
We plan to buy, bring, and install at least 100 water filters, each of which can provide up to 1,100 liters of safe drinking water daily, for years to come. We will buy buckets and cisterns to attach to these filters. We plan to install these where they will be used most, if that be schools, small health clinics, places of worship, and anywhere people congregate. We will also be buying and donating hand washing supplies(Tippy-Taps) and medical supplies. We may also need to pay for a translator, which is essential to our work. There will obviously be other expenses that we can not foresee at this time, but one thing is certain, 100% of any kind donation we receive will be used to help these vulnerable Congolese.
Today, we’re asking for $4,000 USD to accomplish this goal.
Please remember that any gift is tax deductible and we’re happy to accept any amount from $3.00 on up.
A kind donation of $30 will give those who have lost their loved ones and homeland, over a thousand liters per day of safe and free drinking water, for years to come.
Any donation, big or small, will make a positive drop in the bucket.
We will make sure that this drop will ripple out to as many neglected refugees as possible.
Thank you.
a Ripple
