How volunteering in Uganda can save the victims of the Bududa landslides
No one wishes to experience the landslides in their area but this is life, we don’t have a guarantee or control of what happens in our lives and communities. Landslides are not common in flat areas, they mostly affect a number of people living in mountainous areas like Bududa in Uganda. The landslides have made people homeless, the parents lose their children and children lose their parents. Bududa has so far experienced landslides three times. And the recent one occurred on 1th October this year after a heavy rainfall. It killed dozens of people and the rest were fatally injured.
The landslides stem from failure of materials making up the hill slopes and are beefed up by the force of gravity and when the ground becomes saturated, it becomes unstable hence losing its equilibrium in the long run. And when the landslide breaks loose, people living down the hills become victims of such a calamity unless a fast resettlement plan is done either by civil societies or the central government.
The landslides caused property damage, injury and death plus affected a variety of resources like the roads, houses, schools among others. The negative economic effects of landslides include the costs of repairing structures, disruption of transportation routes, medical costs in the event of injury, costs of resettlement, as well as ruining the beauty of the landscape.
Uganda has a number of volunteering programs and you can participate in any of your choice to save the victims of such a landslides and other calamities. Some of the interesting programs include community development, education and teaching, and healthcare / medical program and orphanage and child care, construction and carpentry programs, and much more.
Since schools were demolished by the landslides in Bududa, students that survived now have no schools so education and teaching programs can help them attain some knowledge even in the absence of decent schools. We believe that every child deserves to go to school but how about those in Bududa whose schools were demolished by the landslides so the only solution is them to get education through voluntary teaching programs.
Almost all the hospitals were smashed by the landslides in Bududa. Now how do the victims get treatment? And yes they need treatment. Others are poor, they cannot afford to travel to Kampala or even the closest regional towns like Mbale to get treatment. However you can volunteer in a health / medical care program and extend your expertise to them for free. You can still sensitize them of how to prevent diseases in their homes or how to create small businesses that can help them rise some money to cater for basic needs.
The roads in Bududa still were demolished by the landslides, so it is hard for the people in Bududa to travel to other cities since even the bridges were destroyed. As a volunteer you can help the community to construct temporary bridges using timber or any other material with the help of local government. Or even to re construct their houses.
To volunteer in Uganda or any other country doesn’t require one to be rich, as long as you have the willing heart and a heart that wishes best for the others, then you’re good to go. Volunteering in any of the programs mentioned above is one of the best ways to save victims of Bududa landslides. Choosing to volunteer in Uganda is one of the ways you can join the movement to make the world a better place for less fortunate. Begin your journey today!