THINK TANKS OPEN MINDS; BUDUDA CITIZENS WELCOME TREE PLANTING

For the past 5 days, the IDEAS for Uganda team led by Central region coordinator Matovu Paul and the IDEAS for Makerere General secretary Ngolobe Michael has been engaging  the Bududa people in  Think Tanks to find solutions to the ever increasing environmentaldisasters ( landslides and hailstorm).Among the villages where # Think Tanks# were hosted include Bushiswabula, Wakoli, Narundi,Wamaisaba, Nakalwa,Nabuyoka,Lusola,Bulatse,Namurumba,Nabooti,Shibanga,ShilakanoBumayoka.In all these villages, hundreds attend our Think Tanks.

some of the people who attended the Think Tanks

These #Think Tanks# are helping! Through interaction with the people, we have come to realize that people sleep hungry because they lost almost all their crops. Everyone is looking for a lasting solution to the landslide and 90% agree that reforestation and better farming techniques will save the situation.

It should be remembered that since 1964, the people of Bududa have been experiencing landslides with the most disastrous being that of 1964 (which led to migration of some Bamasaba to Kayunga and other districts) and the 2010 mudslide that killed many and left others homeless.

Heavy down pour as we conducted the Think Tanks.Such heavy rains have left many dead and we were scared that we would fall victims! Thank God we didnt

Elder seconds tree planting

Following the August 2013 hailstorm which swept two sub counties of Bumayoka and Bushiyi, IDEAS for Uganda /IDEAS for Us in liason with our partners (Green coatings, Renewable Resources, Sarah’s Ohmnigate Orphanage among other American environmental and humanitarian organisations) have been working around the clock to help the people of Bududa overcome shock and stress caused by the series of disasters in their district and also control future occurrence of landslides basing on the five pillars of environmental sustainability i.e. food, ecology waste management, water and power.

In our next session we shall discuss how we can help these people help themselves.

#Thanks to Dani and all the local leaders to the mobilization and interpretation#