2018 Drought Season Report

[Ed. note: Recently, Peace Uwimana, the Yamba Abaana USA representative at the Rubanda Solidarity School, sent us the following report on the drought, its effects on the region and how the impact on the school has been affected by recent improvements in agriculture, new buildings and new water collection methods. Clearly, there is much to do, but there has been a positive impact on the lives of the children. The above image shows the children in the school garden watering the crops during the drought of 2018.]

From time immemorial, it has been observed that in the months of June to August the southwestern part of Uganda is always affected by intense drought. This drought is always associated with a number of negative effects that cause devastating effects to human life, animal life and also the whole environment at large. This year the story has not changed and below is a brief sharing of how we have been affected by drought as Rubanda Solidarity primary school and the community.

Drought season is a season when there is a lot of sunshine accompanied by a lot of winds. As mentioned above, it usually happens during the months of June to August and comes along with devastating effects.
Particularly in Rubanda Solidarity Primary School, it has caused a number of effects that have affected the children at school, the school environment and the whole community at a large. Among the many effects the following are inclusive;

• A flow of a lot of dust within the school environment which causes airborne diseases like flu and cough amongst students and staff.
• Low water levels in most of the water sources within the school and the community. This makes children slope down to the borehole to get water. We thank God so much that through Yamba Abaana USA we managed to get a borehole and this has reduced on the distance and the scarcity that students used to trek before in such a season to draw water from faraway places.
• Because of too much dust blown within the school compound, it has continued to dirty children’s uniforms and other school equipment’s most especially the kitchen utensils in the nursery section.
• Some of the school garden crops are drying because of this drought. However, we appreciate so much for the innovation offered to us of improved irrigation which has supported the crops to remain green and offer the desired yields.

In addition to the above, from the interaction I had with the school head teacher he said that; “…children have been getting water here at the tap located within the school for the case of the primary section and nursery section but because the water levels have reduced they are going to the borehole to pump their own water to use which is time consuming and affects learning because the line is usually long at the borehole.”

This photo shows children drawing and carrying water from the bore hole.

We pray that we shall get rains soon so that all these challenges are addressed. We request that you keep us in your prayers as well so that God supplies us with rains. Below are some of the pictures showing some of the effects brought about by drought

Thank you.

Peace Uwimana.

Y/A US Representative.