By Weswa Ronnie
BULAMBULI
People who were hit by landslides in Bulambuli district have some reason to smile as a partnership of Non-Governmental Organizations have started giving them money through their mobile money accounts.
In last two weeks, landslides hit sixteen villages like Lugo, Tagulu, Namolo, Namango, Maduwa, Suguta among others at Buluganya parish, Buluganya sub county in Bulambuli district killing five people injuring more two who are still in critical conditions at Muyembe health centre IV and destroying other properties like houses , clean water sources, crops among others.
Majority of the victims now don’t have access to clean water since the landslides buried their clean water sources.
In response, Oxfam in partnership with other nongovernmental organizations like Red Cross, Catholic Relief Services and caritas funded by the European Union are using Shs80million to support 340 families in terms of buying tablets and other chemicals to treat water for drinking.
While speaking to victims yesterday, 6th June 2023 during the launch of cash distribution at Bulunganya Sub County, Stephen Olupot, the consortium manager at Oxfam said they are giving each victim 36,000/= via phone using a mobile money system beginning yesterday and ending today, 7th June 2023.
He says that the money will help the victims buy chemicals for cleaning their drinking water, jerry cans, and saucepans among other house utensils.
Stanley Bayola, the Bulambuli Resident District Commissioner says money transfer started on Tuesday 6th June, 2023 and will end today, Wednesday but urged victims to use that money for real work but not misappropriating it.
While speaking to our reporter in an exclusive interview yesterday, Lovico Lushid one of the victims from Maduwa village said that all the clean water sources like taps, boreholes and spring water were buried by the landslides.
He adds that currently they travel long distances for about one kilometer to access water from River Sipi and other neighboring dirty sources for drinking and other domestic uses.
Peter Manana and Sophie Naumbe from Namchele Sub County say that since most of the toilets in the area were buried by landslide, most of people ease themselves in the same water source which they use, putting them at the risk of contracting cholera and other related diseases.
They urged government and developmental partners to support them with chemicals for treating their drinking water or replace their clean water sources.
