Church of Uganda gave
relief items worth over 100 million to refugees
Over 600 households received relief items from
the Church of Uganda, Diocese of Northern Uganda on Monday 4th
September 2017. The items included
saucepans, Jerrycans, Sandals, blankets, plates, cups, assorted clothes as well
as mosquito nets. While delivering the items to the Refugees in Pagirinya
Camps, the Bishop of the Diocese of Northern Uganda Johnson Gakumba said they
have been able to acquire those items from friends and well wishes of the
Diocese of Northern Uganda. He prayed for Peace to return to Sudan so that
these people are able to go back to their country of origin and engage in
productive life. The Bishop who led a team of his staff actively participated
in the distribution.
Pagirinya camp is one of the many refugee camps
in Uganda and located in Adjumani District boarding Amuru. It is about 80
kilometers North West of Gulu town.
The need in Pagirinya camp is huge and
concerted effort of the different stakeholders is urgently required.
During the distribution, we met a young single
parent woman called Sunday Coma with three children. Sunday says she last saw
her husband in May 2016 since then she has no idea of the whereabout of her
husband. She is struggling with erecting shelters for her children. Sunday says
digging a latrine is impossible for her and that she helps her children to dig
small holes for their faeces. Sunday says her children used to drink milk, eat
eggs, and meat while in Southern Sudan, but since she came to Pagirinya, she
has so far failed to feed her children as she used to do. Bishop Johnson gave
her some money to buy a hen to rear for her children.
We also met a number of young people who are
struggling to study and they lack fees to stay in school. We were also told
that the schools in the camps are charging 5,000 shillings for pupils as fees
per term, and those who are not able to raise the money are not allowed to
study. One girl called Kevin now in Primary Six told us that they sometimes sell
the relief items inorder to get money to pay for their fees.
Most of the elderly are equally suffering with
no one to take care of their welfare. Some of them rely on left over of food
grains that fall from the sacks during distribution.
Early this year a team from the Diocese of
Northern Uganda visited Adjumani and Pagirinya camp where it carried out a rapid needs
assessment. After the
visit, the Bishop wrote to the office of the Prime Minister (OPM) requesting to
partner with OPM, department of refugees to offer Humanitarian assistance to
refuges in Adjumani, Gulu and Lamwo Districts in Northern Uganda. The OPM
responded positively in a letter dated April 12, 2017 and since that time the
Diocese of Northern Uganda has been on the ground providing as well as
mobilizing requisite resources for humanitarian interventions. We also provided
some items to the floods victims at Elegu boarder and Apar land conflict
victims just a few weeks ago.
We therefore appeal to well-wishers to support
the Diocese in ministering to the refugees. Remember this is part of our
assignment given by Jesus Christ himself Mathew 25:36 ff “Naked and you clothed me; I was sick, and you
visited me, I was in prison….”
