Deo Tumusiime

Something sweet happened in my houserecently and I thought I ought to share it. We were watching pictures on Television of the disaster that recently hit Bududa district leading to the loss of an estimated 300 people.

Some pictures showed children and adults half-naked and with very sad faces. They touched each one’s heart and we felt pity. Also watching the day’s news bulletin was my little my daughter Nichol, 3. I explained to her what we were watching, and she looked saddened and scared about the Bududa incident.

Shortly after the news had ended, I made an appeal in my house for everyone to make a contribution of clothes that we would send to the people of Bududa the next morning. While some of us were busy searching for the clothes we no longer wanted to use, Nichol rushed to her suitcase and picked her yellow top which she likes the most.

Despite attempts by the maid to make her change her mind, she looked resolute to have made a conscious decision. Indeed, Nichol’s best blouse was part of the collection of items we deposited at the collection point at Garden City.

If all countrymen looked in their wardrobes to identify something to offer, I am sure many of us would not want to part with some of the items we cherish so much.

However, despite this fact, what we call outdated could be the best cloth not only for the people of Bududa, but many other people upcountry; but for a 3-year-old to have chosen to offer her best cloth, was so challenging to us. No one is too poor to offer anything to someone in Bududa, and in whatever decision you take, keep in mind that no one ever calls for calamity.

We have only been watching these things on television, happening in far off countries like Haiti and the US, but, they are now here with us. Let us share the little resources we have with our brethren in Bududa because we all came from the same God.

One thousand people are just a small fraction of the over 30 million Ugandans, and as such, if we all opened our hearts to help, we would not even need external assistance.

Thanks to the Red Cross for coordinating the relief process, the UPDF and the local residents who rushed to the scene to save any survivor, as well as retrieve the dead for decent burial.
The writer is a media consultant