THE people in Northern Uganda have for the last 20 years suffered as a result of the insurgency. The war has had strong impact on children and pregnant women. In 2006 peace talks were launched which saw the return of relative peace in the region.
This has enabled residents including mothers to return to their communities and restart their lives.
With increasing hope for peace, the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) has raised over sh6b for expectant mothers and resettlement of internally displaced people.
Under the theme Mama Bag and Return Kit, the URCS plans to raise sh300m for 2000 expectant mothers through various fundraising functions which include the annual dinner, the Golf tournament and the MTN marathon.
URCS in a bid to encourage displaced people to go back to their homes, decided that on top of the Mama Bag, which was established in 2004 and contains materials for safe delivery, a return kit containing basic farming equipment such as a hoe, panga, sickle and seeds should be added.
Therefore, a mother, the unborn child, the father and other children will also be able to benefit hence making the number of beneficiaries bigger than the target.
For the past three years, a total of 6,000 mothers living in the IDP camps have benefited from this appeal and this year URCS targets 2,000 expectant mothers.
Cecilia Lwanga the Chairperson of the Mama Bag initiative says that, the is relevant to IDP mothers under the URCS reproductive health intervention because the mothers neither have access to appropriate health facilities nor means of purchasing the required basic needs at the time of delivery.
“We have gathered here to fundraise for the expectant mothers in IDP camps, the flood hit areas of Teso and Lango regions and for the population returning to their communities in areas where some peace has been realised.
The dinner is for a good cause it improves the lives of the most vulnerable in Uganda by mobilising the power of humanity,†Angelina Wapakabulo, one of the organisers of the Mama Bag, said.
There are also concerns in areas like health and the URCS targets to provide mosquito nets under the malaria control programme. The organisation also plans to have a blood donation drive.owing to the limited supply of blood in the country.
About forty companies have contributed towards this cause. Some of them are: Barclays Bank, East African Breweries, and National Housing Corporation.
Red Cross in fund raising drive for displaced mothers
