[Vulnerable Communities on The Globeš] #24 Kijuguta, Kabale District, Uganda
Kijuguta in Kabale District is a vulnerable community in Uganda.
The community faces the high risk of drought, flood, and mud slides. By putting up flood control interventions like constructing water diversion channels, reducing wetland reclamation, for example, stopping practicing agriculture on river banks and setting up different structures like houses in wetlands. houses and the entire community would be less prone to floods. This could increase food production and food security in the community.
The Last Natural Disaster
In June 2022, floods and mud slides hit the community. Flooding that has persisted in the community has led to loss of lives and properties.
A family in the community during last natural disaster
Mr. Bahati Moses is a 45 years old man and a farmer and a father of 7 children, two boys and five girls from Kijuguta community. He has always been a victim of flooding, his homestead has always been in a sorry state whenever it rained. He and the community never minded about the conservation of wetland in the area, maintenance of water channels and well as rehabilitating the river banks. However, when Views from the Frontline (VFL) 2019 project with financial assistance from the EU came in the community, he gained some knowledge and skills on how to reduce the occurrence of floods around his home and how to control flood in his homestead and improve his health and sanitation as well as food security at home. From now, it would take two years for Moses, his family and entire community to resume normal state.
Basic Information about Community
Population
about 132500 people, 20000 households
Common Income Source
farming and small business
Common Expenditure
buying food, paying bills
Money Needed in Case of Natural Disaster
Money to recover from the damage and to prevent the next damage from the disaster is in total around 35,000 USD. With the requested money, the community members will acquire knowledge and skills on wetland conservation. For example, they will learn flood control, waste management by reducing harmful wastes in the wetlands rivers, minimization of the application of artificial fertilizers, construction of trenches, opening up rivers and minimizing the habit of encroaching river banks in their routine activities, and practicing of agriculture near river banks. They also need to be empowered to demand the municipal authorities for a garbage collection centers.
The money will be used further to hold advocacy training among community members and other stakeholders to equip the members with awareness and knowledge on disaster management and flood control in particular. For instance, Mr. Bahati Moses, after the training, should start practicing climate smart agriculture in his home gardens whereby he will start planting improved seed varieties and drought resistant crops like maize and bananas and agroforestry. This will reduce the problem of flooding in his home as well as entire community to enable them to have enough food for his own consumption and sale.
NGOs working in this community
To know more about DENIVA, check this article in Hedgefy Blog.
