CSRL COVID Relief and Rehabilitation in Uganda

To control the spread of COVID-19 the Uganda Government made the difficult decision in March to severely restrict movement of people and goods nationwide. Borders were closed, transportation was halted, and institutions were shuttered.  As a result, supply chains for farm inputs such as seed and fertilizer were disrupted at a critical point just before planting time. Opportunities to earn a daily wage were eliminated for

those rural citizens who work part-time as seasonal laborers. To add insult to injury, a disastrous drought-rain cycle flooded vast areas along the Nile River complex, displacing entire communities. The impact on food security and poverty was immediate and devastating.

The ISU-Uganda Program (ISU-UP), administered by the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (CSRL) in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is in a unique position to respond. Unprecedented times called for a swift shift to provision of emergency relief aid.

We are especially grateful to private donors who, seeing the emergency nature of the situation, immediately committed funds for purchasing, transporting and distributing food for hungry families, fortified flour for pregnant and nursing mothers and infants, blankets, soap, seeds for farmers, and educational materials for students who were confined to their homes when their schools closed.  ISU-UP also drilled three new deep wells to assist with improved sanitation critical to controlling the spread of COVID-19, and taught school-aged girls and mothers how to construct approved fabric face coverings which are currently required nationwide.

Now, CSRL needs your help to strengthen relief efforts so we can continue to reach the most vulnerable people, providing the resilience necessary for the rehabilitation of individuals and communities as Uganda emerges from this very difficult period.

Please join the team with your donation.