A Compilation of stories on Giving in the time of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Uganda - VOLUME 4 - Global Fund for ...

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A Compilation of stories on Giving in the time of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Uganda - VOLUME 4 - Global Fund for ...
VOLUME 4
A Compilation of stories on Giving in the time of
the Covid-19 Pandemic in Uganda
           Pe r i o d C o v e r e d   August-September 2020
A Compilation of stories on Giving in the time of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Uganda - VOLUME 4 - Global Fund for ...
About CivSource
  Africa
CivSource Africa is a philanthropy support and
advisory organization committed to nurturing a
more sustainable, effective and connected civil
society that advances the dignity and voices of all
people. We do this through promoting reflective,
responsive, and accountable philanthropic
practice.

CivSource Africa is also passionate about
promoting African philanthropy and telling the
stories of African giving and generosity.

Plot 18, Balikuddembe Road, Naguru Kampala,
Uganda
P.O Box 4310 Tel: +256 393 224 056
civsourceafrica.com
info@civsourcea.com

     https://www.facebook.com/CivSourceAfrica
     https://twitter.com/CivsourceAfrica
A Compilation of stories on Giving in the time of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Uganda - VOLUME 4 - Global Fund for ...
A Compilation of stories on Giving in the time of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Uganda - VOLUME 4 - Global Fund for ...
Table of
Contents
5    Foreword

6    Acknowledgements

7    Acronyms

8    Background

9    Chapter 1
     Corporate Giving

15 Chapter 2
     Giving In Crisis

19 Chapter 3
     Public To The Rescue

                                  32 Chapter 6
22   Chapter 4
     Donating Much-Needed Blood
                                       Children: A Tale Of
                                       Adorable Givers

                                  38 Chapter 7
                                       Giving Within The Arts

                                  42 Chapter 8
                                       Giving Information

                                  45 Chapter 9
                                       Thinking Post-Coronavirus

24 Chapter 5
                                  47 Chapter 10
     Giving To Special Groups
                                       Outside The Ugandan Borders
A Compilation of stories on Giving in the time of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Uganda - VOLUME 4 - Global Fund for ...
Foreword

W      e are honored to bring you
       the forth and final installment
of the “Generosity During COVID”
                                          consistently showcase how all kinds
                                          of individuals and communities are
                                          expressing generosity, especially
reports.                                  during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It has been a true pleasure looking       We think it is important to shift
for and recounting these stories and      that gaze in a way that enables us to
expressions of Ugandan generosity,        acknowledge and also think about
community solidarity and Ubuntu.          how to grow and strengthen giving
                                          from the ground up. It is important to
Our aim has been to share the stories     build the right kind of infrastructure
of the ‘little givers’ - those whose      that is socially embedded, culturally
stories while every bit as worthwhile,    appropriate and owned by givers in
are not likely to make their way into     Africa.
the public domain. By telling the
story of the ‘little giver’ by which we   Finally, telling these stories has
mean, those with limited economic         reminded us of the power of the
means at their disposal, we want to       collective. Indeed one of the African
show that ALL givers count.               proverbs that aptly captures
                                          this moment is: “If people come
We want to both #ShiftThePower            together, they can even mend a
- that is, highlight and spotlight        crack in the sky.”
the great contribution that local
communities make to meeting               We wish you great reading.
development needs and propelling
societal advancement, to also             Karibu!
continually #ShiftTheGaze - from
only/mostly big donors and givers         CivSource Team
with vast amounts of wealth, to
A Compilation of stories on Giving in the time of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Uganda - VOLUME 4 - Global Fund for ...
Acknowledgements
We owe a great debt of thanks to Ms Caroline Ariba who helped compile
the stories in this report. We also thank Ms Barbara Sebalu Sematimba and
Ms Jacqueline Asiimwe who helped us edit this report. We thank Mr. Stuart
Nsingwire who helped with the publication design.

We thank the team at NakivArt, who allowed us to use their painting for the
back page of this report. NakivArt is an art collective for and by refugees that
live in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Isingiro (in Western Uganda). NakivArt
uses drawing and drama to heal trauma.

NakivArt used their art skills to educate their community about keeping safe
during the Corona pandemic.

This report was made possible by the generous support of Global Fund for
Community Foundations.
A Compilation of stories on Giving in the time of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Uganda - VOLUME 4 - Global Fund for ...
Acronyms
CAO        Chief Administrative Officer
COVID-19   Coronavirus Disease of 2019
CSR        Community Social Responsibility
FIFA       Federation of International Football Association
FUFA       Federation of Ugandan Football Association
NGO        Non-Governmental Organisations
OPM        Office of the Prime Minister
PPE        Protective Personal Equipment
RDC        Resident District Commissioner
UGX        Uganda Shillings
UNESCO     United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
UNHCR      United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
URN        Uganda Radio Network
USAID      US Agency for International Development
VHTs       Village Health Teams
WHO        World Health Organisation
A Compilation of stories on Giving in the time of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Uganda - VOLUME 4 - Global Fund for ...
Background

     W
                    hen news first         The acts of philanthropy marked
                    broke of a deadly      the silver lining of the pandemic
                    virus in Wuhan         as it is the largest targeted giving
                    City- China, the       ever witnessed in Uganda. People,
     world was mostly un-phased. A         organisations and initiatives
     few months later and the virus        gave; most gave willingly to share
     had spread across the world, no       whatever they could in kind and in
     one saw it coming; not even WHO,      monetary value. While some of the
     the body tasked with forewarning      giving was broadcast in the media,
     about potential epidemics.            a lot was done behind the scenes
     The novel coronavirus did not give    and in the hard to reach parts of
     anyone enough warning!                communities.

     Eventually it was declared a          Since giving comes in all forms, the
     pandemic, but before this, some       reports that have documented the
     countries had sprung into action.     accounts of giving of this period,
     Borders were closed, and the          have now reached volume four.
     general population was put on
     lockdown and curfew restrictions;     This fourth edition reflects on how
     a response that caused a lot of       these acts of giving have matured
     economic strain.                      and settled into consistent support
                                           from those who can to those who
     Left without sources of income or     cannot support themselves. A
     food, the poor went hungry; and       pattern of social capitalism seems
     despite the government’s efforts,     to be developing a culture of social
     the help given was not enough. In     entrepreneurs, that we would
     Uganda, the lockdown intensified      be keen to follow, post 2020, and
     in an overnight decision in April     beyond the COVID-10 pandemic,
     2020, causing visible strain on the   to see if this will become an
     population as the announcement        evolution and culture that expects
     for a total lockdown found many       social wealth that responds in
     unprepared.                           times of crises.
                                                                                  Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

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A Compilation of stories on Giving in the time of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Uganda - VOLUME 4 - Global Fund for ...
Chapter 1
  CORPORATE GIVING

C
             orporates and parastatals alike continued       COVID-19 among its health workers.
             with their giving, and soon lost the zeal
             to advertise their initiatives, and gained      This donation of PPE valued at UGX 74Million (about
             the true spirit of true Social capital, where   $20,000) was given by Standard Chartered Bank in
             giving and sharing of one’s resources           partnership with Brien Holden Vision Institute (BHVI).
becomes organic and less staged. Unlike the onset of the     The donation included: disposable coveralls, eye
lockdown, where a list of givers was made public, and        goggles, heavy-duty and surgical gloves, aprons, infra-
the donations collected centrally, the public collections    red thermometers, N95 masks, sanitizer, liquid soap,
were then distributed directly to those that needed it.      hand wash gel, Jik, sodium hypochlorite, examination
Giving became less of a logistical challenge as it became    gloves, waste bins, nasopharyngeal swabs among
directed to meet an immediate need and became more           other supplies. This was given to support the frontline
spontaneous and without publicity and marketing              healthcare workers at the regional hospital that receives
stunts.                                                      a large number of patients, increasing the medical staff’s
                                                             exposure to the virus. The Corporate Affairs Manager,
The giving in the months of August-September became          Standard Chartered Bank Uganda, Ms. Cynthia Mpanga,
                                                                                                                          Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

more aligned with looking at sustainable support             handed the donation to Dr. Alex Andema, Mubende
for those in need, other than as once off donations.         Regional Referral Hospital Director, as the bank’s quick
Donations aimed at combating the spread of the virus,        response to the threatening COVID-19 challenge to
continued particularly to health institutions. On the        the Mubende community. He assured the bank of the
7th August, for example, Mubende Regional Referral           good and effective use of the PPE to serve the people of
Hospital got the much-needed donation of Personal            Mubende.
Protective Equipment (PPE) to help curb the spread of

   |9
A Compilation of stories on Giving in the time of the Covid-19 Pandemic in Uganda - VOLUME 4 - Global Fund for ...
Five Million Shillings for Bushenyi       An Information Hub to Save Small
                                                 Businesses
       L  etshego Holdings Ltd, under its
          subsidiary     Letshego
       continued to help in the fight
                                      Uganda,
                                                 S  tanbic Bank started the COVID-19 Business
                                                    Info Hub to help small businesses get
       against coronavirus, by donating          back on their feet through the challenging
       UGX 5 Million ($1,350) on the 18th        and uncertain time for Africa’s enterprises,
       August-2020, to Jolly Tibemanya,          that include individual entrepreneurs, small
       the Bushenyi Resident District            and medium-sized enterprises and even large
       Commissioner to support the               companies. Most companies started to work
       taskforce in the prevention against       remotely as they planned to restructure to deal
       Coronavirus and towards support           with the cutting of costs, and with the impact
       of the communities. Mr. Aijukwe           that COVID-19 had on smaller businesses, in
       Giles, Letshego CEO said this would       particular. Free online meetings that provide
       enable the district teams across the      business survival toolkits have added great
       nine sub-counties, five town councils     benefit to businesses trying to stay afloat,
       and a municipality of Bushenyi to do      without funding.
       their work effectively, as well as help
       support shortages in food, medical        The hub is run in partnership with the African
       and emergency assistance. This            Management institute and has since become
       would be on-going support provided        a centralised platform for Stanbic Bank to
       by Letshego Holdings even after the       communicate the bank efforts in responding
       lockdown period. Bushenyi District        to the enterprise client needs in Uganda. The
       CAO, Malik Mahabba, assured the           head of personal and business banking Grace
       donors that this funding will also be     Muliisa, stated how they recognise the need to
       used to create more awareness about       grow business continuity into future structures.
       the virus.

                                                                                                    Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

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Coca-Cola’s Hand Washing Installations

T   he Namanve-based Coca-Cola
    Beverages Africa (Uganda office)
continued to help in the country’s
                                        like at the Taxi and bus park.
                                        Abebe         stated
                                        commitment to support and
                                                                  Coca-Cola’s

battle against the novel coronavirus.   participate in prevention campaigns
They established 800 public hand        against the virus.
wash stations across the country,
starting with Kampala, Mukono,          Upon receiving the hand-washing
Mbarara, Buikwe and Kalungu             installations, Dr. Daniel Sentamu,
districts.                              thanked Coca-Cola for increasing
                                        access to sanitation stations to
Speaking to East Africa Business        prevent infections, and lauded them
Week, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa        for the initiative and urged the
General Manager in Uganda,              general public to make use of the
Melkamu Abebe, said that the August     stations as often as possible.
donation features 5,000-litre tanks
and more than 3,000 -20 litre hand      Today, the Kalungu District’s public
wash jerrycans.                         hand wash stations can be found in
                                        Lukaya Town, a well-known major
Coca-Cola’s hand washing stations       stop for public taxis and buses. The
are interventions in crowded areas      other hand washing stations can be
with a shortage hand washing            found in busy street food spots like
facilities. Such areas include urban    Najjembe, Namawojjolo, Ssenyi, and
and peri-urban areas that serve food,   Kiyinda areas, along the busy Jinja
and where people congregate in large    Road Highway, among others.
numbers such as a transport stations

                         Makerere University’s ‘Touchless’ Donation

                         I n August-2020, Makerere University
                           donated three touchless handwashing kits
                         to Mulago National Referral Hospital and the
                                                                          While collecting the donation on behalf of the
                                                                          College of Health Sciences (CHS), Dr. Waiswa
                                                                          Gonzaga said the handwashing technology
                         College of Health Sciences (CHS).                was a timely and necessary donation to
                                                                          enable appropriate social distancing in the
                         At the event presided over by the Vice-          emergency wards where the large volumes
                         Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, the         and movement of people challenges the
                         University affirmed its commitment to the        limited sanitising equipment currently
                         fight against the coronavirus.                   available.
                                                                          Medical Students attending their clinical
                         According to the official university’s news      exams at the department of Health Sciences
                         website Mak -News, the two kits were handed      also use the same handwashing stations, that
                         over to the representative of the hospital       helps observe social distancing among the
                         director, Dr. Christine Byanyima, who said       many students as well.
                         the kits would go a long way in the helping
                         prevent infections, particularly in the          Makerere University School of Technology
                         crowded areas of the hospital.                   invented the TW-20 kit as innovative
                                                                          technology in response to the COVID-19
                                                                                                                           Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

                         To date, Mulago Referral hospital has            Pandemic. These kits limit contact with
                         treated thousands of COVID-19 patients and       surfaces while dispensing sanitising liquid or
                         currently has 50+ new cases, daily. Due to the   soap, while maintaining hand hygiene. This
                         more relaxed restrictions of level 3, Uganda’s   will go down as one of the many impactful
                         incidence rate is higher through community       donations made by Makerere University
                         spread of the disease, making it more evident    during the lockdown, 2020.
                         that the more patients are yet to come in.

   | 11
A Different Type of Giving

“
    If necessity is the mother of invention, then           MTN Uganda’s campaign has they sought out mothers
    creativity is it’s father” Einstein.                    of celebrities to communicate the importance the
                                                            importance of wearing masks by addressing all children
This season has incited the need to do things differently   to do so, and using video recordings, have created a
and by the end of August-2020, Telecom giant MTN            means for mothers in the nation to be seen by many
launched its all Africa “#WearItForMe Everywhere            as addressing the populace. Next, the celebrities made
you go” campaign in 21 African countries and in its         videos in return, agreeing to do as their mothers have
Middle Eastern markets. With the wearing masks being        asked – playing on the role of the African mother whose
the most effective preventative measures to slow the        word is often respected and deserving of a positive
spread of the virus and accelerate recovery, MTN is         response.
helping drive this much-needed change in behaviour,
by committing its September 2020 marketing resources        Explaining the campaign, the company’s president and
to encouraging everyone to do more to save lives.           CEO, Ralph Mupita said “Wearing a mask is not only
The everyday practise has been that many people             about protecting oneself but about respecting and
negate the importance of wearing masks and refuse to        protecting others, over and above the required regular
wear them, of they wear them incorrectly.                   handwashing and strict social distancing which are just
                                                            as important.”

                                                Africell on Awareness

                                                 A        fricell another
                                                          telecommunications
                                                          company, also joined the
                                                 campaign in raising awareness
                                                 about the need to prevent the
                                                                                     information on the radio, social
                                                                                     media, and Africell website.
                                                                                     Africell mobile customers also
                                                                                     had free access to essential
                                                                                     websites related to health,
                                                 spread of the virus.                media, information, e-learning,
                                                 Their campaign was focused on       and government data, such as
                                                 staying at home while providing     www.who.int or www.academia.
                                                 benefit of using their daily        edu without using personal data
                                                 airtime and data packages. First    bundles.
                                                 was the ‘Stay Home Bonuses’,
                                                 which encouraged customers to       Through their ‘Emergency
                                                 stay home while communicating       Connectedness’ campaign,
                                                                                                                        Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

                                                 with friends, loved ones, and       Africell also donated free
                                                 colleagues at a discounted rate.    emergency communication
                                                                                     packs to the public, comprising
                                                 Next was the ‘Stay Safe’            of free 20 minutes and 20Mb
                                                 campaign, which was Africell        valid for 3 months. This was
                                                 committing their August/            Africell’s way of contributing
                                                 September marketing budget          to the importance of being
                                                 to provide a constant flow          connected and informed during
                                                 of trustworthy news and             the pandemic.
| 12
Data for a Good Cause

     W          hen Give Directly, an
                NGO funded by USAID
                needed to donate funds to
     the most vulnerable populations in
     Lira District, the telecommunication
                                                into Lira District fiscal economy
                                                for 2020, was supported by MTN
                                                and Airtel telecommunication
                                                companies, with no expectations
                                                from the beneficiaries to sign -up as
     sector played a great role in securing     MTN or Airtel users.
     $10 Million (about UGX Shs 36
     Billion) towards livelihood support        Through, socio-economic data of the
     for 120,000 families in Uganda             telecom companies, mobile phone
     affected by the COVID-19 pandemic,         users from any network that could
     in direct cash transfers.                  be identified as living in the poorest
                                                areas in each parish, were contacted
     According to The Observer, a total of      for consent for a cash transfer to be
     $750, 000 (about UGX 2.7 Billion) in       sent to them for withdraw at their
     cash transfers via mobile money cell       network payout point.
     phone, that took place on August 6
     and benefited about 10,000 people          They were reached either through
     from three parishes, when they each        SMS messages, automated calls,
     received UGX 100,000 ($27).                or call centre agents. Without the
                                                telecom infrastructure, this timely
     Michael Kayemba, the Country               donation would not have been
     Director of Give Directly, said that       executed seamless as it was.
     the direct cash transfers injected

                                              Giving and Social Distance

                                          F         resh     Diary    corporation
                                                    found a way to join the social
                                                    distancing campaign right
                                              from the beginning of the lockdown
                                              and well into September.
                                                                                         safety gear such as masks, gloves,
                                                                                         sanitisers, and maintaining social
                                                                                         distancing to re-assure consumer
                                                                                         safety. Payment for the orders would
                                                                                         be made via mobile money or cash
                                                                                         on delivery.
                                              The campaign was called ‘Stay safe -
                                              Stay healthy’, introduced free home        Jumia, an eCommerce platform,
                                              deliveries of all their products areas,    did the same when they offered
                                              to all customers in Kampala and the        to support marketplaces, with
                                              Greater Kampala areas of Entebbe,          logistics, and online payments to
                                              Wakiso, and Mukono districts. The          governments in Africa. The project
                                              general manager of Fresh Diary,            which was part of their global
                                              Mr. Joseph Awino announced that            action against the COVID-19,
                                              this service would be available            secured online payments options
                                              throughout the week simply by              that avoided physical queues and
                                              contacting the customer care toll          did away with face to face money
                                              free line on 0800100020/21 or              transactions,     and    potentially
                                              WhatsApp 0715744664 throughout             reduce the person to person
                                                                                                                                 Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

                                              the day (8:00am to 6:00pm) to place        infection. The platform services also
                                              orders for free delivery.                  included giving free food deliveries
                                                                                         across Kampala City, and heavily
                                              The deliveries would be done by the        discounted on sanitary pads costs
Photo credit: Kawowo.com                      corporation’s motorbike delivery           for girls and women.
                                              team equipped with health and

      | 13
Contraceptives at your Door

       S     imilarly, SafeBoda, a
             transport company and
             online market place, did
       the same, by delivering female
       contraceptives door to door to
                                          Betty Nagadya, a Village Health
                                          Team member attached to Sentema
                                          Health Centre II, stated how this
                                          was such a welcome addition
                                          towards meeting her community’s
       the great number of women that     reproductive health needs. She
       needed this service. This was a    confirmed that SafeBoda delivered
       partnership between UNFPA to       over the counter contraceptives
       ensure that Ugandans had access    (like Postinor the emergency oral
       to contraceptives at a time when   contraceptive), condoms and
       movement to shops and commercial   other services such as HIV test kits,
       outlets was limited.               pregnancy test kits, and Mama kits
                                          and continue to do so.
       Speaking to UNFPA in July-2020,
                                                                                  Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

| 14
Chapter 2
        GIVING IN CRISIS

I  n this chapter, we recognise people who gave
   in spite of not having much. These are people
   who responded because there was a need and
decided to do something about it themselves, even in
the midst of the spread, and decided to support the
                                                       opportunity to celebrate Uganda’s generosity. They
                                                       used the situation to show how human rights can still
                                                       be upheld even in the middle of a pandemic.

                                                       Joel Boutroue, UNHCR’s Representative in Uganda,
people around them in whatever way they could.         expressed his gratitude to the Ugandan Government
                                                       and the local communities for the great heart of
The Government of Uganda, for example, opened          solidarity for people fleeing conflict, proving that
its borders to the eastern Democratic Republic of      in times of crises, human dignity and the right to
the Congo (DRC), to provide haven to thousands of      life by the protection of refugees, surpasses civil
refugees fleeing escalating violence. The Congolese    and regulatory restrictions in making international
nationals who had been stranded in a remote,           border laws accommodative.
inaccessible area in Mahagi territory were afraid
that Uganda would not open its borders to them as      Upon arrival, the refugees supervised by UNHCR and
                                                                                                               Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

they fleed violence and anarchy at the time of the     coordinated by the office of the Prime Minister and
pandemic, but Uganda did.                              Local Government, entered Uganda through Zombo
                                                       District, were quarantined at Zewdu Farm Institute
Data by UNHCR shows that Uganda let over 3000          near the border crossing, which could accommodate
refugees cross over despite being under lockdown.      up to 6,000 people.
The UN agency in charge of refugees took the

 | 15
A District’s Gift                                   Another Village’s Help

       B   usia District may not have much, with an
           annual local revenue collection of UGX 270
       Million ($73,000) from a population of 360,000
                                                           I t started when the roads that connected
                                                             Butaleja District to Mbale City were cut off
                                                           at both Lelesi and Mpologoma bridges by the
       people, but were able to donate Sofia Market        seasonal floods. As it usually does, the Manafwa
                                                           River floods all the roads and passable routes
                                                           between the high and lowlands in Butaleja
                                                           districts, forcing the local communities to take
                                                           refuge from the lowlands to the highlands.
                                                           During this time, village dwellers with houses
                                                           in the highlands opened up their homes to the
                                                           their fleeing neighbours – relatives, and none-
                                                           relatives alike, as narrated by Jemima Hirya
                                                           from Butaleja. Even with the scare of the spread
                                                           of the virus, these people provided places of
                                                           refuge for the Butaleja folk, who they even
                                                           accommodated in their kitchens, if that was the
                                                           only sleeping space available.

       - a 2.9-acre piece of land to host the Health
       Ministry, was indeed an act of generosity.
       The piece of land went towards the expansion
       of the Port Health Hospital, a space that now
       houses the district’s COVID-19 cases in Busia,
       a border town, to avoid congestion at the
       immigration posts at the Uganda Revenue
       Authority border offices that by law would
       only admit permitted travelers to designated
       quarantine facilities. In spite Sofia Market
       being closed to its usual economic activities, it
       was given to the Ministry of Health to use as the
       regional COVID-19 laboratory and quarantine
       centre.
       Speaking to URN press, Vincent Okurut, the
       Busia Municipality Town Clerk, said that the
       donation will help residents of the Eastern
       Division. The hospital is expected to serve over
       40,500 people in the Municipality.
                                                                                                              Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

| 16
Another Village’s Help

H    opewell Balinda first noticed the snails on two of the banana plants
     in his garden. Upon looking closely, the farmer saw that the slimy
creatures had taken over a large chunk of his garden. Frustrated, he
told his neighbours who said he had noticed the same thing, as did his
brother-in-law.
The farmers who reside in Even though some of them could
Kicwamba Sub-county, Kabarole afford the pesticides, they agreed
District could not afford any more to help each other out to ensure
loss to their crops, while still food security for all.
recovering from the lack of sales The solidarity and comradery
induced by the lockdown.              shared by these farmers to stand
                                      together to weather the impact of
                                      a drop-in cost price of bananas to
   “First of all, the prices          less than a dollar per bunch, saw
   of the bananas were                these farmers join hands by uniting
                                      workforce so as to manually
   still low, the profit
                                      remove the pests in each other’s
   margin was not going               farm, as they could not afford to
   to be enough to buy                buy both pesticides and necessities
   those strong pesticides,”          for their homes.
   Balinda said. “Together
   with my fellow farmers,
   we took turns in each
   other’s gardens picking
   these snails with our
   hands.”                                                                  Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

   | 17
Another Village’s Help

       A school in Busaano Sub-county        from the government. Soon the
       in Mbale City opened its doors        surrounding community also
       to about 400 people displaced         reached out to the displaced people
       by heavy rains in the month of        with food and warm clothes.
       August 2020. The management
       of Buwangwa Primary School            Nearly ten villages in Mbale had
       received people from nearly 60        some of the locals displaced by
       households to stay on the school      the torrential rains. Communities
       grounds until the rains subsided.     took the initiative and responded
                                             to help each other before relief
       Besides      the  accommodation,      from the Ministry of Disaster
       the school opened up its toilet       Preparedness was received.
       facilities and made some makeshift
       bathrooms for the people in           Even with help from the Red Cross,
       need. The priority was given to       in partnership with the Mbale
       the vulnerable lot; families with     District Disaster Management
       children with special needs and the   Committee, the local communities
       elderly were taken in first.          were the heroes here, as they
                                             stepped in, with whatever means
       They were allowed to stay at the      of help they could offer, including
       school while they waited for help     their kitchen floors to make a

       sleeping space for the
       displaced.
       This        spontaneous
       grassroot response from
       resource      challenged
       families was the initial
       coping mechanism that
       stood the test of the
       human heart to
       even in times as

        “do unto
        others as you
                                     challenging as facing a
        would have
                                                                                   Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

                                     pandemic.
        them do for
        you”,

| 18
Chapter 3
   PUBLIC TO THE RESCUE

I
     t is humbling when strangers help people they do   Opio reached out to his friend and philanthropist,
     not even know.                                     Santa Adoch, asking for help. Unfortunately, due to
     CivSource stories of philanthropy highlight just   the lockdown, Santa was unable to get around to when
     how much donations and fundraising became          the numbers of infections were on the increase, and
means to address the needy during the lockdown          instead opted to use online platforms and social media
period, and revealed a compassionate heart of the       to reach out to possible sponsors and well-wishers.
Ugandan public.
                                                        Soon a journalist Joseph Omagor sought out Opio
Personal social media accounts and online               and his mother for interviews and created awareness
crowdfunding sites showcased the kind of need that      on need Patrick Opio and his mother. This attracted
drew philanthropists in. The example of athlete,        philanthropic Ugandans from as far as Canada to
Patrick Opio, a Gulu-based footballer and his mother,   help. However, it was when Opio received money from
                                                                                                                   Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

Naomi Achayo who battled difficulty during the          a friend in Canada and handed it to his mother, to
pandemic when he injured his leg during training, and   thank her for taking care of him, that the impact of the
found themselves stuck in a hospital unable to meet     support received by needy people, can best be felt.
their bills. while his mother battled breast cancer.
                                                        When Patrick Opio was given the first donation of UGX
Despite her pain, Achayo had to take care of her son    493,000 ($134) and later an additional amount of 1
who is now disabled and unemployed. Overwhelmed,        million UGX ($270) was raised locally.

  | 19
Helping their Own

                                                        A       section of private school teachers in Gulu City
                                                                and surrounding areas launched a social media
                                                                campaign dubbed, Open our Schools or Feed the
                                                        Teachers. Before starting the campaign, there was a call
                                                        for teacher’s most affected by COVID-19’s lack of income,
                                                        to register for food aid. They took this campaign to social
                                                        media platforms when a considerable number of teachers
                                                        had signed-up. Print media, including The Independent
                                                        Magazine, that reported on campaign, as being a success,
                                                        with food relief donations from sources like the Calvary
A Sheikh with a Heart of Gold
                                                        Chapel, were received. Nearly 600 hundred teachers,

S   heikh Erias Kigozi is celebrated by people of
    all walks of life for his philanthropic lifestyle
as evidenced on his social media platforms where
                                                        mainly from Private schools, received food packages right
                                                        in their homes.

people of all religious groups respect his efforts      Each teacher received 10 kilograms of maize floor and
to help people. Sheikh Kigozi has been traversing       5 kilograms of beans. Openytho William Lucima of the
the country fundraising for those in need during        Independent Magazine explained how private school
the lockdown, for food, money, hygiene cleaning         teachers had not received salaries from April 2020, unlike
material and whatever could be donated. His             teachers in Government schools, and were struggling
reaching out to collaborate and find funding            to even get the day’s meal. Charity Ajok, a teacher at
and help for all people cross-cutting across all        Mama Catherine Primary and Nursery School, called
religious beliefs, is proof that philanthropy           on government to step in to support teachers at private
cannot be done in a segregated manner, nor help         institutions, that had no income as long as schools
and need responded to based on belief system,           remained closed. The ultimate goal was to ensure that at
other than                                              the least, food be given to up to 1000 teachers registered
                                                        under their campaign.
“do to others what you would                            Stella Akong, one of the beneficiaries and a teacher
want them to do for you”.                               at Future Hope Nursery and Primary School, said she
                                                        started a food garden in her backyard in order to have
In the case of Zakaria Kisolo, a primary seven          a certain source of income, because it was not certain
orphan who needed a wheelchair to get from              when schools would be re-opened. She said the donation
home to school, there was no need to know what          of food aid supplemented what she had planted in her
religious affiliation a donor may be, as long as        backyard garden.
the need for mobility and transport to and from
school can be met, without breaking any law.
Once donations are received, Kigozi posts the
details of them online in order to provide some
accountability and receipt of the products donated
via WhatsApp message group on: +25670234927.

Sheikh Erias Kigozi’s reputable track record has
earned him a large following as credible recipient
and distributor of people’s willing donations.
He receives many quick responses to his calls,
particularly through word of mouth. For every
need met or donation to collected, a story with
all the details are posted, taking record of all the
needs met and the capacity of civil response to
meet these needs. Kigozi confidently implores the
                                                                                                                      Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

sense of human kindness and compassion to meet
the need of the less fortunate.
Each account is documented via Whatsup post,
with details of the need and how it has been met
and photographs or video clips of the donations
being delivered to the worthy recipients.

    | 20
Helping Teacher Hasakya Get a Wheelchair

       I n June-2020, Hasakya Jackson, a
         former teacher at Uganda Martyr’s
       Mixed Primary School Namagunga
                                                 money.
                                                 He raised awareness about Hasakya
                                                 to get more people involved in
       was involved in an accident that          supporting him in regaining his
       nearly claimed his life. His injuries     mobility and dignity, in spite the
       have left him in excruciating pain and    unfortunate handicap he had
       also impaired his limbs and mobility.     acquired through the accident.

       Without an income, Hasakya could not      Achal’s commitment to this cause
       afford to buy a wheelchair for himself.   is indeed a great inspiration of
       That is when the kind-hearted John        being able to give not because one is
       Baptist Achal stepped in to buy the       wealthy, but simply because it is a way
       wheelchair and helped to provide          of life to share whatever one is able to
       basic needs, as well as the needs of      with someone in need.
       those around him that were in need,
       in spite of his limited resources and
                                                                                            Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

| 21
Chapter 4
   DONATING MUCH-NEEDED BLOOD

B
          esides crippling the economy, the coronavirus     Shiella Twinokusiima was one such committed donor
          pandemic led to a shortage of blood across the    that not only continued to donate blood during the
          country. Throughout the lockdown, the press       lockdown, but was able to mobilise an additional fifty
          was awash with news of hospitals running out      people in and around the community of Mbarara to
of blood, or at their very last reserves.                   stock up the blood bank at Mbarara District Hospital.
                                                                                                                     Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

The Nakasero Blood Bank explained that this was due         The health workers at Mbarara District hospital and
to closure of schools that are key donor centres, as well   the Red Cross Society in Mbarara, celebrated Sheila’s
as the end of collection drives during the lockdown.        efforts in response to the blood bank campaign called
This heightened the demand for blood particularly for       #RealLifeHeroes, in which she reached husbands and
the maternity wards in hospitals.                           relatives of expectant mothers to donate blood to the
                                                            blood bank in Mbarara.

| 22
Arua’s Felix Leads by Example                                  More Blood for Uganda

    F   elix Drapari whose job is surveillance
        over the city of Arua’s need for emergency
    services, is passionate about people and their
                                                                   B    lood 4 Uganda, a community of blood donors
                                                                        that encourage others to donate, was very helpful
                                                                   during the blood stock-out. Despite having links to
    health and well- being, is also a volunteer with               the Indian Association, the group unites Ugandans of
    Red Cross Uganda’s Arua office.                                all ethnicity to become blood donors. Their campaign
    Felix is a mobiliser like Sheila in the previous               creates awareness for the need for blood donation in
    story, in rallying the community together to                   Uganda and to create a database of blood donors who
    become donors to Arua blood bank.                              can respond in emergencies.

    Leading by example, Drapari has donated blood                  This is a task take they task seriously, and celebrate
    just a little under 20 times, and would have                   donors who donate blood that saves blood, by
    donated blood monthly if this was medically                    listing all donors on the Red Cross website, and
    possible.                                                      actively publicise the next blood drives. Publicly
                                                                   acknowledging and thanking all donors, has helped
                                                                   with new donor recruits.
                                                                   Examples of these accounts are below:

                                                                   Recorder by Wante Davis Samuel:

                                                                   “Thank you to whoever
                                                                   donated blood today at MOGAS
                                                                   Kyaliwajala, at the Christ
                                                                   Embassy Church. God bless
                                                                   you Dr. Juliet and Pastor Juliet
                                                                   plus your wonderful team of
                                                                   youths/ Volunteer Medical Corps
                                                                   who mobilized donors and also
                                                                   donated blood which enabled us
                                                                   to collect 81 units of blood,”
                                                                   The group has since started a campaign called

                                                                   “Say No Blood Shortages in our
                                                                   country Uganda”.
                                                                   With the severe blood shortages, the country
                                                                   faced, Blood 4 Uganda ought to be celebrated, as
                                                                   commendable COVID-19 period philanthropists.

A Campaign for Blood
Baby Keitha Aleng (rest in peace), admitted      girl, it became a full-blown blood drive that
at St. Francis Hospital in Nsambya in            spread out into the entire month of August.
critical condition, needed blood.                Indeed, people with different blood groups
                                                                                                                            Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

                                                 showed up everywhere and some even
Comedian Agnes Akite started a blood             at the hospital asking to donate blood.
donation drive at Kyadondo Rugby
Grounds, to save Keitha’s life, by collecting    Baby Keitha eventually received the much-
category B+ blood, if available or even any      needed blood, a month late, and sadly
other, that would be used in exchang at          passed away in August of 2020, and will be
Red Cross for her blood type.                    remembered fondly as the one Ugandan
                                                 that was instigated the largest single blood
Despite starting as a drive to help the little   drive donation.

      | 23
Chapter 5
    GIVING TO SPECIAL GROUPS

P
         eople living with disabilities, people living       with HIV and AIDs Networks in Uganda.
         with a potentially terminal illness, the elderly,   She is currently advocating for effective implementation
                                                                                                                        Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

         women, and children fell into the category of       of the Test & Treat HIV policy and accompanying HIV
         persons that needed emergency help during           care and treatment services.
the lockdown period. In this chapter, we explored the
philanthropists who specifically aided these groups.         Ikilai also campaigns for the sexual and reproductive
                                                             health rights of young people. Using her experience, she
Winifred Ikilai, is an HIV prevention advocate, a Fellow     called attention to the fact that people living with HIV
with AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC), who             needed help.
also works with the National Forum of People Living

| 24
This is her story:

W      hen the lockdown started,
       restrictive measures were put in
place, including a ban on public and
                                             problem became bigger across the
                                             country, and included many more
                                             districts contacting me for help.
private transport. Many people living
with HIV found themselves stranded           I called several PLHIV Network leaders
and with no means of accessing health        to assess the situation in detail and
facilities for treatment, that lead to       generate quick solutions on how best
worry and fear, not knowing how best         they could be supported to deliver
to access their drugs.                       drugs. I documented a status report,
                                             highlighting critical challenges faced
Ikilai, stated how People Living with        by PLHIV in the districts of Amuria,
HIV (PLHIV) coordinators from                Kumi, Kotido, Ngora, Luwero, Bukedea,
districts like Mityana, Luweero, Serere,     Soroti, and Serere.
Sembabule, Bukomansimbi, Bukedea,
Kumi, Amuria, Ngora, Soroti and              The key challenges included the long
Masaka (including those unknown to           distance to the health facility, limited
her), reached out to her for help.           access to food, which was affecting
                                             adherence to treatment, job loss, lack
They used social media platforms             of mental and emotional support, and
to reach me, asking for support in           were presented as findings in meetings
getting their IRVs. Ikilai called out to     with AVAC and UNAIDS, Global Fund
fellow advocates and some community          PLHIV.
health volunteers who work in HIV
service delivery organizations like          The desired objective was achieved
TASO, Mildmay, and Uganda Cares,             when my organisation helped about
and linked them to the stranded. The         500 people LWHA. Some people
organisations responded and the drugs        were even supported with means of
were delivered to PLWHA.                     transport to deliver drugs to people
                                             who were stranded in the community.
I also generated an emergency contact
list of organisations that I circulated on   This support came from development
my social media platforms of advocacy        partners like (Global Fund, Embassy
organisations on information on how          of Ireland, and UNAIDS) and
to access ARVs, food and how deliveries      organisations like TASO, Mildmay, and
would be made free of charge to              Baylor College Foundation in Uganda.
PLWHA. As the days progressed, the

                               Vendors in Bukedea Market Rescue their Own

                               I t had been months since they had
                                 seen their friend and colleague, Mercy
                               Ariokot, better known as Toto. Mercy, a
                                                                              stomach illness.

                                                                              Her friends decided to each put a
                               jovial marker vendor in Bukedea trading        collection of their earnings into a small
                               centre had not answered telephone calls        lending circle of ten friends, and then
                               from her friends. They decided to visit her    contributed an additional amount that
                               in her home on Malera road to see if all       came up to nearly half a million shillings
                               was well.                                      that that helped put the single mother of
                                                                              five back on her feet. This collection paid
                               The last time she was with them at the         medication costs and the rest was invested
                               market, Mercy had complained of a pain         into her business as stock, at a time when
                                                                                                                            Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

                               in the abdomen, according to her friend        prices had escalated and would never
                               Rose Kulume. That pain had been on-            have been able to get additional money as
                               going; and had intensified, as she told        an injection into her business.
                               them her last time at her stall.
                                                                              Rose Kulume, as one of the circle of
                               Ariokot sold off all the vegetables at the     friends, realised that they did this
                               stall she shared with another vendor, and      themselves as fellow vendors and did not
                               after that, never returned. She sold off her   rely on any wealthy donor.
                               phone to help pay for medication for her
  | 25
Masks for the Vulnerable

                                 J  amila Mayanja, a philanthropist and
                                    fashion designer with Smart Girls
                                 Uganda, partnered with another fashion
                                                                              with a bottle of hand sanitizer at no cost.
                                                                              While this was distributed free among the
                                                                              vulnerable populations such as women
                                 house called Tenge collections to provide    in markets, young people in slums,
                                 the much-needed protective masks for         boarders, barracks and refugee centres at
                                 women vendors in the crowded market          no cost, they made masks for sale to the
                                 places, in the “Masks 4 All” project. When   general public at subsidised rates.
                                 the project began, they specifically
                                 trained and employed youth and women         Given the stringent safety measures set
                                 among whom are former sex workers and        by World Health organisation for all
                                 survivors of Gender-Based Violence.          governments to implement for the safety
                                                                              of populations, Uganda needed help in
                                 Tenge Afrocentric Fashion House              securing safety masks for the populace,
                                 Founder and CEO, Daniel Mickoh               and for the crowded market vendors who
                                 said the Masks 4 All project would be        continued selling food even in Lockdown
                                 looking to scale up to make protective       level 1.
                                 gear to be distributed all over the
                                 country with a target of reaching one        With market being very congested places
                                 million people. The distribution process     and women the majority of the vendors,
                                 includes awareness sessions using            population, Jamila decided that this
                                 community radios and public media on         project would be crucial to prevent the
                                 how to use the masks and other safety        contracting of the virus as they went
                                 measures when the lockdown is lifted.        about their day-to-day interaction
                                                                              with suppliers, customers, and family
                                  Together they designed a reusable three-    members.
                                 layer mask and distributed them along

Helping Each Other Through it All

A    story    in    Nakamiro
     Zone, Bwaise II Ward,
Kawempe        Division   in
                               For instance, they were
                               given assistive devices like
                               wheelchairs, crutches, white
Kampala City, caught our       canes for the blind; Vitamin
attention: As soon as the      supplements to the children
lockdown was announced,        disabilities; food donations
a group of philanthropists     to the disabled elderly,
through their community        counseling services, poultry
organisation, Agali Awamu      farming projects; awareness
Disabled and Vulnerable        campaigns, Albino support
Persons, anticipated they      services like giving out
would be much need in the      sunscreens,       community
community. Many disabled       outreaches as examples.
persons approached Agali
Awamu for support, as          They also provided skills
expected, and immediately      training for those that could
set them looking for relief    be included in vocational
food. Once the lockdown        work, so as to equip them
                                                                                                                            Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

was eased, Agali Awamu         with the ability to have an
revived their projects among   income generating work of
the community of people        sorts, so as not to go cash-
with disabilities and worked   strapped again as was the
committedly to give support    case in the lockdown.
to all disabled.

   | 26
The Social Worker with A Heart of Gold

M      any private health workers
       started testing positive
for corona-virus. Through the
                                        is being neglected yet it is a key
                                        component of the response.

Uganda Health Care Federation,          To help bridge the knowledge gap,
private health facilities requested     there is need to systematically
to be given just as much attention      disseminate printed clinical
as the public facilities, as they are   guidelines      through      health
the main first point of contact for     logistics organisations such
a significant number of suspect         as National Medical Stores
COVID-19 health consumers.              (NMS) for the health workers
Screening processes are lacking         and the communities, across
in as far as contact thermometers       public and private facilities.
and rapid tests are concerned.          Communication is also required
                                        to the general public on where to
 Even worse is the lack of Personal     go for testing, as private facilities
Protective Equipment (PPE) in           can only screen patients.
different health centers, as the
main deterrent for healthcare           With the seasonal illness such as
workers coming to work, in fear         malaria and flu, being concurrent
of them and their families being        concerns, many are going
infected.                               misdiagnosed or will be poorly
This proves how healthcare              be managed while patients are
workers sacrifice their lives and       infecting others if not identified
conveniences for the good of            as having COVID-19 symptoms.
those they care for.                    These are some of the health
                                        concerns that public health
While their colleagues in the           workers require proper testing
public health centers are getting       equipment and support for, and
all the training to spot and            government would consider
manage the illness, the private         being an answer to these
health providers have been              concerns in order to support and
left behind. The knowledge              protect its healthcare workers.
gap at facility level on the
management of this condition

                                                  Helping Children

                                                  T   he Kids Club Kampala
                                                      responded to children’s
                                                  needs of malnutrition and
                                                                                       families who otherwise would
                                                                                       have gone hungry, by donating
                                                                                       up to 28,291 food parcels. Food
                                                  starvation in and around the city    was delivered to the disabled or
                                                  that threatened to rise during the   elderly and to all unable to access
                                                  lockdown, especially in city slum    their food banks.
                                                  areas. They approached foreign
                                                  sponsors, and any local generous     Sanitation equipment was also
                                                                                                                             Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

                                                  supporters, to consider giving       installed in the slum areas,
                                                  a once-off donation to meet the      installing    8    handwashing
                                                  extra needs during this time.        stations to date, which have
                                                                                       enabled almost 60,000 people
                                                  What started as a humble project,    to access soap and water to help
                                                  benefited many households, and       prevent the spread of the virus.
                                                  provided food for up to 25,000

  | 27
Agaba’s Commitment to Orphans

O    wen Agaba is a young
     man from Mbarara with
many passions. During the
                                orphaned but also lived on the
                                streets of Mbarara and needed
                                accommodation which he
lockdown Owen collected         readily offered to some. The
orphans in his neighbourhood    money he received went
and looked after them. A        directly towards the purchase
self-employed trader, his       of food, clothes, and other
income diminished during the    supplies for the children.
lockdown. This meant he was
not earning enough money to     When not looking after the
help the children.              street children, the gentle
                                Agaba visited the sick children
 He got to the point of not     in hospitals to lift their spirits
having any of his personal      and deliver gifts. His goal is to
money, but he continued the     raise at least $5000 and spread
acts of kindness, by starting   the help across different parts
a fundraising drive to raise    of the city, in order that no
money for this cause, and to    child on the streets of Mbarara
provide them with a meal a      will go hungry.
day.
Most of these children he
was helping were not just

                                              A Comic Book for the Little Ones

                                              I n Uganda, all students were
                                                sent home in March-2020 with
                                              no clear return date, due to the
                                                                                     to the fact that the bodily harm
                                                                                     that some children are exposed
                                                                                     to will affect their minds and
                                              pandemic. To ensure the little         souls, and vice-versa.
                                              ones were putting their time to
                                              good use, a group of creatives         A fundraising drive was initiated
                                              compiled a children’s comic            for the public to buy ten copies
                                              book.                                  each at just UGX 100,000 ($27),
                                                                                     and asked adults to distribute
                                              The book is called, Spark Kids         them wildly to as many children
                                              Diary, and compiles the on-            as possible, particularly the
                                              going ridicule and problems            vulnerable. The creator of the
                                              children face in their various         book Mr. Kasango explained the
                                              families, homes, and schools. It       need to explicitly communicate
                                              includes topics around children’s      to children their rights and to
                                              environment and how it impacts         help draw the line when cultural
                                              them.                                  norms cause children to be
                                                                                     subservient, and open to abuse.
                                              The intention of the comic book,       This was to help them identify
                                              is to reflect on the five pillars of   abuse and to gain a sense of
                                              life; body, mind, soul, spirit, and    patriotism to know and do the
                                                                                                                         Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

                                              heart; to try explain the balance      right thing, without feeling
                                              between all those aspects of           intimidated by adults around
                                              the human being in ensuring            them, and so empower them.
                                              wholistic well-being. It pointed

| 28
Kamwaka to Ensure Children are Reading

                                             T   wesigye John Kamwaka
                                                 is a man whose love
                                             for children and literature
                                                                            stimulating them to gain
                                                                            immeasurable knowledge
                                                                            about their minds, body,
                                             knows no bounds. Before        and emotions from the
                                             the lockdown, Kamwaka          literature they encounter.
                                             had embarked on a journey      Scientific, creative and
                                             to ensure the less fortunate   thinking minds are grown
                                             children    are     reading,   as young children are
                                             especially outside the         exposed to vast literature,
                                             classroom.                     and enable them gain true
                                                                            perspective on life at an
                                             He said that to the poor,      early age. Reading helps
                                             story books and crayons        them to form thoughts and
                                             for colouring are luxury       opinions of their own based
                                             and not a priority aspect      on knowledge gained from
                                             at all. Most schools in        reading.
                                             Uganda teach by rot and
                                             y- learning, often find 5      With no public or school
A Philanthropist’s Strides to Help           or 6 children sharing one      libraries, a culture of
Vulnerable Children                          text book amongst them in      reading cannot be created
                                             class, as there are simply     and so Kamwaka made this

A   Philanthropist’s Strides to Help
    Vulnerable Children
                                             not enough to go around.

                                             This is the reason that lead
                                                                            his mission. He describes
                                                                            the quality of education in
                                                                            Uganda are poor and often
During the lockdown, Noreen Asekenye         him to start crowdfunding      ineffective because no
took it upon herself to seek help for        to raise funds to create       resources are provided to
the vulnerable communities through           libraries    and    reading    equip children to learn and
the Tell a Story Foundation Uganda.          resources for children         study on their own.
Asekenye campaign was for the public         that would otherwise be
not to forget the vulnerable.                idle and lack any stimulus       “The value of children’s
                                             to constructively occupy       books is priceless. It
She formed “Together4Good” that was          themselves, and reduce         brands the development
birthed because of the uncertainty           the deterioration of their     of personality and social
of COVID-19. It is a way of reminding        mental capacity.               skills for little ones as they
people that are struggling that they are                                    are still impressionable.
not alone and that even in isolation we      Kamwaka      believes    in    Exposure to literature
can still do good deeds.                     developing       children’s    in the early years builds
                                             intellect and character by     character,” he noted.
Asekenye came up with a creative
way to raise awareness. Instead of the
annual Walk for all, she arranged for
individuals to walk on their own, to
avoid social gatherings, but still raise
money for the number of kilometers
walked.

In anticipation of the opening of schools,
Asekenye also started back to school
                                                                                                             Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

fundraisers to help the vulnerable
children get scholastic materials.
Besides selling Together4Good T-shirt
at 6 dollars each, she opened an account
to receive donations on behalf of the
children.

  | 29
A Plea to Feed Mityana’s Vulnerable Children

A   s the lockdown eased, some
    parents around Mityana
District could still barely put
                                     Since kindness gives hope to
                                     those who feel all alone in this
food on the table for their little   world, no one is exempt from
ones. Their sources of livelihood    trying to make a difference, they
were depleted and they were          appealed to the Ugandan public
dependent on local charities         to donate food to vulnerable
                                     children. The response was great
Overwhelmed by the tales             and all donations given were
of suffering, Hope for Life          highlighted on social media
Foundation (HFL) a charity in        to celebrate the giving and to
Mityana District, reached out to     document what a difference in
Ugandans to help feed some of        the lives of the children of HFL.
the vulnerable children.
                                     Through      HFL’s     support,
There was a big food crisis in       distribution of food supplies
our community during the             and soap to the very grateful
pandemic. Hope for Life tried        poor children in need was made
their best, and gave what they       possible.
had.

                                                                         Keeping Chess Alive

                                                                         R   obert Katende first came into the limelight
                                                                             for introducing chess programs in the slums
                                                                         of Kampala and attracting street kids to it; and
                                                                         during the lockdown, he did even more. The
                                                                         chess coach whose efforts birthed the Disney
                                                                         film, ‘Queen of Katwe’ fed many vulnerable
                                                                         children for months until it was safe enough to
                                                                         re-introduced chess.

                                                                         In the month of August 2020, he found ways to
                                                                         ensure the children still had a game of chess
                                                                         to play through his organisation called Robert
                                                                         Katende Initiative: Katende’s strategy; was to
                                                                         reach children at home where the instructors
                                                                         visited and assisted the learners in small groups
                                                                         within their homes.

                                                                         Katende distributed several chess boards to
                                                                         different homes in districts like Gulu and Hoima.
                                                                         These enabled the young children to keep
                                                                         practicing and not lose grip of what was taught. It
                                                                         also helped keep them busy and engaged during
                                                                         the pandemic crisis.
                                                                                                                                Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

                                                                         Special thanks go to all partners, friends and well-
                                                                         wishes of the Robert Katende Chess initiative,
                                                                         who continued this support towards the work of
                                                                         restoring hope and transforming lives through
                                                                         chess, “one move at a time.”

 | 30
Lacrosse Enthusiasts Rescued their Own

       T   he pandemic and lockdown have left many
           players without a day’s meal. African and
       Jewish Lacrosse enthusiasts donated to a
                                                       The Lacrosse enthusiasts believe that it is in
                                                       times like this that many would give up on the
                                                       game and this is what informed the decision
       section of Ugandan Lacrosse players.            to fundraise and donate to the players
                                                       continually.
       The August 2020 donation is just one of the
       many donations since the lockdown was           Though Lacrosse is not widely played, Uganda
       announced in Uganda. According to the           has 10 Lacrosse clubs registered under the
       online sports journal, Kawowo Sports, after     Uganda Lacrosse Association (ULA). They
       they provided food to Silver Backs Academy      noted that the game is slowly gaining ground
       and the Nile Crocs Teams, Africa and Jewish     among the country’s schools and youth in
       Lacrosse Foundations agreed to help out with    general. The renowned girls’ teams in the
       the much need.                                  country are, Nabisunsa Girls School, Mount
                                                       St Mary’s Namagunga, Forest Hills (Lugazi), St
       First on the agenda was the Jinja Nile Zulus    Joseph Nsambya Girls, Cannan High School,
                                                                                                        Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

       Africa Lacrosse Academy from Eastern            Kawanda Secondary School, Grace Villa
       Uganda. They delivered about 225 Kgs for        (Kabale). The known boys’ teams are Kiswa
       maize flour and handed over to Andrew           Primary School, Silver Backs of the Makerere
       Mamawi, the director of Jinja Nile Zulus        University Business School, Jinja, and YMCA.
       Africa Lacrosse Academy, who committed to
       keep mobilising more support.

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Chapter 6
       A TALE OF ADORABLE GIVERS

T
          o help Bududa District in its health advocacy             Stay Home, Stay Safe!
          against coronavirus, the pupils of Shikhuyu          (By Shikhuyu Needy Care School)
          Needy Care Nursery and Primary School
          composed a poem. Beautifully executed,                         Oh no
the poem looks to remind all about the impact of               Gone too soon uncle Moris
coronavirus.                                                Leaving a mother of four orphans
The kindergarten children were aware of the dreadful
disease and how it could impact the country, and so
turned to poetry to express themselves as will be         With nobody to help them fend for life
shared in this chapter.
                                                              In deepened sorrow, we wail
                                                                                                   Generosity In The Time Of Covid-19 Vol.4

Their poem is called “Stay Home, Stay Safe” and is a
reminder about the pain of death, a likely reality for            Your friends restricted
those who will catch the virus.                                 Making the last goodbye
This poem by the young creatives from Bukibokolo
village in Bududa District was very well received, and
                                                              Of may his soul rest in peace
is an inspiration to the young people in the growing                       Indeed
parts of Masaba-land, to gain confidence rise and             Rest in peace sweet uncle…
shine, as noted by Isaac Lulaba and Radio Maria

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