Expedition Red Cross participants
Reading time 5 minuten
The very first Expedition Red Cross will start at the end of September. Participants will go on an adventurous trek through the nature of eastern Uganda. In six days, they will climb to the top of Mount Elgon. A trek of over 80 kilometres through the wilderness. Before the trek, the participants will visit a number of local Red Cross projects. Curious to know how the first days went? Here is one of their adventurous days.
09:00
FIRST DAY
Fifteen adventurous people eager to work for the Red Cross are taking part in Expedition Red Cross. Meanwhile, they are ready for the adventure that awaits them. There was a heavy downpour at night. During breakfast, many were thinking: 'If only it doesn’t rain when we’re on the mountain later on.' Fortunately, the rest of the day the sun shines in abundance. Those showers tell the story of the impact climate change is having here in Uganda.
10:00
FRIENDS OF THE URCS
Participants receive a warm welcome from Secretary General Robert Kwesiga as well as Director of Disaster Risk Management Dr Brian Kanaahe, among others. They talk about the work of the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS). The area around Mount Elgon proves prone to floods and landslides. With risk reduction programmes, the Red Cross is looking at how to work with the population to reduce the impact of these disasters.
11:15
LOCAL CHAPTER
Day two starts off with a hearty breakfast. The group then travels by bus to Bubulo, where they visit the local department - one of 51 in Uganda. The Bubulo department coordinates and provides aid to a large area with hundreds of thousands of inhabitants. The region is very prone to flooding due to the swirling Mafasa River. After heavy rains, there is also the risk of landslides in the mountains.
11:45
WITH THEIR OWN EYES
Department Manager Patrick and volunteer Edson tell how they have different ways of ensuring that floods are less frequent or have as little impact as possible. How? By planting trees around the river and in the mountains for example. These hold back the water. In every project, it is striking how well the population and the Red Cross work together. Everyone has a task and they really work together. The participants learn a lot from the people they meet today. The solidarity they experience will serve them well during the climb up Mount Elgon.
12:20
BEAUTIFUL RADIO SYSTEM
Sturdy hiking boots were much needed for the project the group visits next. This is because the community lives in the mountains and at the top of the village is a beautiful radio system. This is used for 'early warning'. That means that as soon as a disaster happens the radio operator springs into action. He alerts everyone and tells them where they are safe. Just last August, the radio system was used when heavy rain caused violent mudslides. As a result, no one got into trouble.
13:00
1, 2… 1, 2… TESTING
A radio rapid alert system has also been installed here. A local employee demonstrates how it works. And we also get to test it briefly.
13:35
EMERGENCY PACKAGE
Day three starts with a visit to Mbale where they also take a look at the emergency relief goods storage facility. There was severe flooding in this area on 31 July last year and the relief operation is still ongoing. A local staff member shows what is included in an emergency relief package: a blanket, mat, plate and soap, among other things.
14:00
WATER POINT
They then drive on to a water point for fresh water made in the mountains. In total, there are seven water points.
14:45
SONGS AND DANCING
The bus drives on. The last visit is at a project of Mbale. They meet manager Ayub, project leader Martha and the volunteers. The next stop is at the River Bird Community. Here they are warmly welcomed with song and dance. A custom when there are new visitors. Many people from this community are members of the disaster risk reduction group. Through song and dance, they provide education on what to do in the event of a disaster.
15:30
ON TO BUDADIRI
By bus, the participants climb a few hundred metres. In Budadiri, they receive a briefing from the guides who will accompany them on the mountain tomorrow. On the map, they point out the route. The participants ask final questions about the exciting trek.
17:00
EARLY DINNER AND BED
Participant Denise: "Starting tomorrow, it's going to happen. We’re really looking forward to it. With the impressive, sometimes intense, but also hopeful stories and images of the past three days in mind, we’ll start climbing Mount Elgon. We’ll do this together; the team spirit has now been well established."
They set off early the next day. Curious to hear further stories from the Expedition Red Cross participants? Great news!
Follow their adventures here.