Email us: ruboni.communitytourism@gmail.com | WhatsApp|Call Us: +256752503445
Email us: ruboni.communitytourism@gmail.com | WhatsApp|Call Us: +256752503445
As the community members were hibernating to hide from convid19, the river floods came in! The villages on River Mubuku banks have been wiped by a wave of river floods that lasted about four days. This happened when the River burst its banks sweeping property worth billions including; homes, schools, gardens, bridges, household property and woodlots. The incident has broken the communication infrastructure when over five bridges crossing this river have been swept.
Rapids from mountains
Since the Convid19 pandemic, Ruboni community, like the entire Rwenzori region of western Uganda, has not yet recorded any case of corona virus. This doesn’t come as a surprise since the entire Uganda (with over forty million people) has only recorded about 122 cases and no death, by now. Of the total cases, majority comes from incoming track drivers transiting from/ to the neighboring countries.
Broken bridge site
Basing on this, it is evident that Uganda will be one of the safest post-convid19 trip destinations. The government of Uganda is working tirelessly to raise awareness and empower the communities to keep the number of infections low. The health sector has also been boosted to ensure that recovery of the infected few is achieved as quickly as possible, leading to over 50% recoveries by now.
Originally, the local community members of Ruboni were dependent on tourism and agriculture. When tourism and travel was locked due to convid19, the next only option has been agriculture supplying the food and little income using the local travel infrastructure like roads and bridges used by foot. The flooding of river Mubuku floods is a fresh threat to livelihoods since the families are starving, forced to live in crowds when sharing household utensils or not capable to sale their agro-produce to get the necessary cash.
Rivers as seen on the mountains
At the moment, the households need support in form of food, household utensils, temporary shelter restoration, awareness rising about Convid19 and other hygiene deficiency illnesses. As the community uses the only available opportunities of survival for the fittest, we are hopeful that the best is coming. Meanwhile, any assistance to the critically affected families is highly appreciated.
Ruboni community camp will continue to work closely with the affected members of the community to help them settle in during the floods and convid19 pandemic to ensure minimum loss and suffering during the lockdown and the effect of river Mubuku floods.
Lifting the lockdown is likely to come as a precious gift to the Ruboni community people. This will be hope for tourism to resume as another livelihood window. Through tourism, the community generates income from selling their products and services. When tourism returns to normal, it will be a new dawn for this community. Ruboni community is open and ready to hot you as soon as the lockdown is lifted. Choosing to stay at Ruboni community camp during your next trip to Rwenzori is not only an opportunity to use the favorite lodge in the area but also an opportunity to help the community recover from the multiple livelihood challenges resulting from convid19 and Mubuku River floods.
The good news is that, your lodge, Ruboni Community Camp is on the opposite hill side far from river mubuku. It has not been affected by the river Mubuku floods and it is still set to welcome guests as soon as the convid19 lockdown is lifted.
Please stay safe during this lockdown and travel tomorrow. We will be waiting to welcome you to Rwenzori, to make your memorable stay at Ruboni Community Camp as we show you around our community and the Rwenzori foothills.
