September 2026 Newsletter

– we are currently dealing with a very difficult situation in Kyemula.

A prolonged dry period led to much of the maize crop failing and the water tank ran dry so we decided to hire a pump to refill the 10,000litre tank – the river water isn’t clean but we were able to add appropriate chemicals to ensure no one would become ill from drinking the water.

Last time there was a drought like this predates the installation of the tank – which indicates how unusual a situation the village is in – so this wasn’t an option then. The photographs don’t show the lengths of hose pipe reaching from the stream to the tank – so many it took 4 minutes to walk, even unencumbered by water containers – the temporary solution will make life easier and avoided putting children at risk fetching water from the river.

Amazingly the very next day the weather broke with a torrential thunderstorm – the farmers were immediately out in the fields, pulling up the failed maize, ploughing with the oxen borrowed from the next village and planting beans amongst the cassava

. Milton says spirits are high because everyone appreciated the efforts of 3H to alleviate a very difficult situation. We have stored maize for the vulnerable and those whose crop failed totally and the farmers now hoped that the second crops will be ok. Rainfall has remained intermittent, but the community has pulled together to plant for the second season – even the P7 children were drafted into help.

It was National Clean-Up Day in Uganda, so the children joined in picking litter around the school and community homes. Afterwards there was a kick-about….

The mobile maize grinder also visited the village to thresh the maize cobs into flour to make posho. The cobs are smaller and the individual grains are less fleshy than usual but at least there is some food for everyone.

Ten days after planting the beans had germinated and the plants looked to be growing strongly. But sadly, this was a very temporary respite from the drought and no more rain has fallen since then. The gardens now look like this, the plants have withered and died. With no rain the farmers can’t replant.

This will undoubtedly lead to a serious food shortage and the possibility of some vulnerable people starving so we have sent a further £1000 to Kyemula to buy further stocks of maize to be stored until needed and to refill the water tank – this was done last week but we anticipate another refill if the rains don’t come soon.

Thank you so much to everyone who responded to my appeal for support in dealing with this crisis – as you can see the situation has been changing rapidly from week to week but is currently extremely worrying.

We will continue to liaise on a daily basis and to provide what support we can – our school holiday lunch club is especially necessary at the moment.