RUBIRIZI – Local communities in Rubirizi District urged to renounce illegal hunting in the wildlife-protected national park, amid a troubling surge in court arrests, and the growing generation of orphans and widows left behind by family breadwinners.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The call was made by the Executive Director of the Kicwamba Orphanage Foundation, Kyagaba Edson, during a donation handover ceremony held at the foundation’s premises over the weekend.
The donation from students of Kampala International University (KIU) included food items, clothes, shelter materials, sanitary pads, and scholastic materials to support vulnerable learners.
The donation, aimed at supporting learners’ education, improving their welfare, and boosting academic performance, was delivered to strengthen care for vulnerable children under the foundation.
Speaking at the handover, Kyagaba said poaching in Queen Elizabeth National Park has left devastating social and economic effects on surrounding communities, including many children orphaned and many women widowed.
He noted that the illegal trade has fuelled a decline in tourism and a loss of wildlife, leaving children unable to study and grow without parents, while many families have been left destitute after their breadwinners died inside the park during hunting expeditions and never returned.
“Park poaching has orphaned many children and widowed many women. It has cut tourism and wildlife, leaving children unable to study without parents. Many parents died poaching inside the park and never returned,” Kyagaba noted.
Kyagaba stressed that sustainable alternative livelihood projects can help residents improve their homes and secure a brighter future far better than hiding in the park, where they risk losing their lives.
The Kicwamba Orphanage Foundation director noted that the foundation, which has now made eight years since its inception, was founded to help and support vulnerable children living with HIV/AIDS and orphanhood.
Kyagaba further called upon the government to introduce sustainable community education programs to sensitize residents about the benefits of the park and the dangers of poaching, so that people can change their mindset.
“Government should bring projects like beekeeping, goat and chicken rearing, growing coffee and vanilla, and making crafts to support and promote tourism and protect the environment. These will increase household income and promote peace and security at home, unlike poaching which forces people to hide and live in fear of being arrested,” Kyagaba said.
The Kampala International University (KIU) delegation team leader, Nyanzi Sebastian, said the main aim of the donation was to support young learners with basic needs and help them achieve their full potential.
“We made this donation to give young learners the basic things they need, to keep them in school and help them learn well and reach their full potential,” said Sebastian.
The team offered free career guidance and counselling to the learners on behaviour change and discipline, with the delegation encouraging young learners to take their education seriously as the key to success.
Speaking on behalf of the students, Akankwasa Judith, the Head Prefect at Kicwamba Orphanage Foundation, expressed gratitude to the KIU students for their generous support towards the learners.
She revealed that learners at the foundation have been enduring difficult circumstances, struggling with a lack of basic needs that has negatively affected both their studies and overall welfare.
“We are truly grateful to the KIU students for this generous support. For a long time we have struggled without basic needs, and this has affected our studies and welfare,” said Judith.
She noted that the support will help the learners remain focused and determined in their education, improve their academic performance, and brighten their future, while calling upon other well-wishers to continue supporting the foundation.
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