The rains have started!

COMMENT | Elizabeth K. Patience | While most, if not all of us are excited at the showers because they relieve us of the heat, dust and dry vegetation, there are those excited at receiving water, despite the how or where. It is common for people to assume that access to clean and safe water is guaranteed, as it is all around us, not knowing that there are those who long to see a drop, regardless of the form!

If you have never thanked God that you can access clean water, please do and always remember to pray for those whose dream is to access it too.

A few days ago I was saddened by this scene (photograph above)! While some of us are mad at the flash floods in our capital city centre for a few hours, other places- not cities at that, will be glad to have such, because it is a significant source of water for domestic use.

In my neighborhood, this pool of water would be a concern for breeding mosquitoes but  where I found this, it is a joy because water is life, yet mosquitoes are, but mere insects!

What is often forgoten is that not only shall we have mushrooming water borne diseases in the coming months, but high malarial cases too. Uganda as a nation reports about 13 million malaria cases and 196,000 deaths annually (WHO 2021) despite efforts rowards a malaria free Uganda.

My small thinking is that, it is until such small small but key contributors to ill health are addressed, that we may get closer to a malaria free Uganda, productive lives and may be a middle income country status. If not that, we are tulimukwepena (playing dodge ball).

Is is disheartening that during the dry season, it is common to find women and girls scooping off sand to access water as far as 10 km from their homes.   It does not matter how many animal, vehicles and people have crossed through the water, one will still gladly scoop it into their jerrycans and take it home!

Such stagnant and dirty water is a relief from water scarcity and the long distances covered in search of water.

At this pool of water I came across, I felt like following the women to be sure it wasn’t going to be used for cooking/drinking. When you think of it, such people thrive at the mercy of the creator yet we are co-creators and call them neighbors, friends and or relatives.

If the Prime Minister of Uganda could donate the “luxury” iron sheets to the other counter parts, how much more can be raised for basics to support such country men and women.

Proverbs 19:17 “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord” calls us to extend a helping hand.  I do implore you to equally lend to the Lord.  Together we can make a difference. Remember every coin counts. Thank you.

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The writer is a Public Health Specialist