BUNAMBUTYE CAMP, Uganda — Susan Nagudi is a 32-year-old mother of three living in a camp of residents dislocated by a deadly November mudslide, and she’s now thanking God for Texans and Ugandans on Mission.
“Before Texans and Ugandans intervened, we were eating posho and unfried beans,” Nagudi (right) said. But “God sent Texans and Ugandans.” They “came to our rescue with aromatic rice that excited our taste buds.”
The Uganda organization is Texans on Mission’s ministry in the African nation. The mudslide happened about six hours driving time from the region where TXM has been drilling wells and building community infrastructure and Bible studies, said Mitch Chapman, director of TXM Water Impact.
In January, the Uganda government asked the TXM ministry to be part of the response, and the feeding effort is expected to last no more than four months, Chapman said.
Reuters news service reported the mudslide death toll at 28 in December and said more than 100 people were feared missing. The mudslide occurred “on the slopes of Mount Elgon, an extinct volcano on the border with Kenya, about 300 km (190 miles) east of the capital, Kampala,” the Reuters story said.
The TXM ministry moved water drilling equipment to where the 300 displaced families have been relocated and arranged for huge shipments of food needed to feed them.
John Hall, TXM’s chief mission officer, said, “Our organization in Uganda is spearheading this effort, and people who have received access to clean water in Northern Uganda thanks to Texans and Ugandans on Mission are volunteering to help their neighbors in need by distributing the food.”
Chapman said: “It will take two tons of food a week to sustain these families. It took us a few weeks to secure the food, but we have persevered and are now providing the food. The water well is coming soon.”
The food had an immediate impact, Nagudi said, “We have seen the rig in the camp drilling water, and two tanks have been fixed near our tents. We thank God for the gift of Texans and Ugandans on Mission for coming to our rescue.”
Nandudu Aisha (left) and her children also have been displaced. She is a 25-year-old mother of four. Her husband and oldest child died when the mudslide crushed their home while she and the other children were away.
“Since our resettlement here, … we have faced numerous challenges,” Aisha said. “Access to clean water has been scarce, and our diet has largely consisted of posho and beans.
“However, yesterday marked a significant change in our meals,” she said. “We enjoyed delicious rice, and it brought smiles to my children's faces — something we haven't experienced in a long time.”
For the evacuees, TXM’s efforts will help them establish new homes in a permanent, safe location that includes clean drinking water. The government also is setting aside three acres where a church can be started. TXM is now beginning a Bible study to plant the seeds for the new church.
“Responding to this great need will not be easy, and it will be costly,” Hall said. “But God is opening a door for us to serve these hurting people in the name of Christ. And we step through such doors when we can.”
