Women affected by the Kasese Landslides with their emergency relief items received from HORUWO.
As climate change related catastrophes have increased in frequency and severity, we have received outreach from many of our partners asking us to provide essential aid to their communities. Rockflower is not set up to provide emergency humanitarian relief, our mandate is to provide early stage investment for social enterprises and community based organizations improving the lives of women and girls on the global margins. However, as was the case during COVID, partnership is an ongoing responsibility and one that requires a listening and attentive ear during times of crisis. For that reason, we have been working to put together an emergency fund, supported by our Monthly Gardener donations to address these crises.
In September, we sent $800 to HORUWO in the Kasese District of Western Uganda to provide emergency assistance to those displaced by catastrophic landslides. Climate change in sub-Saharan Africa has led to intensified temperature extremes, precipitation anomalies, and natural disasters that have left millions of people injured, homeless, or food insecure, and has caused serious economic damage. HORUWO’s Director, Biira Juliet, recently sent us an update on the use of the relief funds they received.
She told us, “People have lost their lives, homes and farms/gardens destroyed and have less to eat, especially poor women with children or pregnant women who are vulnerable to these changes…All people who were affected and are currently living in the camp needed help. We were overwhelmed by the situation of women, especially those who are pregnant and those with kids.”
HORUWO used the money that was largely funded by our Gardeners, to help 40 teenage and elderly women and girls in the Kasika Village who are living in disaster camps. They purchased corn flour, soap, wash basins and sanitary pads to distribute. 10 elderly women received 10kg of corn flour each, and 30 teenage girls each received 2 packs of sanitary pads, one basin and one bar of soap each. These acts of intervention may seem small, but to those women at that moment, receiving hygiene items and corn flour meant that they were one step closer to having their basic needs met and could focus more of their energy on recovering and moving forward from this disaster.
Rockflower is committed to continuing our mission of providing early stage investment to social enterprises and community based organizations improving the lives of women and girls, and we are also committed to providing much needed support during times of dire need. In September we launched our campaign, 100 Gardeners in 100 Days, in which we hope to sign up 100 new Monthly Gardeners so that we can be sure that there is a stream of income available when disasters strike. If 100 people sign up for just $25 a month, that will be an extra $2,500 a month and $30,000 a year, which will add significantly to our emergency fund. These climate related disasters are only going to increase and the needs will be even greater. Whilst we continue to support and fund those whose innovations are providing much needed climate adaptation, we must also find a way to offer support in intervening moments of critical need.