For those of you that haven’t read about the fire that occurred practically in our own back yard, please check out my Facebook page. I’ll cross post when power and Internet is back (I’m posting from my phone right now).
The comments on Facebook have encouraged us to get involved helping the 26 households and the approximately 130 people displaced by the fire.
So I spent the morning drafting a plan for a relief effort. After a few meetings it seemed best to coordinate with Calvary Chapel, our friends closest to the scene who are already trying to reach out to the community.
Most of the families have lost everything and many haven’t eaten since the fire (Friday night!) so the first order of business is feeding them. So we’re planning on providing a meal a day for the next few days as we coordinate a longer-term plan.
Calvary has large cooking pots and charcoal stoves. I’m hoping HFC will provide the rest to sustain this food program and hopefully make a difference in the longer term.
To get started we will need to buy plates and cups which we can use each time we serve food. 12 dozen will cost approx $75. Cups will cost $20 for ten dozen.
Total: About $95
Each evening’s food portion breaks down to:
Rice: $54 for 30kg
Beans: $23 for 50kg
Onions: $2 for 2kg
Tomato: $5.50 for 5kg
Royko seasoning: $2.50
Cooking oil: $11 for 5L
Total: About $100 for 130 people per day, or only 77¢ per person per meal per day!
Longer term, we are talking to local building material companies to see if we can get discounts on materials for rebuilding homes, then perhaps equipping the homes with basic necessities (soap, pots, plates, washbasins, utensils, etc) for somewhere around $50 per household.
If you’re interested in donating, please include the terms “Jinja fire relief” in the comments field or your donation.
Thanks so much for the support and for jumping in to take care of these folks that have lost everything.
