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US army officers build housing
units for Karamoja orphanage
Publish Date: Jul 20, 2012
A
joint team of US
army teamed up with residents to construct 16
grass-thatched houses for the Moroto childcare and orphanage project
in Nakapelimen village.
According
to statement issued by the US
embassy in Kampala, the US army
personnel of the navy and marines are from the 490th Civil Affairs
Battalion-Charlie Company that has operated in Karamoja for the past four
years.
The
battalion conducts civic action programmes and provides veterinary training to
a population whose livelihood is dependent on livestock and pastoralism.
On the first day of the 10-day project, the team collected
straw, wood, sisal, and soil for the construction project.
The
team was divided into several groups and assigned responsibilities based on
each team member’s skill set and preference.
This will go on for the next nine days.
According
to Staff Sergeant Sonya Barker, the community relations project at the
orphanage was an opportunity for her team to foster community and partner nation
relationships.
“All
locals, especially the orphans and widows, were very grateful for the improved
living conditions,” Barker said.
Pastor
Emmanuel Koel, the orphanage director, hailed the
joint US
team.
“We are very grateful for this project because it’s going to
provide the orphans with shelter from the upcoming rainy season by placing a
roof over their heads,” Koel said.
The
orphanage houses more than 50 children between one and 12 years old.
Most
of the children are victims of inter-clan conflict, cattle rustling, HIV/AIDS,
malaria or malnutrition. The orphanage provides accommodation, food, medical
aid, and free education for the children.
US
Navy Lieutenant Commander, Chris Sanford and the country coordination element
officer from the US
embassy described the community relations project as a success. “This is an
outstanding opportunity to show the people of Karamoja that the people of the
United States are there to help, particularly those most in need,” Sanford
explained.
“It
was a heartfelt event where I felt a responsibility to offer my time and my own
hands, working alongside elders and some extremely positive children,” he
added.
The US
team also distributed scholastic materials and toys to the orphans.
The
items were donated by Loving Hugs, Inc., a Colorado-based non-profit charitable
organization that collects and donates toys to underprivileged children around
the world.
“I
would like to do this again,” Master Gunnery Sergeant Joel Rogers of the US
Marine Corps remarked.
“It
was fulfilling to know our efforts will have a meaningful impact on the
children’s lives for quite some time.
It
gives them a chance to see the human side of men and women in the military. As
a parent, I am happy to bring a moment of joy to lives that have seen so much
pain,” Rogers
out.
