Heavy rainfall around the Mbale area has resulted in widespread flooding and mudslides, wreaking havoc with roads, bridges, homes and agriculture. The number of people who are known to have died is uncertain – we read reports of between 15 and 23 – and we are very sad for people who are suffering or bereaved.

Hundreds have been made homeless and there has been widespread destruction of property and possessions. All our school children are safe, but it’s still too early to find out what damage has been caused to their homes. Our welfare team is monitoring families who may need support.

Our staff have been transporting around 60 children staying in Namabasa via a different road because the normal road was cut off. These are pupils sitting for their end-of-term 2 exams, who are finishing their exams at our Gill Sherlock Secondary school in order to keep them safe from crossing flooded roads, rivers and streams.

The rainfall started on Saturday evening and continued for 11 hours to Sunday morning. The three main rivers in Mbale all burst their banks, including the river very close to our school. Bridges, roads and homes were washed away overnight in the flash floods that ravaged areas including Namatala and Namabasa.

Watch the short video below where Child of Hope’s Simon Nandoko reports from one of the rivers and explains how our welfare team is preventing our pupils from crossing the rivers to get to school...