In July, daunting images emerged from Napak District, where more than 900 people died due to severe famine. 

While there have been several efforts from the government and other international agencies to provide emergency food relief for the region, the latest information from local community-based organisations (CBO) indicates that at least 4 in every ten households still don’t have a meal to eat.

As a result, cases of early marriages as families look to cash in on bride price and school dropouts have picked up again, posing a massive blow to the tremendous gains already achieved on these two fronts.

Through the campaign dubbed #MyLastMeal, Last Drop Africa has partnered with the District Local Governments (DLGs) in the nine districts of the Karamoja sub-region to distribute food relief purchased through crowdfunding to priority targets: schools, hospitals, and households in the severely affected communities. 

According to Alex Taremwa, Last Drop Africa’s Co-Founder, the campaign is designed as a stopgap as more long-term, sustainable solutions come to life.

“We know that we cannot fundraise for every climate crisis. While you’re still in Karamoja, rivers are bursting banks in Kasese; floods are washing away homes in Mbale, and land is burying people alive in Bududa. But for long-term solutions to be of value, people must be alive to not only support and contribute to them but also to enjoy them. That is what we are trying to do here,” he said. 

Initially, the campaign was mooted to kick off on August 1 and close on September 30, 2022. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, it was carried forward and thus will extend until the festive season. 

The fundraiser went live on the M-Changa Africa platform yesterday, September 20, 2022, and will remain active until December 31, 2022. 

Edward Nimusiima, a Co-Founder and Creative Lead at Last Drop Africa, appealed to partners and friends both locally and internationally to prioritise support for the fundraising campaign.

“Ugandans are known to move on quickly from things, however important. We have a short memory. After the tirage of recent local and global headlines, the plight of the Karamojong has been tucked away. Let us give this matter the attention and urgency it deserves.

“Together, let’s ensure that people in Karamoja doesn’t taste their ‘Last Meal’ today,” he said.