Posted by Wes Bradford on May 01, 2018
Marsha Hunt is a member of the Westwood Village Rotary Club. Her Club is in partnership with the host Kabale Rotary Club in Uganda to promote Maternal and Child Health facilities in a remote area damaged by war and flooded with refugees from the violent “Lord’s Resistance Army” (LRA). The LRA leader, who proclaims himself the “spokesperson” of God, has been waging a guerrilla campaign since 1987 to overthrow the Ugandan government and establish a theocratic state based on the "Ten Commandments and Acholi tribal tradition". The LRA has been accused of widespread human rights violations, including mutilation, torture, slavery, rape, kidnappings, use of child soldiers, and massacres. There is still low-level LRA activity in Uganda and neighboring countries.
 
Rotarians have been helping since 2004 to build and upgrade school buildings, restrooms, sports facilities and safe water projects as part of the Uganda Development Initiative (www.UDIworks.org) in Los Angeles. They have been buying goats and promoting self-sustaining farming for refugee families, growing coffee, tea and fruit trees for food and income. Many of the buildings were built of dried mud held together on sticks, which crumble when it rains. Rotarians are sponsoring children for school expenses and building a clinic and small medical center. They are working with Project Cure in Colorado to evaluate the medical needs and ship a container of medical equipment including an ultrasound machine. Doctors from the Rotary Club of Memmingen in Germany are completing a new surgery center there. Solar power generation is also being installed.
 
 Marsha spoke of a girl age 7 who walked 2 days to find the school; her father was dead and her mother, who was dying, told her to “find the school!” An 11-year-old girl, who had never lived in a house or slept in a bed, was caring for 3 younger children when someone handed her a baby to take care of. She managed to bring these children to the school for help. However, in addition to the poverty and casualties of violence, Uganda is a beautiful country. She showed photos of animals such as elephants, baboons, storks, gorillas, zebras and antelope.