A poem by Ali Balunywa
As disasters come, this struck without warning
The date was March 01, 2010 in the morning
The place was Bududa district in Uganda
On the slopes of Elgon mountains yonder
It was a major disaster ending up as a tragedy
And the wretched of the earth looked at it as a parody
The torrential rains brought the calamity
With potential strengths destroying the fraternity
A 200-meter wide landslide caused destructions
A 3-village area dissipated into fractions
As hundreds of lives were lost
Other hundreds became ghosts
The president of the country dressed in combat
For the people of the country to know it was poignant
He carried on his shoulder a rifle
Since the situation was not trifle
He invited his army to help on cue
To aid the people to rescue
The weather made the roads impassable
Making the rescue missions almost impossible
Delivery of large mechanical equipment was not possible
Because the roads were not passable
So the digging had to be done by bare hands
Raising the number of lives lost in bands
There were no more schools for children to go to,
There were no more workplaces for adults to go to
The rivers were swollen
The houses were fallen
And the people were crestfallen
As their homes were fallen
All was destroyed
And bodies were interred
Women and children
Men and brethren
All were affected
By the land slide effect
Swollen rivers caused flooding
And pit latrines washed in marauding
And pillaging slides
Causing diseases,
Displacements
And encampments
Now it is up to you the unaffected
To assist the affected
Schools are needed
For the offspring in need
Please contribute generously
Bigheartedly, openhandedly
Munificently and charitably
