Red Cross rewards Arua branch volunteers

By Andrew Cohen Amvesi

ARUA. The Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) has rewarded its Arua branch volunteers in recognition of their effort in implementing Red Cross activities in West Nile.

The volunteers received wooden plaques and bicycles during the URCS Arua branch Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Arua City on Saturday.

Fred Okumu Owuma, the URCS Arua branch manager who manages the seven districts of Arua, Madi Okollo, Terego, Maracha, Koboko, Yumbe and Arua City said the wooden plaques were awarded to four categories of volunteers.

“One was given to the school that has had the highest number of members that supported in the recruitment of members and this was given to Ediofe Girls SS and also the school that has supported in blood donation mobilization and this was given to Arua Public SS. We also managed to give the link leadership that has been very active meanwhile the fourth category was given to the active patron who happens to be the patron of Uganda Christian University (UCU) Arua Campus,” Owuma stated.

He noted that they also used the AGM to launch the distribution of 80 bicycles to Red Cross action team members.

Owuma said the bicycles are going to be distributed in the seven districts to ensure that the team gives alerts, especially on the Uganda National Meteorological Authority report indicating that the West Nile region is going to receive much rainfall from September to December this year.

“So, we are preparing our team to be on alert. These bicycles are going to support our foot soldiers on ground to move down there and try to monitor the early warning signals. There are hot spot areas, the areas that are sometimes flooded. So, when it rains, the team monitors the level of water and they inform us and also to see that whatever happens in the community regarding an emergency, they report to the branch and they also report to the sub counties,” Owuma said.

In his remarks, Alex Mugisha, the URCS head of Monitoring and Evaluation who represented the URCS Secretary General during the AGM said the bicycles were received as a donation from the World Bicycle Relief Organization.

He observed that it was one of the good initiatives for Arua branch to recognize volunteers like the school patrons and the youth links who have exemplarily shown that it is possible to mobilize blood and encourage the youth to join URCS activities.

“At the end of the day, we are serving our communities. The blood they donate is consumed by our own brothers and sisters within the region. So, these are activities that are supposed to run day in, day out because it is what makes us a community and that is why we are a community-based organization with a global reach,” Mugisha said.

Mugisha urged the different stakeholders in the region to hype the Red Cross cause so that the brand is heard everywhere in a bid to encourage so many people to join URCS to serve the community.