Tour operators donate food to UWA rangers
Left in uniform is Mr John Makombo receiving package from Mr Everest Kayondo chairman AUTO and Farouk Busuulwa the AUTO secretary. Courtesy photo.
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Mr Kayondo also revealed that AUTO is working diligently to help get the much-needed assistance for its members, and specifically lobbying for incentives for tourism businesses as a recovery plan for the tourism sector.
The Association of Uganda Tour Operators has donated a truck of food item to Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
The donation of nine tonnes of food is to help the Authority feed wildlife rangers affected by suspension of Tourism activities due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Handing over the donation to Mr John Makombo, the Director Conservation who represented the UWA Executive Director, the Association's chairman Everest Kayondo said this was in response to the president's call to various players to join response efforts towards the fight against Covid-19.
“We understand that there are people who rely on tourist inflow to survive and feed their families, and this is why we have decided to support one of our key stakeholders affected by the worst effects of this pandemic," Kayondo said.
He emphasised that rangers play a critical role in protecting the country's wildlife resources across 10 national parks and 12 wildlife reserves, and so, the support is to help feed their families since the tourism inflows they depend on have been affected.
He commended government efforts put in place to control further spread of the coronavirus in Uganda, expressing the Association's full support for the recommendations by the Health Authorities.
Mr Kayondo also revealed that AUTO is working diligently to help get the much-needed assistance for its members, and specifically lobbying for incentives for tourism businesses as a recovery plan for the tourism sector.
Meanwhile, Mr Makombo applauded the tour operators for the gesture noting that true friends are seen in such situations.
“UWA is very grateful for this gesture and we will definitely provide the much needed help to our rangers for a while; we appreciate the support from one of our key stakeholders AUTO,” he said.
“None of these food bags is going to remain at the head office. We are loading it immediately and sending it to the protected areas where it will be of much needed help to our staff,” Mr Makombo added.
The food items which include seven tonnes of maize flour and two tonnes of dry beans will be distributed by UWA to its field staff under the guidance of the National and District Task Forces on COVID-19.
