Listening to Bwaise: TODFCO's Landmark Flood Sensitization Conference
In May 2026, Together for Disaster Free Communities (TODFCO) conducted its most comprehensive community outreach to date - a multi-day flood awareness and sensitization conference in Bwaise Parish, Kawempe Division. The program brought together hundreds of residents, community leaders, and disaster management experts for structured education, on-ground flood inspections, and community dialogue.
The conference was built around a simple but powerful principle: the people of Bwaise are the experts on their own community. TODFCO's role was to bring technical knowledge about flood risk, preparedness, and prevention - and to listen deeply to what residents already know, what they have lost, and what they need.
Teams conducted systematic flood inspections across five zones in Bwaise, documenting drainage conditions, identifying high-risk households, and mapping evacuation routes. What they found confirmed what residents have long known: Bwaise's valley terrain, dense settlement, and inadequate drainage infrastructure create a perfect storm of flood vulnerability every rainy season.
The voices collected during the outreach were striking in their clarity. "If it were not for floods, Bwaise would be the richest place in Uganda," one resident told TODFCO's team. "Every time it rains, floods cause losses that consume much of our income during recovery." Another simply said: "Water is life when you are not living in Bwaise."
These testimonies - and the 300+ residents reached during the campaign - will directly shape TODFCO's next phase of programs, advocacy, and community action. The conference was not an end, but a beginning.
