Photo Credit: Alex Miles / AFP
On 22 May 2021, the Nyiragongo volcano erupted and tremendously affected seventeen villages including Buhene, Katoyi and Majengo, forcing 5,000 people to flee to Rwanda and approximately 25,000 people to the Northwest of Sake. Around 30 people died in this event, 500 houses were destroyed, 270 children are missing, and about 300 children are separated from their relatives. This all was accompanied by several earthquakes and an explosion of gas pockets under the lake. The lava flow and its ash and gas in the air have led to the destruction of public buildings, fields, drinking water supply systems, and electricity. The government didn't provide any proper evacuation plan which would have secured accommodations for the refugees.
In addition, the local military government announced that there will not be any compensation for all the damages that occurred damages.
Now, an earthquake has fueled fears of another volcanic explosion that will appear with no early warnings or signals.
Photo Credit: REUTERS/Olivia Acland
This, in sum, has driven One Young World Ambassador Eddy Musoke to launch a fundraising called SOS Goma, Nyiragongo Volcano Eruption Fund for Children and Women, which will support and enable his rescue actions concerning the lost children and the suffering population. The Fundraiser is an excellent opportunity for people worldwide to help in this disastrous situation with a donation.
He strives to make a positive impact on all the suffering people from this natural disaster and save as many people as he can. Eddy is intensely passionate about helping this population because he himself was once a refugee and knows how it feels like to lose his home. In addition, he is very invested politically in this area. He created the Zero Child campaign in 2011 in order to prevent children in the army and rebel groups during the general Congo Election. Through this campaign, he helped children to return to school. Furthermore, he created Happy4live in 2014, a network to educate, empower youth, and acknowledge their rights.
Eddy is working to rescue 302 children separated from their relatives, and supports 200 families abandoned in Saké and Buhene villages by providing them with basic human goods. But there is so much work to do.
Watch Eddy's speech from the One Young World 2014 Summit in Dublin.