April web

ISSUE NO. 601 APRIL 2020

FOR CHRISTIAN LEADERS MAGAZINE SINCE 1956

EASTER

Great Love and Great Suffering

CATHOLIC WORKERS MOVEMENT

Opportunities offered

LIGHT

PREVIOUS ISSUE

6

News Highlights

stories that made news

News Agencies

CONTENTS

COVER STORY

For Christian Leaders

APRIL 2020

ISSUE NO. 601

14

Laudato si

Mother Earth cries out

By Irene Lamunu

MANAGING DIRECTOR: Fr. Anthony Kibira MCCJ

director@leadershipmagazine.org

EDITOR: Beatrice Akite Wanyama

editor@leadershipmagazine.org

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DESIGN & LAYOUT: David Mukhwana

ACCOUNTANT: Josephine Ndayishimiye

SECRETARY: Irene Lamunu

PHOTOGRAPHER: R. N. Ayago

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Richard Onen Lamony

MARKETING: Charles Opwonya

OFFICE ASSISTANT: Lucy Lakot

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CONTRIBUTORS

Agaba Lucky, Fr. Lazar Arasu SDB,

Tumwesigye Micheal, Dr. Miriam O. Lakero-Oketta,

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16

Sowe Island

being pregnant means death

By Agaba Lucky

22

Coronavirus

Managers in Ruins

By Prof. Vincent Bagire

26

Fr. George Previdi

his love for educating the young

By Irene Lamunu

32

Enterprenurship

Livingstone, the all-round farmer

By R. N. Ayago

34

Catholic Workers Movement

opportunities offered

By Ronald Ojilong

36

Coronavirus

making of a pandemic

By Dr. Miriam O. Lakero-Oketta

COVER PHOTO - R. N. AYAGO AND INTERNET

12

EASTER - GREAT LOVE AND GREAT SUFFERING

The journey of Lent that Christians all over the world have

been making finds its culmination in the celebration of

Easter. The many liturgical celebrations especially in the

Easter triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter

Vigil) could be referred to as a “divine spectacle” with

Christ as the main actor.

18 30

KASAALA @ 75

SCHOOL CLOSURE

The white Fathers opened With schools forced to

up a parish, 75 years ago in close as a result of the

1945, in Bulemezi Luwero. COVID-19 pandemic,

This parish would be the it’s vital to keep learners

first in Kasaala village, a engaged in their studies.

big land mark as far as faith Micheal Tumwesigye

was concerned in Kasana- suggests ways of how

Luweero diocese and the parents or guardians,

district as a whole. teachers and learners can

cope with the situation

and catch up with

education at home.

EDITORIAL

Lived Communion and the love for the Cross

There is so much talk going around: The

world is coming to an end, God is angry

at us. We have sinned, we must repent.

God is bringing us back to the basics.

This is uniting the world. This is world war

III. The words go on and on. Yes, the outbreak of

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has caused a twist in the

whole world like never before. The untold panic

is on. Coronavirus pandemic first experienced in

Wuhan China in December 2019 has caused a

major shut down in the world: schools have been

temporally closed; churches are under lockdown,

flights suspended, there is curfew and many other

measures from country to country, in a bid to

counteract the pandemic.

When it emerged, the virus was known as a “novel”

strain of the coronavirus family. ‘Novel’, meaning,

totally new. Scientists gave the strain an interim

name of 2019-nCoV, accounting for the year of

discovery, its status as a “novel” virus, and its

family name (CoV). COVID-19 thence stands for

COronaVIrus Disease 2019.

COVID-19 has crippled the world physically,

socially, economically and sadly, spiritually. The

virus has caused a major toll in the whole world with

unbelievable number of death tolls. It is no longer

business as usual. The world is limping on, hopeful

of seeing a brighter day. The world is almost at a

standstill with many in search for information. The

world is still in shock. No work, no school, no church

on Sunday, no Way of the cross, no Good Friday,

Holy Saturday and Easter. It is unimaginable.

Well, amidst all this adversity, God remains God.

We are glad with all the religious leaders who have

heeded to the outcry of social distancing; heeding

to live streaming of the compassion of God amid

the cries. Speaking from the Library of the Apostolic

Palace, Pope Francis assured “those suffering from

the current coronavirus epidemic and to all those

who are caring for them” of his prayers. “I unite

myself to my brothers Bishops in encouraging the

faithful to live this difficult moment with the strength

of the faith, the certainty of hope and the ardour of

charity,” he said. Even when darkness seems to befall

us, we hold onto Christ, never letting go knowing that

He is the undeniable, redeeming light, the undying

light, the light that never dims.

And, we should not forget that we are the church.

I encourage all to hold onto the words of Msgr. Jorge

Garcia Cuerva, the Bishop of Santa Cruz who following

the provisions issued by the government of the

province of Santa Cruz and the National Ministry of

Health, encourages all: “Let us be inspired by this time

of lived communion, so that the 500 years of the first

Mass may be a sign of unity that spurs us to continue

building a Church to whose table everyone feels

invited, especially the poorest and most excluded.” I

will borrow his words, and say that this is a time of lived

communion; a time for soul searching and personal

prayer. It is for us to pray earnestly and repent.

This resonates to what the president of Uganda, His

Excellency Yoweri Kagutta Museveni while addressing

the country on the measures of combating COVID-19

quotes from prophet Isaiah; “Go, my people, enter your

room and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves

for a little while until his wrath has passed by.” (Isaiah

26:20) As the panic of COVID-19 pandemic wavers on,

we need to remember that, if you are not infected,

you will be affected. Let us be strengthened in the

risen Christ, mindful of our brothers and sisters, and

hopeful that by sadness of face, the heart is made glad

(Ecclesiastes 7:3). For by identifying with the crucified

Christ like Peter did, hard as it seems (Mark 14:54), is

a test of our faith. It is in such moments that the world

watches whether we truly esteem Christ, as we often

profess. (Joseph Byamukama, 2020)

Fr. Anthony Kibira, MCCJ, in our cover story, reminds

us that suffering which is part of discipleship can be

lived only with the strength given by God.

Let us celebrate the memorial of his passion, death and

resurrection in our lived communion, remember ing

that our world should be led by the love for the cross.

4

APRIL 2020

Prayer of Pope on Good Friday

1. As is custom on Good Friday evening, the

Holy Father joined the Roman faithful at the

Colosseum for the traditional Way of the Cross.

At the end of the Way Pope Francis prayed this

powerful and special prayer:

O Cross of Christ, symbol of divine love and of

human injustice, icon of the supreme sacrifice

for love and of boundless selfishness even unto

madness, instrument of death and the way of

resurrection, sign of obedience and emblem of

betrayal, the gallows of persecution and the

banner of victory.

Cartoon: Internet

O Cross of Christ, today too we see you raised up

in our sisters and brothers killed, burned alive,

throats slit and decapitated by barbarous blades

amid cowardly silence.

O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in the

faces of children, of women and people, worn

out and fearful, who flee from war and violence

and who often only find death and many Pilates

who wash their hands.

O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in those

filled with knowledge and not with the spirit,

scholars of death and not of life, who instead

of teaching mercy and life, threaten with

punishment and death, and who condemn the

just.

O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in

unfaithful ministers who, instead of stripping

themselves of their own vain ambitions, divest

even the innocent of their dignity.


hardened hearts of those who easily judge

others, with hearts ready to condemn even to

the point of stoning, without ever recognizing

their own sins and faults.

O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in

expressions of fundamentalism and in terrorist

acts committed by followers of some religions

which profane the name of God and which use

the holy name to justify their unprecedented

violence.

O Cross of Christ, today too we see you in those

who wish to remove you from public places

and exclude you from public life, in the name

of a pagan laicism or that equality you yourself

taught us.


powerful and in arms dealers who feed the

cauldron of war with the innocent blood of our

brothers and sisters.

Dates to Remember

7 th - Rwanda Genocide Day

21 st - World Book & Copyright Day

22 nd - World Earth Day

25 th - World Maleria Day

Religious Days

5 th - Palm Sunday

10 th - Good Friday

12 th - Easter Sunday

PRAYER IN TIMES OF TRIBULATIONS

God Our Father, you too

carried a heavy cross, and

yet you persevered. Be at our

side, and let us understand

that by looking to you, we will

obtain the wisdom and love

that will complete us.

Amen

Saint of the Month

ST. MARK THE EVANGELIST

Saint Mark the Evangelist is the traditionally

ascribed author of the Gospel of Mark. He is said

to have founded the church of Alexandria, one

of the most important episcopal sees of early

Christianity. According to Christian tradition,

Mark held a close relationship with St. Peter, who

referred to Mark as ‘his son’ in his letter addressed

to a number of churches in Asia Minor (1 Peter

5:13). Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus and Papias

all indicate that Mark was an interpreter for Peter.

Although Papias states that Mark had not

personally heard the Lord speak firsthand and,

like Luke, Mark was not one of the twelve apostles,

some believe Mark was likely speaking of himself

when he wrote the description of Jesus’ arrest in

Gethsemani. “Now a young man followed him

wearing nothing but a linen cloth about his body.

They seized him, but he left the cloth behind and

ran off naked” (Mark 14:51-52).

St. Mark lived for years in Alexandria, where he

died as a martyr while being dragged through

the streets. His feats day is celebrated on April

25 th , and his symbol is a winged lion.

AFRICA HIGHLIGHTS

Egypt |

Nigeria gas explosion kills 17

Rescue efforts are ongoing in Nigeria’s

commercial capital, Lagos, after a gas

pipeline exploded, resulting in the death

of at least 17 people. A spokesman for

African leaders seek to clear way for Libyan dialogue

Three African heads of state, the African Union chief, and a senior UN envoy met in the

Republic of Congo in the latest attempt to broker talks over Libya’s crisis. The meeting is

the second in the Congo since a summit in Berlin in January where world leaders agreed

to halt foreign interference in Libya and impose an arms embargo.

Tripoli’s UN-recognised government is battling renegade eastern commander Khalifa Haftar

in the latest factional fighting since the 2011 fall of longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

International efforts to end the conflict have stumbled and Libya’s African neighbours have

been seeking a wider role in resolving the North African nation’s crisis. At the talks in

Oyo town, Republic of Congo President Denis Sassou Nguesso urged an “unequivocal

message” to prepare a conference on national reconciliation for Libya.

Nguesso was joined by South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, Chadian leader Idriss

Deby Itno, AU commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat, and Algerian Prime Minister

the National Emergency Management

Agency, Ibrahim Farinloye, said more

than 100 houses had caught fire and

many people were wounded. Lorries,

cars and motorbikes were also destroyed

by the blast. Farinloye said the explosion

was triggered when a truck hit gas bottles

stacked up in a gas processing plant near

a pipeline in Abule-Ado area of Lagos.

Exported oil for the first time after selling it to Chem China

Zimbabwe gets back iconic bird statues

Africa’s former colonial powers have

Photos: Internet

Sudan PM survives assassination attempt

Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok survived an assassination attempt after a blast

near his convoy in the capital, Khartoum. Hamdok wrote on Twitter he was “safe and in

good shape” following the explosion. What happened will not stop the path of change,

it will be nothing but an additional push in the strong waves of the revolution,” added the

veteran economist, who became prime minister in August, months after a pro-democracy

movement that forced the army to remove longtime President Bashar al-Bashir.

Hamdok also shared a photo of himself smiling and seated at his desk, while a TV behind

him showed news coverage reporting he had survived. Members of Hamdok’s office told

Al Jazeera the attack happened as the prime minister was heading to his office.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Footage posted online showed two

damaged white vehicles used by Sudan’s top officials parked on a street.

Photos: Internet

recently come under pressure to send

looted artefacts back to their home

countries. They figure on Zimbabwe’s

national flag, banknotes and official

documents: stone statues representing

birds taken away by the European

colonialists more than a century ago.

The eight original sculptures hold great

spiritual value for people of the southern

African nation, and have been made into

national emblems.

Six of the large carvings were stolen

from the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, an

imposing stone complex built between

the 11 th and 13 th centuries and attributed

to pre-colonial King Munhumutapa.

6

APRIL 2020

Dozen arrested over

coronavirus fake news

Moroccan police have arrested at least

a dozen people for spreading rumours

about the coronavirus, including a woman

who used her YouTube channel to say the

disease did not exist, authorities said.

Other people were arrested for opposing

strict measures against public gathering,

urging people to ignore them, or saying a

lockdown had been implemented when it

had not. On the same day, the government

approved a draft law governing the use of

social media, aiming to deter fake news

and cybercrimes undermining public

order and the economy. Rights groups

have criticised Morocco for what they see

as an increasing crackdown on free speech

over the past year, including prison terms

for people who have expressed dissent on

social media.

The North African kingdom has confirmed

61 cases of the coronavirus and two

deaths. Most of the sick caught the

virus abroad, but it has now also started

to transmit within Moroccan cities.The

government has closed all mosques,

schools, cafes and restaurants, as well as

sports and entertainment venues, and has

banned all international passenger flights.

The most recent was of a 48-year-old woman

who was taken into custody after denying

the existence of the coronavirus on her

YouTube channel and urging others to

ignore precautionary measures.

~ News Agencies

Coronavirus: ‘No evidence

of link to temperature’

The World Health Organization (WHO) has

said there is as yet no evidence that the

spread of coronavirus is reduced in Africa

because of the higher temperatures.

The virus has so far multiplied more slowly

in Africa than in Asia or Europe, but 34

African countries have now reported

a total of more than 600 cases. Health

experts have stressed the need to prepare

for a significant spike in infections.

The head of the Africa Centres for

Disease Control and Prevention, John

Nkengasong, warned that flight and other

travel restrictions would help delay the

virus but would ultimately fail to contain it.

Burundi opposition party picks Agathon Rwasa to run for president

Burundi’s main opposition party picked

Agathon Rwasa as its candidate for the

country’s May 20 presidential election.

Members of the National Congress for

Liberty, known by its French acronym CNL,

approved the 56-year-old’s nomination,

the party announced on Twitter.

A former rebel leader and longtime

political opponent of outgoing President

a third term plunged the country into its

worst crisis since the end of a bloody civil

war a decade earlier, with rights groups

saying hundreds of people were killed in

a crackdown by the security agencies on

protesters in the months that followed the

Pierre Nkurunziza, Rwasa was the president’s re-election.

leading opposition candidate in two At the time, the opposition had accused

previous elections in 2010 and 2015 -

Nkurunziza’s controversial decision to seek

Nkurunziza of violating the constitution by

Located along Luzira Road opposite Kitintale Post, Nakawa Division; P.O.Box 40062, Kampala

but boycotted both of them. In 2015,

Tel: +256 441 220 401/ 414 221 435; Email: progress40@hotmail.com

seeking another term. The president cited

a court ruling saying he could run again.

APRIL 2020

7

UGANDA HIGHLIGHTS

Karimojong Girls empowered

BY IRENE LAMUNU

Women and equal

opportunities’ desk

of Moroto diocese

has given girls

from Karamoja an

opportunity to begin a decent life away

from Kampala streets, which had become

their home. The girls were among 18 that

got certificates in hair dressing and crafts

(beads making) from COWA Centenary

vocation training school in November

2019. Out of them, two girls chose to go

back for a full course in hair dressing to

obtain diplomas.

The remaining 16 girls opted to start up a

new life. Those are the girls that Moroto

diocese Women and equal opportunities’

desk catered for. They each received

a startup capital oor materials for their

specific jobs. Those in hair dressing

received; hand driers, weaves, braids,

rollers, chairs, shampoos, conditioning

treatment, relaxers, while the girls in hand

craft received beads, threads, needles and

bags. Locebo Amos, the centre manager

of St. Daniel Comboni rehabilitation

centre said the girls have been natured

well and he believes that they will manage

8

Premises of Limone Medical centre on Ismael

Fr. J.B Mubangizi handing over hair dressing equipment to former street girls at St. Daniel Comboni

Rehabilatiation centre

APRIL 2020

their new life. He promised to follow them

up with phone calls. Mr. Locebo said this is

the first batch of girls getting this type of

assistance. He noted that Moroto diocese

has done this to encourage the girls not

to return to the streets. He added that this

year they have registered another batch of

13 girls and two boys at centenary vocation

training school, COWA where they are

getting skills in catering, handcrafts, hair

dressing and beautification.

Fr. John Bosco Mubangizi the supervisor

of St. Daniel Comboni rehabilitation

centre said this is another way of dealing

with young girls and trying to discourage

them from street life, while empowering

them economically.

Fr. Mubangizi interacting with street children

and workers at the centre

Photos: R.N. Ayago

82 arrested in

Kampala, Hoima for

defying COVID-19

A joint security team arrested at least 37

bar owners and managers in Kampala over

defying President Museveni’s directive on the

closure of bars in a bid to fight coronavirus

pandemic. Uganda had confirmed one

case of coronavirus disease abbreviated as

Covid-19. Over 311,994 coronavirus cases

have been confirmed worldwide with more

than 13,071 deaths as at March 22.

Assistant superintendent of police, Ivan

Nduhura, also commander operations at

Kampala central police station said the 37

bar owners and managers were arrested

on Saturday 21st March and detained at

CPS, Katwe and Kabalagala. He declined

to divulge into details of the offences the

suspects had committed.

His Excellency, the president of Uganda,

Yoweri Kagutta Museveni gave 14 directives

on fighting and preventing the spread

of coronavirus. Museveni said one of the

frontlines of fighting the virus is stopping

merry-making in discos, clubs, bars, sports

events music shows, cinemas and concerts.

A day after Museveni’s guidelines, inspector

general of police, Martins Okoth Ochola

summoned a special police policy advisory

committee meeting attended by directors

and commanders where they deliberated

about implementing the orders.

The police meeting chaired by Ochola

formed a task team headed by the chief of

joint staff Brig Jack Bakashumba, to liaise

with the ministry of Health and uphold

the standard operating procedures on

establishments like; factories, hotels and

large plantations.

UNOC starts

competitive supply

of petroleum

In its first competitive line of doing business

in the retail end of the petroleum market,

the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC)

recently launched the bulk trading of

petroleum products business as it seeks to

supply products to a number of companies.

The company, which manages the financial

arm of government in the oil and gas industry,

imports and sells petroleum products in bulk to

registered local oil marketing companies.

The move, the company said, will enhance the

security of petroleum products supplies into

Uganda and bring forward a sustainable supply

of these products in bulk to oil-marketing

companies. Ugandans are to enjoy a more

reliable supply of petroleum products, the

company announced.

She was speaking during the signing of a

Memorandum of Understanding between

UNOC and Stabex International Limited, a

petroleum retail dealer, in Nansana. Proscovia

Nabbanja, the CEO of UNOC, while speaking

to the press, emphasised that the move into

bulk trade is a key step in UNOC starting to

fulfil its mandate to the people of Uganda.

UNOC intends to use the venture to learn

about the logistics processes with the intention

of becoming a major player in the market of

bulk supply of petroleum products in Uganda.

With the initial supply of over 400,000 litres

already in place, UNOC plans to scale the

supply up in the future since the plan is to

enhance the national security of supply for

petroleum products.

UNOC will import and sell to Stabex, a fraction

of their monthly fuel requirements as per the

agreed terms and conditions.

Africa’s mountain gorillas also

at risk from coronavirus

As the coronavirus infects more

people around the world,

conservationists are warning of

the risk to another vulnerable

species: Africa’s endangered

mountain gorilla. Congo’s Virunga

national park, home to about a third of

the world’s mountain gorillas, is barring

visitors until June 1 st , citing “advice from

scientific experts indicating that primates,

including mountain gorillas, are likely

susceptible to complications arising from

the COVID-19 virus.”

Neighbouring Rwanda is also temporarily

shutting down tourism and research

activities in three national parks that are

home to primates such as gorillas and

chimpanzees. Mountain gorillas are prone

to some respiratory illnesses that afflict

humans. A common cold can kill a gorilla,

according to the World Wide Fund for

Nature, one reason why tourists tracking

gorillas are not normally permitted to

get too close. Around 1,000 mountain

gorillas live in protected areas in Congo,

Uganda and Rwanda, for whom tourism

is an important source of revenue. But

COVID-19 has led to restrictive measures.

Virunga national park’s decision has been

welcomed by conservationists in the

region.

Paula Kahumbu, chief executive of the

Kenya-based conservation group Wildlife

Direct, told The Associated Press that

“every possible effort must be made” to

protect mountain gorillas because so few

are left in the wild.

UGANDA HIGHLIGHTS

Even existing measures may not be

enough to protect them. According to

Ugandan conservationist, Gladys Kalema-

Zikusoka with Conservation Through

Public Health, a study published this year

by her group and Ohio University showed

that measures in place to protect gorillas

from humans are not effective in practice.

The rule on keeping a safe distance from

the gorillas was broken almost every time

a group of tourists visited, she said.

Photo internet

APRIL 2020

9

CHURCH HIGHLIGHTS

Archbishop-Elect Msgr. Stephen

Ameyu seeks real Peace

Photos: Internet

Pilgrimages canceled as new Israeli quarantine comes into effect

The Israeli government announced that, from March 12th, any foreign tourist who enters

the country will be placed in a 14-day quarantine to halt the spread of COVID-19. The

announcement affected thousands would-be pilgrims planning to visit the Holy Land,

and resulted in changed flights, and canceled trips.

Prior to the quarantine, religious sites in Bethlehem were already shut down over fears

of coronavirus, leaving pilgrims already in the Holy Land unable to visit the location of

the birth of Christ.

CNA spoke to several pilgrims--and would-be pilgrims--about how the closures and

quarantine have affected them. Jenna Drummond was supposed to make her first

pilgrimage to Israel as part of a group of 40, sponsored by the Catholic University of

America’s Institute of Human Ecology and set to travel over spring break.

Exported oil for the first time after selling it to Chem China

At least 70 priests and religious kidnapped or killed since June

“In Nigeria no fewer than 20 clergymen including at least eight Catholic Priests/

Seminarians were hacked to death in the past 57 months and not less than 50 abducted

or kidnapped.”. This is what a report by Nigerian NGO, International Society for Civil

Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) sent to Fides denounces.

The report said that available statistics have shown that between 11,500 and 12,000

Christian deaths were recorded in the past 57 months or since June 2015 when the

present central Government of Nigeria came on board. Out of this figure, Jihadist Fulani

Herdsmen accounted for 7,400 Christian deaths, Boko Haram 4000 and the ‘Highway

Bandits’ 150-200. The report also states that most of the victims of Boko Haram/ISWAP

(Islamic State in West Africa) attacks in Nigeria’s Northeast are Christians. On the part

of ‘Bandits/Highway Kidnappers’ in Northern Nigeria, most of their rural victims are

Muslims while many, if not most of their outlet or roadside victims are Christians traveling

to Northern or Southern parts of the Country using the Birnin-Gwari Federal Road.

10

APRIL 2020

“Forget your differences and seek real

peace,” Msgr. Stephen Ameyu implored the

people of South Sudan. He congratulated

the government for the major steps taken

towards peace and the return to the 10

States as it were before the beginning of the

present conflict. He said that there is hope

for peace in South Sudan. In fact, opposition

leader Riek Machar has recently re-entered

the presidential office. On February 22 nd ,

Riek and three other vice presidents were

sworn in at a ceremony in Juba; an event

marked by calls for reconciliation and

sustainable peace.

“We must forgive one another and

reconcile,” president Salva Kiir said. “I

want to reiterate here that I have forgiven

my brother Riek Machar. I also ask for his

forgiveness and I also forgive all those

who are still holding out on this peace

agreement. I am calling on all the people of

South Sudan to forgive one another. I know

forgiveness is painful and difficult, but it is

one that we cannot do without as a nation.”

President Salva Kiir continued: “We

appreciate the Holy Father for his prayers

and for his call for peace in South Sudan.”

By recalling what Pope Francis did in Rome

when he kissed their feet, he remarked: “we

have evidently listened to him and we are

proud to report to him that we have also

reconciled.”

The Catholic Church has played an important

role in the efforts for peace in South Sudan.

Throughout decades of instability, the

Church has been present in all corners

Pope appointments Bishop of Kitui

Lebanese churches offer residences and buildings for the infected

The Maronite diocese of Byblos started, where bishop Michel Aounc made a summer

residence belonging to the eparchy available to coronavirus patients forced to isolate

themselves. Then, Father Fadi Tabet, of the order of the Lebanese Missionaries “Kreimisti”,

appointed head of the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, announced that he would

make the Betania Harissa Hotel available to the Lebanese health authorities, a welcoming

hotel residence usually reserved for pilgrims, so that people infected with Coronavirus can

be hosted there and must be treated under quarantine.

The Coronavirus epidemic has hit Lebanon in the midst of an economic and political crisis.

Also for this reason the spontaneous signs of resilience, generosity and solidarity that

emerge throughout Lebanese society are even more eloquent.

Among the Christian communities, the vicissitudes of those affected by the virus multiply.

In the Jesuit community, as many as 11 fathers resulted positive to Covid-19 tests.

Celebrations for the 500th anniversary Mass suspended

suspended. This is what the Bishop of

Exported oil for the first time after selling Santa it Cruz, to Chem Msgr. China Jorge Garcia Cuerva

Following the provisions issued by the

government of the province of Santa

Cruz and the National Ministry of Health,

the celebration and meeting for the first

Mass in Puerto San Julian, scheduled for

March 31 st and 1 st and 2 nd April has been

says in a statement sent to Agenzia Fides,

who thanks everyone for the time and

commitment dedicated to the preparation

of this event. “Let us be inspired by this

time of lived communion, so that the 500

years of the first Mass may be a sign of

unity that spurs us to continue building

a Church to whose table everyone feels

invited, especially the poorest and most

excluded”, writes Mgr. Garcia Cuerva.

Finally, the Bishop, trusting “in the ever

attentive assistance of the Virgin”, urges

to take all the necessary precautions to

safeguard the health of all, without letting

oneself be taken by anxiety, being prudent

and cautious, attentive to the needs of the

last, “because we do not walk alone, Jesus

continues to walk with us”.

The Holy Father appointed Rev Joseph

Mwongela as bishop of the diocese of Kitui,

Kenya, Fr Joseph, of the clergy of Kitui,

currently vicar general of the same diocese.

The Reverend Joseph Mwongela was born

on 7 th April 1968 in Kakumi, diocese of Kitui.

He attended the preparatory year at Saint

Mary’s Senior Seminary in the diocese of

Nakuru (1989).

He carried out his studies in philosophy at Saint

Augustine’s Senior Seminary of Mabanga, in

the diocese of Bungoma (1990-1991) and

in theology at Saint Thomas Aquinas Major

Seminary in Nairobi (1992-1995). He was

ordained a priest on 7 th September 1996 for

the diocese of Kitui.

He subsequently held the following roles:

parish vicar of the Migwani parish (1996-

1997); parish priest of the Nguni parish

(1997-1998); formatter at the Saint Patrick

Formation House (1999-2001); diocesan

chancellor and, at the same time, director

of the diocesan office for vocational pastoral

care (2003-2008).

From 2003 to 2008 he studied in Rome

where he was awarded a licentiate from the

Pontifical Gregorian University (2003-2006)

and a doctorate in dogmatic theology from

the Angelicum (2005-2008).

He went on to serve as chaplain of the Mater

Misericordiae Hospital in Kitui (2008); parish

priest of the Muthale parish (2008-2013);

director of the Saint John Paul II Institute of

Professional Studies and parish priest of the

Boma parish (Our Lady of Africa Cathedral);

and vicar general of the diocese of Kitui

APRIL 2020

11

COVER STORY

Easter

GREAT LOVE and GREAT SUFFERING

For a more active participation in the Easter celebration

BY FR. ANTHONY KIBIRA, MCCJ

Photos: Internet

The journey of Lent that Christians

all over the world have been

making finds its culmination in

the celebration of Easter. The

many liturgical celebrations

especially in the Easter triduum (Holy

Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil)

could be referred to as a “divine spectacle”

with Christ as the main actor. The question

remains whether one lives this spectacle

as a mere spectator or fan or as a disciple.

Of course, the main actor expects active

followers. Only the beloved disciple will

really understand Easter.

The Path of Descent

In order to be an active participant in the

transformative mysteries of Easter, one

ought to realize that the path that leads to

any resurrection is a path of descent. St.

Paul, writing to the Philippians, expresses

this fact about Jesus: “… [Jesus] did not

consider equality with God something to

be used to his own advantage; rather, he

made himself nothing by taking the very

nature of a servant, being made in human

likeness. And being found in appearance as

a man, he humbled himself by becoming

obedient to death - even death on a cross!

(Phil 2: 6-8 New International Version).

This does not only point to the solidarity

of Christ with humanity in His incarnation,

but also to the very goal of being a disciple

of Jesus. Whoever follows Jesus will have

to be clear about the sole motivation of

having Jesus’ own sentiments. And, in fact,

this will be the criterion by which one will

prove the transformation that the encounter

with Jesus has brought forth in one’s own

life. St. Paul, after his own transformation

(“christification”) will be able to say: “It is

not I living but Christ living in me (Gal 2:

20). In order to arrive at this stage, Paul

knew the necessity of being crucified with

Christ. For a more engaging celebration of

the paschal triduum, it is, thus important to

experience some crucifixion as a result of

self-denial. This is the very condition that

Jesus Himself set for all who wish to be

his disciples: “If anyone desires to come

after me, let him deny himself, and take

up his cross daily, and follow me.”(Mt

16: 24; Lk 9: 23) Since Easter has to do

with new life, and this new life can only

be attained through the cross, individual

Christians should crucify the flesh and its

disordered passions in order to belong to

Christ (Gal 5:24). The same should apply

to all Christian nations that are challenged

to crucify violence, disrespect for human

rights and exploitation of the earth so as

to belong authentically to Christ. The fact

is that many believe in Jesus, but very few

are livers of His message.

Discipleship and the logic of the Cross

Christian life is best understood as a

journey of following Christ (sequela Christi).

The synoptic tradition (Matthew, Mark and

Luke) presents Jesus to be on a journey

towards Jerusalem. Jesus takes this to be

the opportunity to introduce His followers

(disciples) into the logic of redemptive

suffering (cross). Three times He will say:

“The son of man is going to Jerusalem to

be rejected by the elders, chief priests,

and the teachers of the law, to be put to

death, but then three days later to rise to

life.” (Mk 8:31; Mt 16:21-28; Lk 9:22-27)

This teaching seems not to fit into the

disciples’ expectations of the Messiah

whom they were following after leaving

behind everything. In Mark’s gospel, Peter

protests openly against the fact of suffering

that was awaiting the Messiah whom he

had professed clearly. Jesus helps him to

confront himself with the thoughts that

don’t come from God but rather from man.

The human being is inclined to avoid any

sort of suffering. The Easter event shows

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APRIL 2020

COVER STORY

us how Jesus gives meaning to suffering

without making anybody else suffer. The

cross is then transformed from being a

curse to the very sign of blessing.

Discipleship is not for sleepers

Every year, the Liturgy of the Church

offers Christians an opportunity to rethink

the depth of their willingness to follow

their Master. The journey starts with a

recognition of one’s being dust (Ash

Wednesday). Without the life-giving Spirit

of God, the human being is lifeless (Gen 2:

7). It is important to note that Jesus Himself

was led by the Spirit (see Mk 1: 12; Mt 4: 1,

Lk 4: 1). Christians follow the Lord into the

desert in order to learn from Him to resist

the cunning tricks of the tempter. Jesus is

able to overcome the apparent goodness

proposed to him by the devil because he

is rooted in the love of the Father. He had

heard the word on which all life depends:

“You are my beloved son.” (Mt 3:17; Lk

3: 22). This is the eternally established

order which the evil one tried to bring into

disorder (diabolus Gk = one who throws

things into disorder). He refuses to use

power for purposes that are not from God

the Father. The Evangelist Luke presents

a detail which deserves some attention.

“When the devil finished tempting Jesus in

every way, he left him for a while.” (Lk 4: 13).

The devil waited for another opportune

moment, namely, moment of suffering.

“Father, if you will, take this cup of

suffering away from me.” (Lk 22: 42). Yet

amidst his anguish, he surrenders himself

to the will of the Father and invites his

friends to pray in order not to fall into

the same temptation (Lk 22: 43-46).

While he was sweating blood, his friends

(disciples) were sleeping. Was that a way

of avoiding suffering? Suffering which is

part of discipleship can be lived only with

the strength given by God. This invites

us to avoid the quick-fix answers to the

paradoxical nature in personal lives

but also in the affairs of the world.

Great love and great suffering

What Christians remember on Good Friday

is a “dangerous memory” (Johann Baptist

Metz). In order to be really present to see

Jesus’ body being broken, we ought to

let ourselves be drawn to the Crucified.

He said: “If I am lifted up, I will draw all

unto me.” (John 12: 32) The only dilemma

is that the disciples who were His friends

while he still performed miracles are away

out of fear. He died for our sins. Yes. But

we may need to rethink this way of looking

at the Crucified which risks leaving us as

mere bystanders. The Crucified invites

all to contemplate the depth and width

of God’s love and what it does amidst

human hatred. Sebastian Moore (2011)

understood the cause for Jesus’ death as a

crucifixion by the world that is not ruled by

love but by idols.

As we celebrate the memorial of his

passion, death and resurrection, we ought

to think of the many forms of human

destruction that have been meant to

appease the gods of this world. The idols

especially, power have conditioned human

beings to perpetuate the world’s violent

order. God chooses to suffer because of

love and proves to the humans that it is

possible to suffer without causing others

to suffer. The only disciple who was able

to stand under this pain of the cross was

the one whom Jesus loved (see John 19:

25). Jesus reconciles God with humanity

through love which is ready to embrace

human brokenness.

Richard Rohr Ofm expresses this

succinctly: “…great love and great

suffering (both healing and woundedness)

are the universal, always available paths of

transformation because they are the only

things strong enough to take away the

ego’s protections and pretensions. Great

love and great suffering bring us back

to God, and I believe this is how Jesus

himself walked humanity back to God. It

is not just a path of resurrection rewards

but a path that now includes death and

woundedness.” At the foot of the Cross,

we see the risk of a great love which

enables the transformation of enmity

and all human inclination to vengeance.

Whoever is moved by authentic love,

will bear with suffering until the desired

transformation is achieved. True lovers are

the truth-lovers who will bring about true

justice and reconciliation in the world.

Vindication in love instead of vindictive

justice

At Easter, Christians celebrate the victory

of love. At the end of it all, it is love that

wins. There is a reality that disturbs the

human ego, namely, that the one whom

humanity wanted to dispose of comes

back to life to love and to heal humanity.

Resurrection is the ever new beginning of

the world that it opens. Our world needs

the “resurrection effect” which should

bring about healing of the wounds that are

often buried in human history.

Of course, healing happens in

personal lives but Easter should motivate

groups and communities to experience

a collective healing. This year, just two

days to Good Friday (7 th April), the world

will commemorate what humans (even

Christians) are capable of, namely the

Rwanda Genocide. Some may think that

commemorating this day is reviving the

wounds that was inflicted on others 26

years ago, but, it is an attempt to allow the

Cross to cast its light into these wounds in

order to bring about healing of an entire

nation. It is not vindictive justice (at least

not the way the world understands it) that

will free the world from the shadow of

death but the loving kindness of God who

visits humans like the dawn from on high

(see Lk 1: 78-79). Easter is this dawn.

May the light of the Risen Lord shine

into the darkness of the world, so that

God’s dream for peace on earth through

Christ’s disciples may become more real!

APRIL 2020

13

FEATURE

Photos: Internet

Mother earth cries because of harm

inflicted on her - Pope Francis

BY IRENE LAMUNU

“Seasons have changed, they are no in his Encyclical letter Laudato Si, wrote

longer what they used to be, Uganda warning people to take responsibility

used to have two rainy seasons, look at of their action in degrading the

the kind of rain we received last year,

it messed up the planting season and

environment.

The Holy Father, in his letter quotes

harvests were not good,” lamented a Saint Francis of Assisi reminding us that

citizen. Scientists say the cause of such

weather changes is global warming;

mainly caused by human activities.

our common home is like a sister with

whom we share our life and a beautiful

mother who opens her arms to embrace

They say these activities have brought us. He adds, mother earth sustains and

development in the world but hurt the

earth’s environment so much that if man

does not change his habits, we are ruining

the world. Environmental degradation is

happening worldwide and the greatest

threat is industrialisation.

governs us, and produces various fruits

with coloured flowers and herbs. He

noted that this sister now cries to us

because of the harm we have inflicted on

her by our irresponsible use and abuse of

the natural resources God has endowed

Many natural resources are being her with. Pope Francis says that we have

exchanged for factories and greenhouses come to see ourselves as the lords and

emissions have taken over the world masters entitled to plunder the earth at

because of new technologies in farming. will. The Pontiff said the violence present

Moreover, plastics have covered both in our hearts, wounded by sin is also

the earth and sea. In 2015, Pope Francis reflected in the symptoms of sickness

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APRIL 2020

evident in the soil, water, air and all

forms of life. The Pope also lamented

that people have forgotten that we are

dust of the earth; our bodies are made

up of her elements, we breathe her air,

and we receive life and refreshment from

her waters.

In the Laudato Si, Pope Francis warns

everyone about pollution. He notes

that exposure to atmospheric pollutants

produces a broad spectrum of health

hazards, especially for the poor and

causes millions of premature deaths.

When one talks about environmental

degradation, everybody on planet earth

is a stake holder. Uganda, the once

Pearl of Africa is losing its glory. Uganda

is naturally endowed with a beautiful

climate, vegetation, lakes and rivers.

Sadly, Ugandans have destroyed forests

and wetlands, and polluted lakes and

rivers. The country has lost one million

SOCIETY 1

hectares of forest cover in the last ten

years and still continues to lose more,

because annually, the country’s forest

cover reduces by 100,000 hectares. By

2017, the country’s forest cover was at

3.6 million hectares, thus, 15% of total

land area. And, over the last 10 years, the

Government has planted trees less than

150,000 hectares, creating a deficit.

In parts of the Encyclical letter, Pope

Francis is not happy with the fact that

people are replacing virgin forest with

plantations of trees, usually momcultures,

saying that it can compromise the

biodiversity. However, it’s not only forests

that are facing depletion, wetlands are

being lost to farming, sand mining and

many are being reclaimed to build homes

and industries.

Ministry of water and environment

posted on their website that, in 1995,

Uganda made history as the second

country worldwide, after Canada, to pass

a wetlands policy. The National Policy

for the Conservation and Management

of Wetlands is based on five objectives

which revolve around the principles

“

In the Laudato Si,

Pope Francis warns

everyone about pollution.

He notes that exposure

to atmospheric pollutants

produces a broad

spectrum of health

hazards, especially for the

poor and causes millions

of premature deaths.

“

of sustainability, improving wetlands

productivity and diversity and good

governance. Additional legislation

enacted that strengthened this policy

included; the Environment Act of 1995,

Land Act 1997, Local Government Act

1997, Environment Impact Assessment

Regulations 1998, the Wetland

Regulations 2000 and the Constitution

2010. These, and many other laws,

provide the legal framework that is

designed to ensure the protection and

wise use of wetlands.

Despite all this legal scaffolding,

wetlands continue to be degraded and

their area across the country is below that

recorded in the 90s. In the urban areas,

there is indiscriminate encroachment

for settlements while in the rural areas

there is much conversion to agriculture.

The data shows that the national area

of wetlands declined by 30 per cent

between 1994 and 2008. Although

between 2008 and 2014, there was an

increase in area under wetlands, this has

been a meagre 0.03 per cent increase:

from 26,307km2 in 2008 to 26,315 km2

in 2014 (MWE, 2014).

There is decline in the different river

basins, and the extent of decline varies

from over 53.8 percent in the Lake

Victoria basin to 14.7 percent in the Lake

Albert drainage basin. The Ministry warns

that wetlands are important in the society,

providing a range of ecological and

socio-economic functions, like; erosion

prevention, moderation of extreme flows,

sediment traps, climate modification, soil

formation, maintenance of water tables

in surrounding lands, and as centres of

biodiversity and wildlife habitat, food,

medicines, water supply, fisheries, dryseason

grazing for livestock, nutrient

and toxin retention, and tourism, among

other benefits. They are also important

for aesthetic, recreational and spiritual

reasons.Extracts from the Pope’s Laudato

Si also states that caring for ecosystems

demand far- sightedness; tasking

everyone to obtain significant benefits

by making the rest of humanity, present

and future pay extremely high costs for

environmental deterioration.

Recently in Uganda, another fight on

environmental degradation was turned

to Murchison and Uhuru water falls in

a bid by government to reduce the

shortage of electricity in the country.

In February 2020, cabinet in Uganda

approved a feasibility study to determine

the justification of constructing a hydro

power dam at Murchison falls National

Park. State Minister for Energy, Simon

D’Ujanga told MPs on Parliament

Committee for Natural Resources that

the findings will inform government’s

next course of action on whether or not

to construct the controversial dam on

River Nile.

In his presentation, Mr. D’Ujanga said

government signed a memorandum

of understanding with Bonang Energy

and Power Ltd from South Africa on

December 12, 2017, to do the study,

and applied for a permit with Electricity

Regulatory Authority (ERA) to carry out

the study. Interestingly, on the same river

Nile sits; Bujagali Power station, Kiira

power station, Nalubaale power station,

Isimba power station, Karuma power

station, Ayago Power station and the

oldest Owen Falls dam.

In Uganda, the recent census indicated

that the population is growing at a rate

of 3.2 percent per annum and has almost

tripled from 12.6 million in 1980 to 34.8

million in 2014 (UBOS, 2014). The country

is rapidly urbanising with the rate at 6.6

percent in 2014 (UBOS, 2014).

The high population creates high demand

for land and enormous pressure on the

natural resources for food, medicines,

fuel wood, clay mining for bricks and

other raw materials.

APRIL 2020

15

FEATURE

SOWE ISLAND

WHERE PREGNANCY MEANS DEATH

BY AGABA LUCKY

Photos: Internet

Photo: Internet

Women in SOWE Island

are living in a hopeless

and heart rending

situation and at the

mercy of God. To them,

it’s very threatening to feel the kicks of the

unborn baby on this Island due to lack of

nearby health facilities. Visiting SOWE Island

got me thinking, such visits are for only the

strong hearted. It was such an abhorrent

day in the history of my life, that if I had

been able to hold my tears at this first visit,

I would be among the few heroines of those

that have visited this pitiable place before.

The Island is located on Lake Victoria, South

west of Buwunga, in central Uganda. It’s

about an hour’s boat ride from the Busabala

shore to cross to this stone filled Island.

Being an Island, water transport is so far the

basic means of available transport for the

people to use in case of a need for hospital

services, even for expectant mothers. Tim

Janet 40, is a mother of seven and a widow

who has been staying on the Island since

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APRIL 2020

2006. Sorrowful Janet says living on this

Island feels like tasting hell on earth due

to lack of hospital access. She explained

that in order to access health facilities,

one has to cross the water to the other

side of the lake by boat which she says

is expensive for most of the people on

the Island, especially women. “It costs

about 6000 Ugandan Shillings to cross

over which personally I can’t afford,” she

lamented.

“Women here die, especially those who

don’t easily tell their day of delivering.

Pregnancy means death here, if one

woke up in the morning and wanted to

give birth, she stands a chance of dying

either on the way or the boat delaying

to take her due to lack of money,” she

narrates.

She says most of the pregnant women on

the Island start to feel traumatized when

it’s almost time for giving birth because

they are not sure if they will be able to

access the hospital or if the traditional way

will get them through safely. The women

leader of the place, Naluwanga Shamillah

also a widow of six, expounded on the

wretched state of the Island. She says it’s

terrible and dreadful that some women on

the Island who get pregnant are mostly HIV

positive and are not on medication. It’s hard

to access ARVs on this Island, as one has to

get on a boat and cross either to Ggaba or

Kampala to pick their medication. Due to

lack of money, many opt to live without the

medicine. She explained that other people

live unaware of their status since there is no

hospital facility to carry out checkups.

She added that, “most new born babies

risk contracting HIV for the women who

opt to give birth the traditional way other

than risk the water transport especially in

rainy season.” The area is blessed with only

two clinics that neither do blood checkups

nor do counseling or own professional

nurses. From the talk with most residents,

people have common known tablets like

Panadol and quinin that they take for

Photo: Internet

SOCIETY II

any sign or symptoms of an illness they

get. -The means of transport in this area

is haunting: the old boats and worn-out

water jackets get you troubled by the

boat cruise memories. In a small talk with

one of the boat riders on this Island (the

rider that got us to the Island) about the

state of the boats and the worn out life

jackets, he explained that, it’s very costly

and hard to purchase a new boat due to

the beauracracy in the Government. He

added that there is a limitation from the

government concerning buying new boats

and the compulsory licensing order from

the president Museveni, following the boat

cruise incident on Lake Victoria in 2018

that claimed many lives.

CALL OUT

William Muramira, the head of security in

the area, asks the government, NGO’s and

all charity organization to run to the help

of the Ugandans in this area especially,

“ The women leader

Naluwanga

Shamillah also a

widow of six, says

it’s terrible and

dreadful that some

women on the Island

who get pregnant

are mostly HIV

positive and are not

on medication...

“

concerning their health. He explains that if

the area got a hospital of its own, women

and other patients would be saved from

death and misery. He appreciated the

people that pay a visit in the area and offer

hope to the residents.

The chairman of the place, Kimera John,

asks that the education aspect of this area

also be looked into. He also requested that

the minister of health looks into visiting

the place and conducting HIV testing and

counselling in the area and to have a way

people can access ARVs without being

limited by distance and means of transport.

On the other hand, Naluwanga

Shamilah, the women leader calls out for

help in equipping women with skills in

order to sustain themselves and all people

who can be of help to aid in bringing

mosquito nets in the area and carrying

out sex education and financial literacy for

them and their children. This she says would

eradicate malaria and save the young girls

from sleeping around so carelessly. She

added that pads are expensive and they

desire that the price be reduced to what

people can afford. She also requested

that the government looks into the kind of

boats available for use and the life jackets

at the shore.

THE ONGOING ACTION IN THE AREA

Sprout up Youth and Women Initiative,

(SUYAWI), in collaboration with Smart

Youth Network Initiative are some of the

people who have done something so far in

the area, though too meagre for the need.

SUYAWI visited Sowe Island on 21 st

December, 2019. Viola Nakimbugwe, the

founder and CEO explains that, “access

to medical services for the people on

the Island is just a dream as there’s no

health facility whatsoever and pregnant

women are at risk as they have to cross

using canoes for long distance to access

these services which has led to a very high

mortality rate in the area,” While Arnold

Bugingo, Program Director promises that

in case they get more financial support or

help in any way, they plan to do among

others a medical camp in the place and

more skilling for the women. “We are also

going to have a medical camp at SOWE

Island since access to medical services is

just a dream at SOWE,” he explains.

With a campaign duped SAVE SOWE,

SUYAWI has since then, had their second

visit on 22/02/2020 in partnership with

Smart Youth and organized a one day

skilling program in Liquid soap making at

the Island such that people can be able to

sustain themselves by making the soap and

using it both for domestic and commercial

purposes.

However, despite all this, SOWE still desires

redemption. Organizations like SUYAWI

are already feeling the heavy weight due

to insufficient finances and resources

compared to the need in the area. The

situation in the area still calls out loud for a

savior. Who could be the savior?

APRIL 2020

17

Photos: R.N.Ayago

FEATURE

75

BY IRENE LAMUNU

years

Photo: R.N.Ayago

of Kasaala

from Comboni

18

APRIL 2020

CHURCH

Fr. Jjumba James, Parish Priest Kasaala

with love

Missionaries

Photos: R.N.Ayago

The white Fathers opened up a parish, 75

years ago in 1945, in Bulemezi Luwero.

This parish would be the first in Kasaala

village, a big land mark as far as faith

was concerned in Kasana-Luweero

diocese and the district as a whole. For fifteen years,

the White Fathers would manage the parish before

giving it out to the Comboni Missionaries in 1964.

Not only did the two missionaries bring faith in

Kasaala, but, also development in the parish. They

brought education, health care and other social

development activities in the parish. Now, they are

taking care of the elderly people. Fr. Jjumba James,

the parish priest said the parish has managed to

build decent homes for the elderly in the parish and

they are giving free medication to the parishioners.

This year, Kasaala celebrates her 75 th anniversary.

Despite the fact that the Parish failed to hold a

celebration for achievements of the past 75 years

because of the outbreak of COVID-19, Kasaala has a

lot to celebrate even without a ceremony. It has the

highest number of schools in the Kasana-Luweero

diocese of Kasaala - Luweero; as the parish has a

record of 22 schools within every sub parish.

Fr. Jjumba revealed that Kasaala Parish has

educated so many children through the sponsorship

given out by the parish. He mentioned that some

have become doctors, lawyers and even lecturers.

He also added that when he arrived in Kasaala,

they were sponsoring 400 children to attain

education. The Parish also has a vocation school

APRIL 2020

19

FEATURE

Fr. George Previdi the former Parish Priest of Kasaala

to skill the youth in Nursery teaching, hair on drinking. He added that the groups also

dressing, secretariat studies and tailoring. discourage laziness with many parishioners

This school has a population of 53 girls encouraged to work so that they can get

receiving training. Kasaala Parish has been money to save.

a home for refugees from within Luweero The parish also offers health services to the

during the war and also some refugees parishioners through a health centre IV. St.

from Rwanda during the genocide. The Mary’s Health Centre Kasaala, opened by

parish has also been a haven for refugees the Comboni Missionaries, is housed within

from Burundi and some from South Sudan. the Parish premises and it was one of the

The parish priest revealed that although projects that begun in 1980 by the parish

the Christians are not active Christians, the to support the community around during

parish and its sub-parishes have a known the NRA rebel war. It then upgraded to a

number of 20,000 Christians.

health centre in the early 1990s.

Besides, two Cooperative groups Agaliawamu

Cooperative group, and Kasaala centre four status.The centre employs 32

Today, the facility has attained a health

Twekembe were started by the former people, it has an OPD wing, laboratory

Parish Priest, Fr. George Previdi to inculcate facilities, dental department, maternity

the culture of saving in the people. The ward theatre, they give palliative care to

People embraced the idea and today, 1650 HIV patients, and also offer ambulance

people from different villages have been services. The facility administrator, Okwir

registered in 20 savings groups.

Samuel explained that the health centre

Fr. Jjumba said the reason many people has been of great help to the people of

were introduced to the saving groups was Kasaala in the fight against HIV. He noted

to avert them from wasting a lot of money that the people in the area were suffering

20

APRIL 2020

“

Today, the facility has

attained a health centre

four status. The centre

employs 32 people, it has

an OPD wing, laboratory

facilities, dental

department, maternity

ward theatre, they give

palliative care to HIV

patients, and also offer

ambulance services.

“

CHURCH

Secretarial students attend lecture at the technical school

A laboratory technician at work at st. Mary’s health centre IV. Kasaala

and many were dying because of lack of

treatment until Reach Out Mbuya HIV/

AIDS initiative came to their rescue. HIV

treatment and palliative care are the latest

to be integrated into services offered by

St. Mary’s Health Centre and HIV is not

an emergency in the parish anymore like

it used to be. Okwir said this has been a

great contribution by the parish.

The elderly of Kasaala have not been

left out. The Parish opened up St. Vincent

De Paul Kateyamba elders’ home to

cater for the elderly in Kasaala parish and

neighbouring sub-parishes. This home is

mainly for the elderly who do not have any

known relatives.

They are given shelter, meals, clothing

and medical care. The care taker of the

home, Nalwoga Magrette said the home

was opened 20 years ago and they have

taken care of so many elderly people,

unfortunately they have lost 24 people in

the past. She said the elderly are brought

in from the nearby villages. She added that

people usually contact Fr. George when they

realise an old person lacks family members

and when they are sick.One elderly man

who identified himself as Petro Machumi

said he was brought to the home from

Butuula village when he was sick, and had

no one to take care of him. He added that

he had a back problem but now he feels

better because he is taken to the hospital

and given food.

While Philemon, another elderly man

staying at the elders’ home said he came

in from Tanzania as a youth after Idi Amin’s

regime. He was brought to the home when

he was sick. When he recovered, he moved

to Kenya and returned to Kasaala as a

worker, but now that he is old, he has no

one to look after him.

However, the Parish has also registered a

number of challenges that they are battling

with. Even with the available schools, the

Parish priest revealed that the people of

Kasaala do not attach value to education.

He also noted that the high level of

drinking is killing marriages in the parish.

Besides, HIV infections are still very high in

the parish and the laziness of the people

in Kasaala has led to shortage in food.

He noted that the parish has no income

generating activities making it hard to run

some of their activities and projects.

Fr. Jjumba added that when he reached

Kasaala parish, Fr. George Previdi who

was the Parish priest then was fully funding

four schools in the parish. He would

provide school fees for every child, lunch,

teachers’ salaries and all requirements of

the schools. He also said that Fr. George

would contribute Ug shs 500,000 towards

children’s lunch in 199 schools and also

take care of orphans in those schools.

Sadly, there is no more funding.

Consequently, Fr. Jjumba has decided

that all the private schools in the Parish

should take charge of all their expenses by

collecting school fees from the children,

while the remaining few schools have been

fitted within the parish budget.

APRIL 2020

21

MANAGEMENT

Managers in

the Ruins!

PROF. VINCENT BAGIRE

The writer is a Professor of Strategic

Management at MUBS

Normalcy is no more, at

least for the next unknown

period. We are in abnormal

times. This is not a crisis. It is

beyond, it is a meltdown. No

manager prepared for this, whether in large

or small organizations, in public or private,

and not in Europe, America, Africa, nor

Uganda. How do you manage a shutdown

of this nature? No theory is available.

We simply have to face the ruins that the

Corona virus has plunged the world into.

Some organizations have closed down;

others are limping on, while others are

reaping the unforeseeable large sales.

But definitely, a new normal will emerge.

Certain beliefs that we have held have been

questioned and novel answers sought.

We are in a paradigm shift; a new level of

management knowledge has transpired.

All plans are in wreck; organizational charts,

almanacs, calendars, budgets, check

lists, schedules, altogether. As a student

of management, I write this with pain.

I think of all managers in the ruins out of

boardrooms. A primary seven pupil asked

me if they will still sit for PLE this year.

My PhD student asked if I will be

available during the closure. A Masters

class asked the Principal to allow that they

seat for an examination that was scheduled

for March 30 to clear it off their tight

study program. He referred them to the

respective Dean; who in turn referred them

to me that he was on leave. I advised that

they consult with the concerned examiner.

They were referred back to the Dean! That

is management in the ruins; such decisions

require a board room meeting. But

Government has closed all institutions. All

processes are on halt. Organizational life is

devastated. The current and future are both

in uncertainty.

I have cancelled three foreign travels and

one is in balance. Mine is a drop in the

Ocean. The costs are greater to many

people in varying magnitude and direction.

Weddings have been called off; flights are

cancelled; Eucharistic celebrations halted

and a young one asked me if there will

be Easter. I had no answer. What is Easter

to him? Mass – stopped; merry making

– cancelled. No Easter then! No one

anticipated this and none of the known

management models applies to handle

the crisis. The costs are extremely high, in

all measures: financial, time, productivity,

relationships, perishable inventory,

longer imprisonment, integrity, love and

spirituality, name it. Both Managers and

Subordinates are gazing over the horizon

in confusion.

There will be an aftermath. While the

Government in Uganda has declared

32days, we place hope on hope. The new

normal will take time to materialize, months

or even years. But, for now, Managers while

“working from home” as Government has

advised must prepare for costs of entering a

new era – of managing the aftershock, that

might be more costly than the shutdown.

Reviving systems, strengthening loops and

lope holes, revitalizing organizational life

and predicting unforeseeable demands

will take a toll on managers across the

organizational divide. Some organizations

are due for end of life; others will limp

on while paradoxically others are reaping

profits of the world. We are all bound to

experience the wrath of the outbreak.

For now, we are all in balance. From

management perspective, I advise that

in whatever circumstances the epidemic

pushes us into, let church structures remain

strong. Individual leaders may loosen in

faith, church rites will be suspended and we

shall waver in financial capability. However,

we hold in high, the prayer that normalcy

will restore soon. We remain vigilant over

our individual and community safety.

22

APRIL 2020

When a

negative selfevaluation

is good

VENANSIO AHABWE

OFFICE ETHICS

Author, Teacher, Social Scientist:

Email:venahabwe@gmail.com

Self-evaluation is the process

almost every worker goes

through. It is the statement

of one’s successes and

strengths in the company

as well as an account of what more the

employee would do for the employer.

Working people are routinely required

to undergo performance evaluations,

and self-evaluation is always the first

step. In self-evaluation, one is given an

opportunity to present one’s own views

about one’s suitability for the job one has

been assigned in the company. One then

prepares and presents the assessment

to the manager who may approve or

question some of the employee’s analysis.

Self-evaluation is an opportunity to think

back on one’s successes and failures and

to discuss possible career prospects based

on this honest assessment. Self-evaluations

may have a strong effect on how one is

perceived within the organisation. Not only

are they an important platform for taking

a look back over one’s accomplishments

and demonstrating clear communication

skills, they go into the employee file,

which is likely to be reviewed by company

executives, technical staff, and other

managers whose departments one may

move to in the future. Knowing that these

self-assessments will become part of your

employee record, it is important that they

reflect your best efforts.

An employee who is asked to do selfevaluation

should view it as an opportunity

to detail what they have accomplished

during the performance review period. It

is an opportunity to demonstrate the value

that one brings to the company using

examples of what one has accomplished.

Every worker believes that they have

a clearer understanding of themselves

than all other people. On the other hand,

writing down one’s professional selfassessment

can be such a daunting task.

Perhaps the most important purpose of

self-evaluation is self-awareness. This is

helpful for one to determine what they

are able to do and what one might not

have the capacity to do. This is more so

important for one who wishes to attain

professional growth. In many cases of selfevaluation,

people prefer to concentrate

on their positive attributes and are

unwilling to reflect on their weak areas.

It is said, however, that too much positivity

about oneself might raise red flags for one’s

employers and peers. It is believed that

employees who are honest are able to identify

both aspects where they are exceptionally

good and where they need support.

Throughout life, many people learn

to strive for perfection and we may

become afraid of making mistakes. In

reality, however, mistakes are part of life.

Ironically, mistakes are useful and often

help individuals and companies to learn

from them. Therefore, it is important for

an employee to identify opportunities for

professional improvement by analysing his

work. This involves looking for times when

one may have fallen behind or did not get

the desired results, and how to do better

in the future.

On the other hand, an employee who is

totally negative about themselves might

also create difficulties for the managers.

Being too negative might show that one

has nothing more to offer in the workplace

and the employer might use it to take

actions unfavourable to such an employee.

It may be important to provide self-criticism

in the process but one does not have to

register every minor error. What matters is

to show that one is capable of recognising

and owning one’s successes and failures.

It is only necessary to demonstrate that

one has learned from their mistakes and

would use the lessons to deliver more

accomplishments for the company. All

in all, one’s shortcomings should be

looked at as areas of improvement. Good

managers will recognize that a staff with

honest reflection on their weak points is

mostly willing to do better.

APRIL 2020

23

CHURCH DOCTRINE

The

Church is

Holy, the

Paradox of

Sanctity amidst

Sinfulness

FR. LAZAR ARASU SDB

Chaplain at Palabek Refugee Camp

We frequently hear it said,

‘Holy Mother the Church

is full of sinners.’ It is

indeed a mystery of the

Church. It is a mystery in

paradox. (‘mystery’ meaning, something

believed as a matter of faith). Jesus said

to Simon, the son of Bar Jona, “You are

Peter, on this rock I will build my Church.”

Jesus affirmed Simon as the “rock” well

knowing that Peter was in fact a weak

person. Peter manifested his weakness,

frail and impetuous nature often during

his “Formation Years” with Jesus, as we

witnessed in the story of his denial. Peter

reflects our nature. This is the origin of the

Church! The mission of the Church is to

remain holy and an instrument of sanctity

for all people of God. As Catholics, we try

to be faithful to the mission of sanctifying

the people of God and the world. More

so, we believe in the saints, their Holy life,

their intercession and their inspiration.

The Church’s mission of sanctifying

the people of God is the central theme

in many calls of the Church since Vatican

II. Continuing the spirit of the Council for

Pope Benedict, it is the raison d’être of the

New Evangelization—to renew our faith is

to become holier day-after-day. And as

the Church strives for holiness, it studies

the lives of holy men through the wellestablished

institution “the Dicastery of

the Causes of Saints.”

Church insists on our vocation to

holiness right at the moment of our

Baptism. Our call to holiness comes

through the cleansing waters of Baptism.

Holy Mother the Church is our faithful

companion in our journey of holiness. It

guarantees our salvation and our personal

and communal holiness.

One of the four traditional marks (one,

holy, catholic and apostolic) of the Church

is holiness. The Old Testament gives ample

witness to God’s election of a people, to his

choosing a people for his own and making

them holy. The Old Testament is replete

with incidents of individual and corporate

election. God often calls individuals, like

Abram, but God also calls a whole people

to himself from all of the nations. Election

always involves holiness: holiness and

election are two sides of a coin. St. Peter

proudly called the first members of the

Church, “a holy nation, royal priesthood

and people set apart…”

As the Mother Church administers

us with baptism and initiates us to a life

of holiness, she continues to nurture us

through other sacraments, liturgy and

other pastoral activities. Life of holiness

necessarily means that we are morally

upright; we distinguish good and evil,

right and wrong. It is being perfect as our

heavenly Father is perfect. As said before,

it is our baptismal call—it is our mission

and vocation.

Popes of our time, particularly Pope

Benedict XVI kept reminding us that we

be faithful to our call amidst secularistic,

materialistic and consumeristic ideals

that tint our vocation to holiness. In his

encyclical Verbum Domini of 2010 urged

us: “The Church, sure of her Lord’s

fidelity, never tires of proclaiming the

good news of the Gospel, and invites all

Christians to discover anew the attraction

of following Christ.” (VD, 90). This is New

Evangelization. It is basically an effort of

the Church to sanctify people and reconsecrate

them to God.

Among the four traditional marks

of the Church, Holy—holiness seems

to be the indispensable. It is the “one

thing necessary” of the Church. Unity,

Catholicity and Apostolic nature are

certainly important, but to lose the

element of holiness—sanctity, sacredness,

religiosity, blessedness, piety…is to lose

everything of the Church. Our Mother the

Church remains holy and will keep growing

holier, only if you and I try daily to become

holier. Because ‘Holiness is for all’.

24

APRIL 2020

PLANTS & PEOPLE

Lavandula

dentata

(Lavender)

RICHARD KOMAKECH

Botanist and Researcher in Natural Products

Lavender is an aromatic plant with a

very pleasant and soothing scent.

It has numerous species and one of

such species is Lavandula dentata

which belongs to the plant family,

Lamiaceae. It is an evergreen woody shrub

growing up to 1m tall, with pale green,

narrow linear leaves, violet blue flowers

and has more traditional grey leaves

with serrated edges. It is a large, fast

growing shrub that is sometimes referred

to as ever blooming lavender. Lavender is

legendary among herbs as a healer, and

many of its historic uses have proven to

be legitimate. Herbalists regard lavender

as the most useful and versatile essential

oil for therapeutic purposes. In fact, the

essential oil has been utilized over the

years for a number of medicinal purposes

and is known to possess analgesic,

anti-convulsive, anti-depressant, antiphlogistic,

anti-rheumatic, antiseptic,

antispasmodic, antiviral, bactericide,

carminative, cholagogue, cicatrisant,

cordial, cytophylactic, decongestant,

deodorant and diuretic activities.

The essential oil from lavender is

applied to burns and also has a healing

effect on scabies and other skin rashes.

The oil has some wonderful properties that

help with wound healing. When applied to

a wound, it promotes healing by enabling

it to contract and speeds up the process

of tissue repair. The oil also has antiseptic

and analgesic properties which eases the

pain of a burn and prevents infection. It

has cytophylactic properties that promote

rapid healing and helps reduce scarring.

The scent of lavender plant has a calming

effect on the body and it can be used to

reduce anxiety, stress and promote sleep.

In fact, lavender oil is probably best known

for its calming or sleep inducing effects.

The lavender essential oil can be

used as an antimicrobial, antiviral and

also a fungicide. It was used in wartime

for antiseptic purposes, because when

the oil was rubbed into a wound, the

infection rate significantly dropped. Many

people have used it over the centuries as a

headache remedy, and it is also popular in

aromatherapy as a tension reliever. In this

case, the lavender essential oil is inhaled

to cause the desired effects.

One of the very first uses for this

versatile herb was for flavoring food. It

is pleasant in desserts and also in savory

dishes. It lends a delightful contrast to

fruits that are sour. However, it is not

recommended to use the pure distilled

essential oil in food dishes, but flower

buds to give the right amount of diluted

essence to the dish.

Lavender has been used for restlessness,

insomnia, anxiety, diabetes and perinea

discomfort after childbirth. However, there

are limited clinical trials to support any

therapeutic use for lavender.

Lavender can be planted in gardens or

made into oil and applied to the skin or

mixed with other oils to keep mosquitoes

away. In fact, it’s believed that lavender

scent is discomforting to mosquitoes

and hinders a mosquito’s ability to smell!

Additionally, lavender repels other insects

too, including fleas and moths. Lavender

can thence protect nearby plants from

insects such as whitefly, while, lavender

planted under and near fruit trees can

deter codling moth. Likewise, dried sprigs

of lavender leaf extract repels moths.

However, despite its enormous health

benefits, lavender may possess

emmenagogue properties (Can increase

menstrual flow) and excessive internal

use should be avoided during pregnancy.

Large oral doses have been associated

with nausea, vomiting and anorexia.

APRIL 2020

25

LEADING

The missionary who loves

educating the young generation

BY IRENE LAMUNU

Fr. George Previdi was the Parish

thought about becoming a priest,

Priest of our Lady of annunciation,

that is when I thought about it. It was

Kasaala Parish untill 2019. He

my father who put the idea in my

did not know that he would

head,” said Fr. George.

one day become a priest,

Immediately the idea of becoming

until his father literally

a priest begun building up and, he

put the idea in his head.

went to his parish priest at Castelle

In primary five, his father

Dario Parish in Italy who referred him

asked him if he had not

to the seminary for an interview.

thought of becoming a

When he completed primary school,

priest, and immediately

he went to Matuva Seminary and did

the idea became alive.

an interview which he passed. He

“When I was in Primary five,

began chasing his new found dream.

my father asked me what I

While in senior two, a Comboni

wanted to do in future, I

missionary priest from Uganda visited

told him I wanted

the seminary to talk to them about

to become a

missionary life. After listening to the

teacher, he

talk, Fr. George decided he would

asked me

become a missionary priest.

if I had

Given his young age, when he

never

talked to the Rector of the Seminary,

Monsignor Amari, about his decision,

he was requested to wait until he

completed his secondary school.

After secondary, Fr. George joined

Comboni missionaries, something

that did not go well with his father,

who had wanted him to work as a

diocesan priest.

Fr. George says, his father did not

talk to him for a month. However, his

father’s reaction did not deter him

from following the footsteps of St.

Daniel Comboni. After ordination,

he requested that he works in

South Sudan but his superior

26

APRIL 2020

Photos: R.N.Ayago

instead posted him to Uganda.

He says it was the best choice, as

MISSION

he immediately fell in love with the

country. In 1969, Fr. George reached

Kasaala which was a new Comboni

Parish. This Parish had just been

handed to them by the Missionaries

of Africa. He was in Kasaala Parish for

five years, after which he returned to

Italy, to a seminary in Florence where

he worked as a formator. While in

the seminary, he got news that the

two priests in Kasaala were returning

to Italy because their permits would

not be renewed by the regime of

Idi Amin. Since he had a life permit

to work in Uganda, coupled with his

love for the country, he requested the

Superior General for permission to

return to Kasaala.

In 1976, Fr. George returned to

Uganda and immediately went to

Kasaala. However, he was dismayed

to find that the mission had been

closed, as the priests had left before

he arrived. It was not easy work in

Kasaala after his return; the place had

been invaded by cockroaches and

dust. After seven months in Kasaala,

he was requested to serve in Mbuya

Parish in Kampala as the Parish Priest

from 1976- 1979. And, in 1979, he

was posted back to Kasaala Parish.

Fr. George is a missionary who loves

helping the young people achieve an

education. This is seen in the many

schools he has helped build during

his time in Kasaala Parish. He said

that the parish has 22 outstations and

he has made sure all the outstations

have got a school and a church. He

noted that his love to see the young

get an education without difficulty

came from his experience as a child.

Coming from a poor family, Fr. George

said he walked for long distances to

get to his school. He would take off

his shoes so that they don’t get dirty,

and when he was about to reach

school, he would wash his feet in the

streams near school then wear the

shoes. Fr. George said that he knows

what it means to suffer, a reason he

has chosen to build schools in all the

outstations to help children of Kasaala

get easy access to education.

A number of children in Kasaala have

got education through his help and

have achieved big in their lives. The

fact that the children are successful in

their lives makes Fr. George a happy

man.

Out of the 22 schools, he has also

built two technical schools for boys

and girls to help skill the children and

youth of Kasaala in different fields.

He noted that despite his contribution

in building schools and churches, the

people of Kasaala also contributed by

laying bricks which were used to build

the churches.

Besides building schools in Kasaala,

Fr. George also aided build St. Kizito

Primary School Bugolobi when he

was the Parish Priest of Mbuya Parish.

The biggest challenge he remembers

from his days as a new young priest

“ One thing he

enjoys about his

missionary work is his

stay and service in

Uganda particularly,

in Kasaala and

Mbuya. He added

that the people of

these two parishes

were very kind

to him...

“

in Uganda was when he had to

learn Luganda, the language he was

supposed to use for evangelisation.

He said it was not easy learning the

language but as soon as he learnt it,

he visited one family in the parish,

who inspired him to begin a savings

group to help the people of Kasaala

develop.

Unfortunately, when the family got

paid, they decided to buy alcohol with

the money and when he asked them

why they did that, they told him they

were keeping their money safe from

thieves. That is when he opened up

the Agaali Awamu savings group to

help people save money and support

one another. He has also opened up a

St. Vicent De Paul Kateyamba elders

home where the elderly people in

Kasaala without relatives stay and are

taken care of.

One thing he enjoys about his

missionary work is his stay and service

in Uganda, particularly, in Kasaala and

Mbuya. He added that the people

of these two parishes were very

kind to him. Besides, his father also

contributed to his missionary work.

Fr. George says the last gift he

received from his father in the

2000 before his death was financial

assistance, which funded the building

of the schools. He added that after

his father returned from the mines

in Germany, he concentrated on his

dairy farm and saved money from

milk which accumulated with interest.

Before his death, he divided his

savings amongst all the six of them.

Fr. George said he donated his share

to the Comboni missionaries.

After that, his father would give

interest of his money accrued every

year to Uganda, to help build churches

and schools. Fr. George said that one

thing he was taught by his father is

being grateful to God all the time.

APRIL 2020

27

LEADING

FR. AMBROSOLI,

Doctor

and

Missionary

COMPILED BY BEATRICE AKITE WANYAMA

On December 17 th 2015,

Fr. Giuseppe was

bestowed by Pope

Francis the title of

“venerable of the

Catholic Church”. Father Giuseppe

was born in 1923 in Ronago, in the

province of Como to Giovanni Battista

and Palmira Valli. At a tender age,

the young Ambrosoli had no respite

from a serious fever, and the doctors

did not hide their grave concerns. A

woman of deep faith and devotion,

Palmira turned to the Virgin Mary to

seek comfort, she prayed earnestly;

“Holy Virgin, please don’t take my

child away. Have pity and leave him

with me. I do promise that when he

grows up, I will happily surrender him

to you, if you still want him. ” (Call Me

Giuseppe, 2017,17) She would repeat

her promise and inevitably, believers

were convinced that Giuseppe’s

entrustment to Mother Mary left

an indelible mark on his entire life,

and indeed, the little boy recovered

fully from what had seemed to be a

life-threatening intestinal disease.

Mamma Palmira attended personally

to the religious education of the eight

children, while their father, Giovanni

Battista, a passionate apiculturist

focused on the family business.

Giuseppe was born on July 25 th ,

1923 and raised in Ronago, where

he finished his primary school. After

a short time at the Istituto Volta, he

joined the school of the Scolopi

Fathers in Genoa, where he attended

the gymnasium and proved to be a

serious-minded and conscientious

student. After graduation with a

diploma in 1942, he enrolled in Medical

School at the University of Milan, and

in the meantime, he strengthened his

commitment in Azione Cattolica (an

Italian Catholic lay association) led

by Fr. Silvio Riva, who had gathered

the brightest and most devoted

young people around his Cenacolo,

an association where people prayed

together and shared thoughts. After

World War II in June 1940, Giuseppe

graduated in Medicine and Surgery

in July 1949. Before flying to Great

Britain, Giuseppe rode to Rebbio,

a little town where Mamma Palmira

occasionally visited the Comboni

Missionaries’ convent to give them an

offering, some second hand clothes

and pots of honey and candies.

Here, Giuseppe inquired whether a

doctor is allowed to become a priest

and a priest is allowed to serve as a

doctor. His doubt was cleared out

by Father Simone Zanoner in the

affirmative, as Giuseppe expected.

Even Father Antonio Todesco, the

superior general of the order gave

Photo:Internet

28

APRIL 2020

PERSONALITY

his approval. Giuseppe started

his novitiate after completing his

specialization in London. Those

were very intense years: studies at

the Comboni Institute in Gozzano

absorbed him completely. It was a

hard time for Giuseppe; the rules

of the house were very rigid, all his

companions were much younger than

him and there was no one to share

mature thoughts with. As a matter of

fact, many of them were looking for a

father figure to turn to for advice and

support.

After taking the temporary vows of

poverty, chastity and obedience in

1953, ‘Brother Ambrosoli’ continued

his theology course in Venegono.

His tutors had a special project in

mind for him. His medical degree was

indeed a blessing for the Comboni

missionaries. Father Alfredo Malandra

was an experienced and resolute

missionary; he had been working in

Uganda for years and had asked for an

additional helping hand in northern

Uganda. They needed a doctor.

Father Giuseppe was a surgeon.

Only three years after the beginning

of the third year of his theology

course, Giuseppe received a letter

from the Father General, of the

Comboni missionaries, informing him

that in a few months, he would be

ordained a priest. It was on the feast

for the Novena of the Immaculate

Conception. Giuseppe dedicated

everything to Mother Mary’s care:

‘May she take my priesthood to heart

and may her teachings and God’s will

turn me into a good priest.” (Call Me

Giuseppe, 2017, 27)

Everything was ready; Father

Giuseppe was ordained a priest in

December 17 th , 1955, at the age

of 32 by the Archbishop of Milan,

Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini-to

faithfully bear witness to Christ and to

demonstrate his adherence to Christ’s

commandment of love through his

life. (Call Me Giuseppe, 2017 9) A few

weeks after, everything was ready for

his journey to Gulu-the first leg of his

trip to Kalongo.

Fr. Giuseppe left his family and a

brilliant career as a doctor to devote

his life to the neediest. He got

to Kalongo’s small dispensary, in

northern Uganda, in 1956, on a ship

called Africa and there, he remained

until the day of his death, in 1987,

at the height of Uganda’s disastrous

civil war. During his thirty years as a

missionary priest, Father Giuseppe,

who is remembered in Uganda as

the ‘Doctor of Christy’ managed

to transform a small dispensary

into a modern and well-equipped

hospital and founded St. Mary’s

Midwifery School, now one of the

best midwifery schools in Uganda.

Faithful to St. Daniel Comboni vision,

he has left for future generations the

best example of how it is possible to

“Save Africa with Africans.” Is this

how it all ended? No. That story of

dedication to helping others and of

“

And today, this

300-bed hospital

facility provides

treatment

to thousands

of children,

women and men,

with unfailing

professional care

and love.

“

human perseverance continues to

this day, through the Foundation set

up by the family and the Comboni

missionaries, who picked up Father

Guiseppe’s legacy to provide

support and continuity to this miracle

of love. And today, this 300-bed

hospital facility provides treatment

to thousands of children, women and

men, with unfailing professional care

and love. Next to the hospital and the

operating rooms, the school is also in

full operation.

Como, Milan, Kalongo; Thousands

apart, Father Giuseppe and his work

were able to shorten the distances

between the Hospital and the

Foundation, Ugandan doctors, and

Italian volunteers, the need to receive

and the desire to give. “The operating

room had become his sanctuary” as

one of the nuns who collaborated

with him put it.

Father Giuseppe was a ‘martyr’,

namely a ‘witness’ to faith in Christ

and to Christian love, to which he

dedicated his entire life, his thoughts

and his energies. (Call Me Giuseppe,

2017, 12) On August 23 rd , 1952,

during his spiritual training, he

wrote in his personal journal: “we

must remember the imitation of

Christ, that is, that praise doesn’t

add anything to what we are; what

we are, we are. We are no greater

than what God sees in us.” (Call Me

Giuseppe, 2017, 13)

According to Mario Calabresi, (Call

Me Giuseppe, 2017, 8) the life of Fr.

Ambrosoli shows us how courage,

care and volunteer work can give

meaning to life and fill it with hope and

love. It teaches us how to get rid of

regrets, cynicism and indifference -the

greatest diseases of contemporary

society. Father Giuseppe breathed his

last on March 27 from kidney failure.

Fr. Guiseppe Ambrosoli’s beatification

is set for November 2020.

APRIL 2020

29

Catching up with Education during

the COVID-19 school shutdown

BY TUMWESIGYE MICHEAL

Photo: Internet

Photo:Internet

With forced COVID-

19 school shutdown,

what must we do for

the learners to catch

up with education at home? It’s barely

about two months ago after the launch

of the new syllabus for lower secondary

schools in Uganda. As many schools

were still grappling with issues of how

to implement a new curriculum amidst

challenges of scarce resources and

necessary skills required, again, a hard

decision had to be taken for all education

institutions to close down in response to

Coronavirus (COVID-19) threat. Across

the whole country, schools closed as part

of the effort to slow down the spread of

COVID-19. The President of Uganda on

Wednesday 19 th March 2020, addressed

the country on the COVID-19; which is

ravaging the world. During his address,

he ordered for the temporary closure

of all schools in the country for 32 days.

He noted that “Once the educational

institutions population goes home, they

will disperse into 8 million homesteads

in Uganda that have much less

concentration.” The forced shutdown of

schools in Uganda was to further gauge

and monitor the status of the coronavirus

pandemic in the country. The implication

is likely to be that if the Corona pandemic

worsens in the country, the situation will

further affect the education by extending

the shutdown period.

With Uganda joining other countries to

implement the “stay home” directive,

it implies that parents have more time

to bond with their children. Children’s

teaching and learning process should

continue even at home. The biggest

question for many parents and teachers,

is about what must we do to effect

learning for the children in this forced

COVID-19 Schools shut down? While

the developed countries like USA, have

enough resources to teach online or

offer blended or flipped learning, we

should not believe that in a developing

country like Uganda we cannot support

education for our children while at home,

especially the candidate classes.

It’s clear that developed countries

have countless online resources to

support their children while at home e.g.

Khan Academy, a site with hundreds of

videos and online tutorials for American

students across a variety of subjects;

Billnye the Science Guy and Code.org,

which focuses on science and computer

science respectively and offer both

lessons and hands-on projects; or the

BrainPOP or National Geographic Kids

websites, BBC’s Bitesize to mention but

a few. These and many other resources

are readily accessible, largely free of

charge and can often be downloaded

for use offline. Some of the schools

in the western world have Learning

30

APRIL 2020

EDUCATION

Photo:Internet

Management systems (LMS), where

the teachers upload learning resources

and learners can access learning

materials from home; do assignments;

examinations; teachers mark and post

results on the LMS.

Some teachers may send lesson

notes via emails to learners; use blogs;

pbwikis; or use conferencing software

like zoom; Skype; blue jean while others

may post lesson notes on teacher or

class websites. Such digital tools engage

learners remotely in active learning.

However, most of the digital tools

available are not easily used in 3rd world

countries like Uganda because of teacher

skill gaps, internet connectivity problems

and lack of resources to use in real time

online teaching (synchronous) or non-real

time online teaching (asynchronous). The

“

As teachers in developing

countries, it’s time to

experiment with such

digital tools in teaching.

We need to rediscover

what tools we can use as

teachers. Simple to use

tools like twitter, sending

emails of notes and

assignments...

“

good news for teachers in Uganda is that

we can share notes on parent’s phones

which are on Whatsapp and we can

use other web 2.0 tech tools which are

free online. It’s high time we developed

teaching blogs where all notes of a

given subject can be posted and shared

with the students. Such blogs can be

accessible to students using the smart

phones of parents (M-learning) to reach

out to learners in a virtual classroom.

Pbwikis, teaching websites for teachers

and teaching groups on social media like

Facebook are also good.

Most learners especially those in

upper levels of education institutions

are already using social media, such

a chance, can be exploited and with

millennial learners, they will find it

exciting to learn even better. As teachers

in developing countries, it’s time to

experiment such digital tools in teaching.

We need to rediscover what tools we

can use as teachers and parents. Simple

to use tools like twitter, sending emails

of notes and assignments, Facebook

learning groups, Whatsapp, posting

lesson notes on subject website (there

are free website making on-line tools);

which are less costly can be utilised. In my

search for localized digital resources for

schools, I found Kampala Smart School

(www.kampalasmartschool.com) which

has helpful resources for primary schools.

You can make use of it during this forced

school break. The beauty with it is that it

can be used offline.

The phenomenon of remote teaching

may pose challenges to teachers but it’s

vital as teachers to come to terms with the

global trends and embrace the education

shift. This shift from physical classroom

with walls teaching to online teaching

will be a new experience but digital skills

are vital in implementing the new lower

secondary curriculum. Also, as parents

during the current school break, we need

to engage in some play with the children

at home in addition to encourage them

to involve in pleasure reading which has

many educational, intellectual and social

emotional benefits.

Moreover, parents/guardians should have

some time for a creative, child-led project

that helps children to explore facts. Ask

your child to research on a particular

topic in any subject. e.g. you may turn

the kitchen into a lab and have your child

explore the science behind cooking.

Or, by asking your child to interview

family members and investigate the

details of the family story making personal

history. This will keep the children

engaged during this forced stay at home.

APRIL 2020

31

Photo:Internet

Livingstone

Photo: R.N.Ayago

The all-round farmer

BY R.N. AYAGO

Kajajate Livingstone is a

commercial farmer in Mityana

district, central Uganda. His

father, a subsistence farmer

taught him the basics of

agriculture in a rather traditional way. His

fathers’ informal teachings were on how

to use the land and maximize output

even when the piece of land was small.

All they farmed while he was young were

consumed domestically. Unfortunately,

his father passed away when Kajajate

was barely in his twenties. It was then

that Kajajate’s ability as head of the family

was put to test. Immediately, he began to

increase work on the available cultivable

areas of the land, with an intention to grow

more bananas [matooke], sell the surplus to

realize an income. Fortunately, it worked

for him, during the harvest, he managed

to make big sales beyond what he had

imagined! On his way home from the

markets after selling the matooke, Kajajate

would make calculations in his head which

would encourage him to even yearn for

more. The following season, he covered

the whole of their family land with matooke

plantations! Again, his efforts were

rewarded with a bumper harvest, hence,

big returns. After farming and dealing in

matooke for several years, Kajajate decided

to diversify his trade. He redesigned his

matooke plantations by intercropping with

vegetables and tomatoes, which equally

fetched large returns. After about five years

of vigorous tilling, the family land became

32

APRIL 2020

ENTERPRENURSHIP

“

A tour around

Kajajate’s farm is

proof that he surely

is an ambitious man.

There is evidence

of constant

activity, young

men and women

running about their

businesses...

“

too small for an ambitious Kajajate. He [Financial Access Commerce and Trade

was forced to buy more land to achieve Services] a Non-Bank financial institution,

his ambitions. Over the years, Kajajate has

been expanding and currently, his farm sits

on a massive sixty acres of land.

Matooke still dominates as the major

which helps to facilitate farmers through

finance and market, Kajajate managed to

get funding and started growing the beans.

Currently, he heads a group of sixty-five

income earner, although, he also grows farmers who work directly under him, thirty

other banana varieties. Other cash crops of whom are women. The beans, which

like; coffee, Irish potatoes, watermelon, have a ready market are purchased in bulk

pineapples, green pepper and onions have

from his farm when they ripen and he does

also been introduced.

not have to worry about price fluctuations

All these are farmed in a system of

because the price is fixed.

intercropping to ensure maximum use of

A tour around Kajajate’s farm is proof

the land. On one corner of the farm is an

that he is surely an ambitious man. There

orchard producing a variety of fruits like;

is evidence of constant activity, young men

mangoes, oranges, lemons and passion

and women running about their businesses,

fruits. Kajajate points out that during the

bicycles, motorcycles, pick up trucks and

matooke harvest, he produces about two

people either making deliveries of farm

thousand bunches monthly [a bunch of

essentials or buying ready products from

matooke is about ten thousand shillings on

the farm. There are two massive structures

average]. He was reluctant to give the exact

simultaneously under construction.

figures especially from the other crops,

which seem to fetch three times more in

One looks like a larger residential

value than the matooke when combined.

farmhouse much bigger with modern

Kajajate also practices animal design compared to the one he and his

husbandry, and on his farm are mixed breed family currently live in. The other, even

cattle, which produce large quantities of much larger has numerous extensions

milk. There is also piggery and poultry on on either side. Pointing to the structure,

his farm. Kajajate’s ambitious ways got him Kajajate explains that he plans to set up

venturing into the growing of beans on a a recreational facility for members of his

large scale to supply a seeds processing community to find a conducive place to

company. Through incentives from the relax after a hard day’s work, instead of

company [Pearl seeds], and FACTS going all the way to the town center.

Kajajate and his family

APRIL 2020

33

Photos: R.N.Ayago

Courtesy Photo

Catholic Workers Movement

Opportunities offered to the Youth

BY RONALD OJILONG ~ Chairperson CWM Mbuya youth desk

The Catholic Workers’

Movement (CWM) in Uganda

was introduced in 1995

through the initiative of the

Late Bishop Adrian Ddungu

(RIP), the Late Werner Reiter (RIP) and his

wife Agnes Reiter. Today, it brings together

twelve (12) affiliated Movements found

in the twelve Dioceses of Uganda. That

is Masaka, Kampala, Kiyinda-Mityana,

Jinja, Gulu, Hoima, Fort portal, Kasese,

Kasana-Luweero, Arua, Kabale and

Tororo, with a membership of about 5,638

members. Catholic Workers’ Movement is

a movement of formation through action.

The organization promotes the interests of

workers, whether formal or informal. The

overall objective is “to create solidarity and

encourage the members to take an active

part in the commitment to social change.”

That is, a comprehensive education,

one aimed at commitment, concerning

all aspects of life. To reach this goal, the

movement applies the «-see-judge-act

method», also called the «Review of life».

Therefore, since the most effective route

out of poverty is the promotion of decent

work and support for adequate social

protection, CWM mission has been to

promote human work as the most essential

key to the whole social question.

The Youth desk

The youth in Catholic Workers Movement

(CWM) form the youth desk or seedbed.

The Youth desk is dedicated to promoting

and improving the health, education,

human welfare, and opportunities for

Youths, Families and Communities.

What Opportunities are available

Investing in today’s youth is necessary

in growing the body of Christ. Teaching

young people in the church to grow in their

relationship with the Lord prepares them to

serve Christ in all they do.

Spiritual Enhancement

This we do by using the example in the

Bible of Jesus the worker, through actions.

We also encourage all the members to

be active in Church and to practice their

spirituality daily. We hold annual retreats

or days of recollections, which help us to

reflect and get solutions from the Bible and

from the encyclicals.

Meeting New People and friends

Youths who join CWM get the opportunity

of meeting others from the different parishes

countrywide and globally. It’s a chance

of getting together and sharing. CWM

conducts a number of exchange programs

at all levels of the church. Recently, the

youth at Mbuya, Uganda, hosted the Young

Catholic Adults from Kisumu, Kenya.

34

APRIL 2020

YOUTH

Learn New Skills

CWM youth desk tries as much as

possible to help its members better equip

themselves for adult life. We teach our

youth as many new skills and nuggets of

knowledge as possible. These are usually

skills that can be put to good use in various

areas of life. For instance, through our

Catering Unit in Mbuya, youth are taught

how to cook and also prepare certain

recipes. Many of our youth at Mbuya also

get the chance to acquire skills in tailoring,

drama etc. Besides, they are equipped

with organization skills, the ability to run

meetings, and experience working with a

variety of people.

CWM

incorporates activities

that allow teens to

shine and lead from

their strengths while

nurturing their

weaker areas. This

kind of challenge and

support allows teens

to feel more equipped

for life.

Be Part of a Team

Joining CWM gives one the chance to be

part of a team and provides youth with a

sense of community and belonging. CWM

youth desk runs different team games and

events which provides members a chance

to hone their teamwork skills.

It’s a great chance to mingle and learn

from each other their own set of skills and

knowledge that can be put to good use

to help the team succeed. This eventually

helps boost their self-confidence.

Discover New Places

CWM youth desk regularly organizes

trips for their members. This is a great

opportunity for our teens to explore new

places. Through the exchange programs

too, our youth visit different parishes and

Archdioceses and travel to other countries

where the movement is present.

In June this year, the CWM youth desk of

Mbuya will make a return visit to the Young

Catholic Adults in Kisumu. Travelling gives

the youth exposure and opens up their

minds as they appreciate different cultures

and beliefs.

Leadership training opportunities

CWM offers opportunities for leadership

training to the young. CWM incorporates

activities that allow teens to shine and lead

from their strengths while nurturing their

weaker areas. This kind of challenge and

support allows teens to feel more equipped

Courtesy Photos

for life. Youth learn how to resolve conflicts,

and most importantly, that a leader works

twice as hard as the people they lead.

These youth eventually carry these lessons

with them into every aspect of their lives.

The experience of being trusted to lead

at a young age gives them the tools they

need to enter adulthood with confidence.

Personal Finance and investment

The youth who join CWM also have

the opportunity of gaining life skills in

personal finance and investment. Through

the Savings Loans Association, youth are

encouraged to save in groups for a period

of time after which they can invest their

savings at the end of the cycle. A number

of trainings are also conducted through

different forums at meetings and trainings

at the Archdiocese. CWM also partners

with Centenary Bank, to conduct trainings

on savings and investment.

Employment opportunities

CWM members, especially, those who go

through our training programs also stand

a chance of being retained or employed in

some of our projects. Many of our youth are

employed in the catering unit, Canteens in

the schools, tailoring, farming or any other

project a given group runs. This enables

them earn some little money to survive and

take care of some of their needs.

We have had youths being able to sponsor

themselves back to school from the earnings.

Courtesy Photos

APRIL 2020

35

K IDS’ VOICE

Students

VOICE

Coronavirus pandemic:

Things you need to know

Dear all, you might be wondering what kind of disease this is that

is causing a lot of shut down in the country. Well, there are a few

things you need to know about Coronavirus. The virus was first

detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019.

When it emerged, the virus was known as a “novel” strain of

the coronavirus family. ‘Novel’, meaning, totally new. Scientists

gave the strain an interim name of 2019-nCoV, accounting for

the year of discovery, its status as a “novel” virus, and its family

name (CoV). COVID-19 stands for Corona Virus Disease 2019.

♣ put the tissue straight into a closed bin

♣ wash your hands regularly with soap and

water or sanitiser

♣ keep your distance from people who are

coughing and sneezing (at least one metre)

N.B:

To stay safe, avoid crowded places, wash your

hands with water and soap regularly or sanitize

your hands to kill germs.

WHAT YOU NEED TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE VIRUS

Face masks aren’t that useful

You might be seeing people wearing them, but there is limited

evidence that they work.

That’s because they are generally too loose, don’t cover the

eyes and can’t be worn for long periods.

Face masks need to be changed frequently (because they get

sweaty), if they are to offer any real protection.

TO PROTECT YOURSELF, THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

(WHO) SAYS IT’S MORE IMPORTANT TO:

♣ cover your mouth and nose while sneezing, with a tissue or

your elbow

36

APRIL 2020

APRIL 2020

37

LEADING

Breast Feeding

Photo: Internet

The making of a pandemic

DR. MIRIAM O. LAKER-OKETTA

Clinical Research Scientist Epidemiology

and Biostatistics infectious Diseases

institute, Makerere University College of

Health Sciences, kampala, Uganda

Email:drmiriamo@gmail.com

38

In December 2019, when the media first

reported a fatal respiratory illness that

was spreading fast in Wuhan China,

most of the world determined that

China was too remote for it to be any

threat. The disease caused by the coronavirus was

baptized COVID-19 which stands for COronaVIrus

Disease 2019. Just three months later, the whole

world is practically locked-down because apart

from Antarctica, all continents of the world have

been affected by the disease and the World Health

Organisation (WHO) has declared it a pandemic.

Pandemic. The WHO reserves the term for

diseases that rapidly spread to include more than

one continent. HIV was classified as a pandemic

in the 1980s but downgraded to an epidemic

because the highest spread is limited to one

continent – Africa.

Endemic. This is when a disease remains sporadic

in a geographic region. Malaria is a good example

of a disease endemic in tropical Africa.

Cases increase during certain seasons but then

reduce to few transmissions in the community.

APRIL 2020

THE SPREAD OF DISEASES ACROSS THE WORLD

In the previous centuries, epidemics never

became pandemics because people were fewer

and travelled less than today. In the past, people

only traveled short distances and usually close to

their home areas. Also, people were fewer and

spread out. Advancements in transportation like

ships, and trains, and now air travel have ensured

that diseases can be carried from one community

and distributed all the way up to another very far

away community.

Because of air travel, it is common for people who

live near airports in non-malaria endemic countries

to get malaria from infected mosquitoes carried in

HEALTH

airplanes from endemic countries. Recently,

a massive cholera epidemic in Haiti that

killed over 200,000 was traced to soldiers

who had been brought from another country

to a military base in Haiti. Many infectious

diseases, including tuberculosis, small pox,

cholera, typhoid, and possibly measles were

introduced into Africa by the trans-Saharan,

trans-Atlantic, and Indian Ocean traders.

Population growth forces physical closeness

among people.

Close contact is an excellent avenue

to transmission of diseases from person to

person. As infected people mingle with

others in the population, they spread the

disease to several others. A person with

coronavirus spreads to 2 to 4 people while

one person with measles (the most infectious

disease in the world) spreads to 12 to 18

people. In the case of the COVID-19,

initially, it was thought that transmission was

only through contact with droplets of mucus

or saliva containing the live virus.

By mid-March 2020, it had been established

that the virus could remain airborne for 8

or more hours independent of the droplets

and that it could be spread through faeces.

WHO IS AT RISK?

It has been proven that the majority of

people who get COVID-19 do not become

severely sick and more than 90% recover.

Mortality is reported to be as low as 2% so,

why is everyone panicking and why is the

world shutting down? The reason is that

being a new virus in the human race, we still

have no immunity to it, meaning that it is

very easy for anyone to catch it since their

body is not yet ready to fight it and prevent it

from moving from infection to disease.

While the majority of the people who

get infected do not suffer severe illness, the

same is not true for people whose immunity

is weakened by age (new born babies

and the elderly) or underlying disease like

diabetes, heart disease, cancer, lung disease

etc. Mortality from COVID-19 among this

group of people is as high a 10% to 20%

meaning 1 to 2 out of every 10 infected die.

What does this mean: A young healthy

person gets infected but can continue with

business as usual because they are only

coughing and have a running nose. As they

move around, they infect other people who

then transmit the infection to their loved ones

who are at risk of dying from COVID-19. It

is the reason people are being asked to stay

at home.

WHAT ABOUT OTHER EPIDEMICS AND PANDEMICS?

The best way to stop the spread of an

infectious disease is to break the chain of

spread. If you are sick, decide to be the

last one to get infected by practicing what

will stop the spread. For COVID-19, it is

remaining in isolation until you are healed,

for HIV, it is taking antiretroviral therapy and

not exposing one’s sexual partner to the

virus, for typhoid, it is washing hands after

using the toilet and not handling food.

If you are not infected, prevent spread by

getting vaccinated if there is a vaccine,

keeping away from and taking precaution

around people who are infected is handy.

SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19 VIRUS

APRIL 2020

39

Photo: R.N.Ayago

Celebrating 75 years with Art

R.N. AYAGO

The seventy-five years celebration of

Kasaala Parish in Luweero district

has prompted the Parish Priest with

a dedicated team to give the parish

a face lift. The old church building

which was constructed without the use of cement

and wooden roofing structures have been given

a modern touch. Most of the wood that had

been eaten up by termites have been replaced.

The walkways around the parish have also been

renovated and so are the gardens. But very attractive

in the whole setup are the works on display by the

artists. Once again, Lot Patrick [the sculptor who

featured in our 595 issue of September 2019] has

erected an eleven feet sculpture of the crucified

Christ. It is located at the church compound just in

front of the parish offices next to the priests’ house.

Interesting to note is that, on your left, as you

approach the church building, is a brand new

grotto. Magnificently done and dedicated to Our

Lady of Annunciation. Paintings in brilliant colors

are on display by a young visual artist called Joseph

Kiregga. His paintings in bright colors depict The

Annunciation, The Nativity, The Holy Family and

The Baptism of Christ. Joseph’s touch is simple yet

he blends both primary and secondary hues. The

brightness of his work gives the surrounding a Holy

feeling for silent worshippers. Joseph’s journey in

the art world started at a very young age, where he

liked making sketches of almost anything around him.

After completion of secondary education, he

joined Michelangelo School of art and design

where he graduated in 2015, with a major

in painting. “My desire was to join the main

university but because I lacked funding, I ended

up at Michelangelo.” Joseph narrates. He further

stressed that he would have majored in sculpture

but because of the costs involved in material, he

opted for the moderate painting.

Joseph is an all-round painter. Though most of

his work is done in oil paint to satisfy his clients,

the use of other media; like water color and

acrylic is nothing new to him. Throughout his

learning journey, Joseph noted the overwhelming

support he got from his brother, Ben who was very

instrumental because of the encouragement he

accorded him.

After school, like most graduates, Joseph sought

employment with many firms. He recalls vividly

how he worked for a certain Kasese Sculpture

foundation for about a month but unfortunately,

they didn’t employ him. It is then that he decided

to put his abilities to the test and work on his own,

despite the financial constraint. Based on that

40

APRIL 2020

CULTURE/ENTERTAINMENT

setup, he embarked on doing ‘small small’

contracts with several clients. He outlined

many examples of his work in different

places including; St. Cyprian Kyabakade,

built by Kampala Archbishop, Dr. Cyprian

Kizito Lwanga, Kisubi hospital Malakai Eco

Lodge, among others places.

When asked what his future plans are,

Joseph looks forward to opening a studio

with the aim of teaching under privileged

children who have a talent in art. He hopes

to pass on the skills he has gained to the

young so that they can be self reliant even

in their desperate situation. However, he

observed his strain being finance and

the young family he has to take care of.

Observing that his talent in art is a gift from

God, he places hope on hope to see his

dream come to reality.

Scupture by Lot Patrick

Photos: R.N.Ayago

In 1967, during the Kisangani Mutinies a virus

called Motaba, which causes a deadly fever,

is discovered in the African jungle. To keep

the virus a secret, U.S. Army officers Donald

McClintock and Billy Ford destroy the camp

where soldiers were infected. Twenty-eight

years later, Colonel Sam Daniels, a USAMRIID

virologist, is sent to investigate an outbreak in

Zaire. He and his crew - Lieutenant Colonel

Casey Schuler and new recruit Major Saltgather

information and return to the United

States. Ford, now a brigadier general and

Daniels’ superior officer, dismisses the latter’s

fears that the virus will spread.

Super Troopers 2

In 1300 BC, Moses, a general and accepted

member of the Egyptian royal family, prepares

to attack an encamped Hittite army with

Prince Ramesses at Kadesh. A High Priestess

divines a prophecy from animal intestines,

which she relates to Ramesses’s father, Seti I.

She tells the two men of the prophecy, in which

“a leader” (either Moses or Ramesses) will be

“saved” and the savior “will someday lead”.

During the battle, Moses saves Ramesses’s life,

leaving both men troubled.

PASTORAL PSYCHOLOGY FOR AFRICA

AUTHOR: Sahaya G. Selvam, SDB

PUBLISHER: Paulines Publications Africa, 2019, 248pp

AVAILABLE: St Paul’s Bookshop

PRICE: Ugx shs.33,000

REVIEWED BY: Beatrice Akite Wanyama

It is noticed that in pastoral practice, good will is not

good enough. We also need a scientific approach.

This book therefore comes in handy to offer a

psychological framework for a systematic approach

in pastoral care, for Christian ministry in traditional

societies such as Africa. In such societies, often,

Christian beliefs and practice are intertwined with

traditional worldviews and practices, while also

being challenged by transition to urban and western

capitalistic lifestyles. More scientific approaches are

needed to understand and respond to these pastoral

situations. Yet, the lack of a scientific approach in

pastoral ministry risks serious harm particularly

in handling cases of anomalous experiences such

as possession-like behavior, hearing voices, e.tc.

Therefore, reflections that draw insights from

scientific psychology and other alternative practice

paradigms are urgently needed. The aim of this

book is to engage in such a reflection and the book

is ecumenical in its scope. (pp 9-10)

The book has 30 chapters grouped into five parts:

Psychology and Pastoral care, The Person of the

Pastoral Practitioner, Life-Long Development,

Anomalous and Religious Experiences and Groups

and Individuals. It explores the dynamics of

ministry using theories and methods provided by

contemporary psychology.

Though ideal for pastoral practitioners, including

priests, chaplains, spiritual directors, formation

guides, and other pastoral collaborators, the book is

handy for anyone involved in ministry in the context

of Christian faith.

APRIL 2020

41

OPINION

The Cost of Coronavirus from an Economic lens

RUGAYA M. JULIUS CAESAR

Freelance Writer

At the height of the negative effects of

the stigma associated with the HIV/

AIDS scourge in the 1980’s and 1990’s in

Uganda, a phrase was coined to wit, that

if you are not infected you are affected.

Nothing could be truer at this moment when the

whole world is reeling from the shock of the novel

coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Its ripple effects are still

unprecedented, and it will take many countries

years to recover from a global pandemic of this

magnitude. Unfortunately, the situation will even

be worse for the developing economies of sub

Saharan Africa. Take Uganda for example.

At the time of writing this article, the Ministry of

Health had confirmed 9 cases of people who had

tested positive for Corona virus, now commonly

referred to as COVID-19. Many others who tested

negative and are now roaming freely around the

country could simply be asymptomatic for now

yet they are infected and are infecting others

unknowingly. In short, we have a disaster awaiting

to unfold in our faces.

Needless to say, this virus is not a health concern

alone anymore. It will significantly affect economic

activities in all spheres of life. In his March 19th

statement to Parliament, Minister for Finance, Hon.

Matia Kasaija said that the outbreak of COVID-19

in Uganda will impose a significant strain on the

health sector which will in the end require additional

resources to deal with the pandemic. That is not

the only thing that should worry us though.

COVID-19 in Uganda is already having a

negative impact on our economy. Right now, the

tourism and hospitality industries are on their knees.

With all international flights suspended, tourists are

no longer coming into the country. Tour operators,

hoteliers, tour guides, drivers, among others have

been rendered unemployed. Bars are now closed:

bar owners, bar tenders, and those who sell other

commodities near such places like roasted meat,

are also at home not earning a coin. With restricted

movement, roadside kiosk owners and other

traders in mobile markets can hardly make even

half of their normal daily income. Taxis are now

forced to either wait for passengers for many hours

or simply move half empty. Businesses are shutting

up in all directions. The painful realty is that most

Ugandans survive on a daily income with zero or

minimal savings. Therefore, a day without work is

another step into destitution. In fact, Ministry of

Finance has already estimated that about 780,000

Ugandans may be pushed into poverty because of

coronavirus.

A much ignored problem, however, is that of

alarmists, fear-mongers and purveyors of fake

news. Social media, particularly WhatsApp, is

awash with unverified scary information concerning

the disease. The timely warnings from the media

regulator, Uganda Communications Commission,

have since gone unheeded. The panic this

callousness and carelessness has so far caused is

immense. People are now doing panic shopping as

shopkeepers cash in by hiking commodity prices.

For instance, a packet of salt is reportedly being

sold at 4,000 shillings up from 800 shillings in some

places. Hand sanitizers which are essential at this

crucial moment are going for over 100,000 shillings

up from 27,000 shillings.

Unfortunately, middlemen are purchasing

agricultural products cheaply to hoard in their

stores in order to create a temporary shortage so

that they benefit from increased prices. We are in

a state of economic lawlessness. The only realistic

solution in the circumstances would be to set a

price cap for all commodity prices, or at least the

essential ones. We are in a crisis that requires

quick pragmatic solutions. As American economist

Milton Friedman once said, “Only a crisis, actual

or perceived, produces real change.” We need

“to develop alternatives to existing policies…

until the politically impossible becomes politically

inevitable.”

If the worse comes to the worst and we end up

into a nationwide lockdown, hunger may claim us

even before the virus does. Remember, if you are

not infected, you will be affected.

42

APRIL 2020

DIRECTOR

Fr. John Peter Alenyo

COMBONI SPIRITUALITY CENTER – LAYIBI

P.O. Box 777, GULU

PROMOTING SPIRITUAL AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT OF THE PEOPLE

APRIL 2020

Wednesday 1 st to Friday 10 th Preached Retreat: BLEEDING LOVE: based on

events of the Easter Tridium Fr. J. Peter Alenyo, MCCJ

Monday 20 th to Saturday 25 th - MCCJ Provincial Assembly by Fr. Achilles Kiwanuka,

MCCJ & Team

25 th to 27 th April - Center free

Tuesday 28 th - April to Sunday 3 rd May - Comboni Lay Missionaries – Uganda.

Recollection and Annual assembly

MAY 2020

Monday 4 th to Wednesday 13 th Preached Retreat for Comboni Missionaries’

Novices. Topic HERE I AM, LORD – a prayerful journey into the Religious Vows.

Fr. J. Peter Alenyo, MCCJ

14 th to 17 th Re-evaluation Counselling Workshop

Monday 18 th to Wednesday 27 th Preached Retreat. Topic: Empowered by Fire

Devine. An explosive Retreat for all yearning for a boiling spiritual life. Fr. J. Peter

Alenyo, MCCJ

JUNE 2020 - Monday 8 th - Wednesday 17 th . Directed Retreat. Fr. J. Peter Alenyo,

MCCJ

18 th to 30 th - Center free

JULY 2020

Thursday 2 nd July to Friday 11 th Preached Retreat: BREATHING I COME

(aimed at firing up the young Clergy and young Religious in their lives

and ministry) Fr. J. Peter Alenyo, MCCJ

12 th to 23 rd - Center free

24 th to 27 th - Workshop for Catholic Women Action. Miss Irene and team

AUGUST 2020

Monday 3 rd to Wednesday 12 th Directed Retreat Fr. J. Peter Alenyo, MCCJ

Monday 17 th to Tuesday 25 th Preached Retreat: GOOD AFTERNOON MIDLIFE

(Aimed at Clergy and Religious above 35 years. A prayerful exploration of the

Common issues of Midlife) Fr. J. Peter Alenyo, MCCJ

SEPTEMBER 2020

Tueday 1 st to Wednesday 9 th Preached Retreat to the Sisters’ of St.

Joseph of Tarbes. Topic: “THE EVANGELICAL GAZE” a Meditation on how

God sees us and a call to learn from Him by Fr. J. Peter Alenyo, MCCJ


Monday 21 st to Saturday 26 th Workshop for Pastoral Spiritual Year

Seminarians by Mrs. Judith Bakakimpa Nalongo, Fr. Joseph Bukyanandi and

team

OCTOBER 2020

Thursday 1 st to Saturday 10 th 4 by 4 Preached-Directed Retreat (First

4 days preached. Topic will be determined by the felt needs of the majority.

Last 4 days of personalized accompaniment)


Saturday 10 th COMBONI DAY

Half day recollection and lunch for Clergy and Religious.


NOVEMBER 2020

Tuesday 3 rd to Thursday 12 th Directed Retreat. Fr. Peter Alenyo

Monday 16 th - Wednesday 25 th - Annual Retreat for Comboni Missionaries

26 th to 29 th - Workship for Catholic Women Action. Miss Irene Abwot and Team

DECEMBER 2020

Tuesday 1 st to Saturday 5 th Re-evaluation Counselling Workshop.

Thursday 10 th to Saturday 19 th . Annual Retreat for Missionary Sisters of

Mary Mother of the Church: Novices and Jubilerians. Fr. Bernard Megnihoue

MCCJ, Sr. Margaret Pirango, LSMIG, Sr. Doreen Oyella, SHS, Sr. Angella

Limiyo MCMMC

JANUARY 2021

Monday 4 th to Wednesday 13 th . Directed Retreat


14 th to 31 st - Center free

THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED ARE CONFIRMED AND ARE ALREADY FULLY BOOKED.

*Retreat Guides on standby. Any of the following Directed Retreat Guides will be called upon when at least 3

persons request for them early enough.

Sr. Margaret Pirango LSMIG, Sr. Margaret Uraa MSMMC, Sr. Doreen Oyela SHS, Sr. Angela Limiyo, MSMMC; Sr.

Pasqua Binen SHS, Sr. Nancy Koke RSCJ, Miss Linda Isyagi, Sr. Jo Wright RSCJ, Fr. Ramon Vargas MCCJ, Fr. Arnold de

Schaetzen, M. Afr. Fr. Joseph Bukyanandi or any other suggested by you.

Arrival is in the evening of the first date indicated from 4:00pm to 7:00pm. Departure is after breakfast on the

last day indicated.

COSTS:

• Sh. 100,000: Executive Full board. All Food and drinks ordered according to personal taste. Laundry services.

Free Wi-fi. Full use of all available facilities.

• sh. 70,000: per person per day. Ordinary Full board. 5 meals. Snacks available at all times. Free wi-fi, full use of

available facilities.

• Sh. 45,000: full board for prayer activities 4 meals. No wi-fi. Full use of available facilities.

• Discount rate of Sh. 350,000 for eight days’ retreat.

• Bedsheets, towels, slippers, bathing soap are provided.

For more information and booking call the Director: Fr. John Peter Alenyo, MCCJ 0774033247 or 0702581282. (also a Whatsup number)

E-mail jopeale@yahoo.com Or the Coordinator: Mr. Otto Bartholomeo, a Comboni Lay Missionary at 0774423208 or 0758978197

Limone Medical Centre

Offering a wide range of medical services with a Holistic approach in a very serene environment

Services offered

- General and specialist consultations

(Surgery, Paediatrics, Gynaecology)

- Routine Physical Examination

- Child Immunisation

- Vaccines (Tetanus, Yellow Fever, Rabies, Hepatitis B)

- Minor Surgical Operations

- Bed Rest (Patient Day Care)

- Antenatal Care

Plot 94 Ismael Road Mbuya | Tel: 0393 243 396

April web

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