Written By | Jovita Hasto
The archbishop of Mbarara His Grace Lambert Bainomugisha encouraging the children to grow a sugarcane while leading mass in Ibanda. Photo [Jovita Hasto]
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By Jovita Hasto
The Archdiocese of Mbarara has launched a children’s fundraising drive targeting Shs300 million for the Archdiocese of Mbarara Development Fund (AMDEF), which supports the development of Church institutions, including schools and health facilities.
The initiative, spearheaded by Archbishop Lambert Bainomugisha, challenges every child in the archdiocese to grow sugarcane and contribute Shs1,000 annually from the proceeds.
Launching the drive during Mass at Our Lady of Mercy Ibanda Parish in Ibanda Municipality, Bainomugisha said small contributions from children across the archdiocese could collectively raise Shs300 million for development projects.
“When I come back to this parish next year, I want to find children growing sugarcane. After harvesting, they can sell one sugarcane and contribute Shs1,000 to AMDEF,” he said.
He added that sugarcane, avocados and eggs had historically helped communities raise resources for building Catholic churches, encouraging children to embrace the initiative as a practical way of supporting the Church.
Bainomugisha said the faithful should not assume that the Church’s development work was solely the responsibility of the government or external organisations.
He noted that the Church provides services throughout people’s lives, from birth and education to healthcare, marriage and burial, and called on beneficiaries to contribute towards maintaining and expanding its institutions.
“The Church has always been there for the people, and the children we are raising attend schools founded by the Church. We need to understand that these institutions were established in the past and continue to benefit us and the government,” he said.
He urged political leaders to recognise the importance of community services and support the renovation and development of facilities that serve the public.
Ibanda Municipality MP Peter Agaba commended the Church for its contribution to development in the area and appealed to the public to support the fundraising drive.
He cited Church-founded institutions, including children’s homes and health facilities, as important contributors to community welfare.
Ibanda District Woman MP Jovrine Kaliisa also praised the Church for its contribution to healthcare, recalling the role played by Uganda Martyrs Hospital in Kagongo, Ibanda, in treating children during measles outbreaks in the 1990s.
She said the hospital had since improved its services and continued to benefit residents of Ibanda and neighbouring districts.
Kaliisa noted that the facility serves communities in Ibanda, Kiruhura, Kitagwenda, Kazo, parts of Kamwenge and Buhweju, highlighting the importance of continued investment in healthcare infrastructure.
Fr Prof. Peter Kanyandago, the Ibanda District Episcopal Vicar under Mbarara Archdiocese, said the sugarcane initiative was a simple and practical way of mobilising resources while teaching children self-reliance.
He urged priests to mobilise young people to participate, saying the proceeds could support the construction and improvement of educational institutions, the purchase of books and computers, and the renovation of school buildings.
“If each child plants one sugarcane, it reproduces, and selling one piece can help raise resources. The money can be used to support education institutions and provide learning materials,” Kanyandago said.
He also appealed to the faithful to contribute towards the Church’s development, noting that many of the facilities currently serving communities were established through the sacrifices of previous generations.
Kanyandago said contributions should be viewed as an investment in institutions that would continue serving future generations, rather than as payments made in expectation of free or subsidised services.
He further called for continued collaboration between the Church and government in delivering essential services to communities.
