Prior to the global impact of Covid-19, many communities in Busoga and the surrounding areas faced significant challenges in sustaining themselves and struggled to afford basic necessities.This posed a major concern for the cultural leadership at Bugembe Kingdom Headquarters.
As an organization that prioritizes the welfare of the people, Busoga Kingdom initiated discussions with the highest levels of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for potential collaboration, and received a positive response.
It is no surprise, therefore, that Busoga Kingdom now boasts the largest number of Latter-Day Saints Churches in Uganda. This collaboration has led to the Church providing support for the construction of well-equipped maternity wards, water sources, and classroom blocks, among other initiatives.
During the pandemic, the Church provided food supplies to support the Kingdom, helping to feed the less privileged members of society. Additionally, they offered agricultural tools to improve food security, which has led to a decrease in instances of sexual and gender-based violence within households. The donated items included hoes, seedlings, and pesticides.Over 50,000 individuals have benefited from previous projects, and more are expected to benefit from this ongoing collaboration.
As their partnership strengthens, the two organizations recently initiated a Lightning Arrestors project at Nambaale Primary School in Kigulu Chiefdom, Iganga District. This initiative successfully installed lightning arrestors in over 100 schools free of charge.
Following a Lightning strike that hit Nambaale Primary School late last year, Teacher Loy Kanage was tragically claimed, leaving behind seven orphans. Additionally, on Saturday, January 13th, 2024, four teenagers from the Bintabara family were struck by Lightning and were laid to rest at Marembo Ward, Kitagata Town Council, Sheema District. These four minors were pupils at Kitagata Central Primary School. In response courtesy of the lightning initiative, the school, along with others in the area, has been equipped with Lightning Arrestors to prevent future strikes.
Owek. Dr. Joseph Muvawala, who serves as the Kingdom Premier and Executive Director of the National Planning Authority, emphasizes that the collaboration between the Kingdom and the Church is rooted in shared values.
“In both the Church’s structure and our Kingdom, the foundational principle is to serve humanity, making us strong allies with shared values as we strive to improve the living standards of our people. The projects we have implemented are successful and directly benefit our people. By providing a maternity ward with beds, we have created a comfortable environment for expectant mothers to safely deliver their babies with the assistance of trained professionals,” Muvawala emphasized while also expressing the importance of appreciating the kind gestures from members of the Church worldwide.
Communications Director Godfrey Kitimbo, from the Jinja Church emphasizes that their Church always stands with just causes that directly affect the community.
“The services we provide are community-oriented. We stand with just causes that impact communities wherever necessary, and our support is comprehensive, regardless of the individual’s religion, tribe, or political affiliation. Within the Church, we believe that offering support to those in need, without any form of categorization based on the above factors, is the most effective approach,” Kitimbo stressed. He also highlighted the fruitful collaboration with the Kingdom, which involves people from diverse backgrounds.
An expert in meteorology, speaking on condition of anonymity, emphasized the importance of prioritizing the installation of lightning arrestors in schools by the government, Busoga Kingdom, and their partners. They stressed the unpredictability of current weather patterns and the need for increased vigilance to protect the lives of children. The expert urged government, Busoga Kingdom, and their partners to take immediate action. Deforestation in Busoga and the surrounding areas due to widespread charcoal burning has put many schools at high risk of lightning strikes. The expert recommended the installation of arrestors as the only solution to safeguard students in the area.
After the installation of Lightning Arrestors in 100 schools, more than 100,000 students are now protected wherever they go to school. Unfortunately, most schools in the area still do not have arrestors, even though it’s clear that they are likely to be targeted in future lightning strikes.
Kingdom Premier Owek. Joseph Muvawala (Ph.D) is confident that their partnership with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will continue to view this as a feasible project aimed at schools that were not covered in the previous two phases but are at a higher risk of being struck by lightning.
