Poor people will find it hard to exercise true Christianity, the bishop of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church in Central Uganda Conference (CUC), Samuel Kajoba, has said.

Emphasising the need for financial freedom of an individual, family and Church, Kajoba said poor Christians obstruct development and the Church’s core mission of evangelism.

“If a whole church of over 20 families collects sh3,000 in offertory, how do you expect that church to grow, put up good structures and evangelise? Who would want to join a group of paupers? It is high time each church member asked the pertinent question of ‘how will I get me out of poverty?’” he said.

Kajoba made the remarks while opening the seventh virtual Adventist Business Conference (ABC), an annual entrepreneurship and skills development meeting organised by CUC to empower Christians to attain financial independence.

The event took place at the CUC headquarters in Kireka, Wakiso district on Sunday, November 27. 

The bishop implored men as heads of families to put in place strategic plans of how to get out of poverty.

He said he once ministered in a church which asked him to stop sending them guest preachers because they could not raise the money for transport.

Kajoba said several families were wallowing in poverty due to the ‘pull him/her down’ syndrome.

“In these kinds of families of over six members, only the father works. The rest remain home to watch TV soaps, clean the house and make phone calls. If the rest of the family members depend on one person, how will they develop?” he said.

The founder and managing director of Maganjo Grain Millers, Benon Luggya, said the remedy to family poverty is starting cottage businesses which can even be passed on from one generation to another.

“Cottage businesses provide an opportunity to learn business discipline. There is nothing as good as cottage industries when it comes to introducing children to business. That’s what even grandparents in the Bible used to do,” he said.

True friendship, according to Luggya, goes along with business interests.

He attributed the slow growth of cottage industries in Uganda to theoretical western education.

The conference was organised under the theme: Naawe Osobola (you can do it).

Damalie Mirembe, one of the conference organisers, said the theme was critical for women, especially house wives, as it compelled them become innovative and supplement their husbands’ income. 

“This conference is not only meant for the rich people, but shows how even those without capital can start,” Mirembe said.

Willy Kasirye, the managing director of Akas Supermarket in Kawempe, a Kampala suburb, said cottage industries is the only way of bringing up children who will love engaging in production. “Let’s inculcate that culture of working together as family,” Kasirye said.

Church fights poverty

Fred Nkayivu, the managing director of Prime Radio, said the conference was started seven years ago to tackle poverty.

“As the Church mouthpiece, we decided to soul-search on how best we can help to lift Christians out of poverty. That is how we came up with the Adventist Business Conference which is always hosted in Lugogo. We have resolved to go virtual in adherence to the public health protocols to curtail the spread of COVID-19. We are glad that there are a number of testimonies from people who have benefited from this programme,”he said.