Catholic Church charity seeks sh600m for orphaned, needy children
During the September 16, 2025, event at Cardinal Nsubuga training centre in Nsambya, Kampala city, the Catholic Church’s humanitarian arm, Caritas Uganda, appealed for support from the public to help educate orphans and vulnerable children across the country.
Caritas Uganda’s national director Rev. Fr. Hilary Muheezangango speaking during a shilling 600 million fundraising drive aimed at supporting 380 orphans and vulnerable children. (Courtesy photo)
By Zulaika Iqra Nakato
Journalists @New Vision
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A shilling 600 million fundraising drive aimed at supporting 380 orphans and vulnerable children annually has been launched in Uganda.
During the September 16, 2025, event at Cardinal Nsubuga training centre in Nsambya, Kampala city, the Catholic Church’s humanitarian arm, Caritas Uganda, appealed for support from the public to help educate orphans and vulnerable children across the country.
As part of fundraising, the charity is targeting shillings 60,000 per individual from at least 10,000 contributors to raise 600 million. The money is expected to ensure that the learners are supported in accessing education, shelter, and dignity.
The initiative is set to be launched on November 28, 2025, with a dinner under the theme: Charity is the Heart of Faith.
During the announcement of the launch of the initiative, New Vision Online interacted with Irene Aciro, a widow and one of the beneficiaries of the charity's initiatives. Aciro’s voice trembled as she recounted her family’s despair after her husband’s death left her unable to pay school fees for her three children.
“My daughter spent a full term out of school until Fr. Ronald from Caritas visited. They gave her a full bursary. I’m so grateful,” she said.
A lifeline
Caritas Uganda’s national director, Fr Hilary Muheezangango, emphasised that the charity’s work transcends monetary support:
“We provide education, clothing, shelter, and emergency relief—regardless of religion. Every child deserves a chance to learn and thrive.”
The campaign is expected to fund school fees, meals and crisis interventions for families like Aciro’s. Since January 2025, donations have already made a tangible difference, a milestone set to be celebrated at the November 28 fundraising dinner.
A call to generosity
Muheezangango urged Ugandans and international supporters to join the effort.
“Planned giving and community fundraising will shape a brighter future for these children—they are the future of tomorrow.”
The initiative aims to sustain Caritas’s year-round work, from distributing school uniforms to responding to emergencies.