Museveni hails church for good relations with Govt

Oct 01, 2019

The President’s message was yesterday delivered by the finance state minister for planning David Bahati at the Church of Resurrection Bugolobi in Kampala.

EDUCATION       RELIGION

KAMPALA - President Yoweri Museveni has commended the Church for being a reliable partner with the Government on the provision of health and education services.

The president said the church has been instrumental in the molding society's morality, ensuring social stability and economic empowerment. 

The President's message was yesterday delivered by the finance state minister for planning David Bahati at the Church of Resurrection Bugolobi in Kampala.

This was during an event to raise funds to support Bethel Rock School of the vulnerable children, supported by the Church.

The event also coincided with the 30th anniversary of the school, which has supported over 3000 vulnerable children to attain education.

 ev yarugaba showing delegates how ugolobi hurch of ganda looked like in 1988 Rev. Byarugaba showing delegates how Bugolobi Church of Uganda looked like in 1988

 


"This celebration is a testimony of your faithfulness to God and mankind for you have transformed and impacted lives of vulnerable children," he said.

Museveni emphasized the church's role in economic recovery after the NRA liberation war;

After the war in 1986, the President noted that the country faced severe challenges, society and the economy had been dilapidated.

Inflation was 240%, poverty levels were far above the 56%, there were price controls in the commodity sector, the country was facing foreign exchange controls, the road infrastructure was extremely poor, access to clean water was at only 10%, infant mortality rate was at 120/1,000 babies born alive, maternal mortality rate was at 700/100,000;

Immunization coverage was 30%, AIDS prevalence was 30%, telephone lines were only 28,000 telephone lines and only a third of school-going children were going to school.

He said that the Government identified education as one of the most powerful instruments in achieving the goal of human resource development.

"In 1996, Uganda became the first country in Africa to institute Universal Primary Education (UPE).

This is because of the importance the Government attaches to education as a major pillar in human resource development," he said.

"In a special way, therefore, I want to thank the Church of Resurrection Bugolobi for the sacrifices and the humanitarian efforts," he added.

He said Government is working with other private institutions to ensure that services are brought closer to the communities especial on issues of health.

"I encourage the stakeholders involved in ensuring that the orphans and other vulnerable children are taken care of, to play a fathering role that is beyond the provision of welfare services.

But equip them with skills that can contribute to their meaningful livelihood even after they have been incorporated into communities or matured well enough to be independent,"  the President appealed.

 icar of hurch of ganda ugolobi odfrey yarugaba head of aity en dur resident others nion and pioneer teacher of ethel ock chool olly amishani and the tate inister for inance avid ahati cutting cake to mark 30 years of ethel ock ommunity chool (L-R)Vicar of Church of Uganda Bugolobi Godfrey Byarugaba, head of Laity Ken Odur, President Mothers Union and pioneer teacher of Bethel Rock School Jolly Kamishani and the State Minister for Finance David Bahati cutting cake to mark 30 years of Bethel Rock Community School

 
The President contributed sh50m to support the school's efforts to establish their own home.

Prof. Edith Natukunda, the chairperson of the church education committee, said the school which started in 1989 was intended to support the education of the children who were orphaned and displaced by the war from different areas and were stuck in Kampala.

"Out of those children with support from an organization called Ambassador of Hope, we have trained doctors, nurses, lawyers, among other professionals who have turned out to be useful to this country," she said.

However, the school has continued to operate in the church buildings a reason why they have started a hunt for their own home.

The church vicar, Rev. Geoffrey Byarugaba, noted that the church should be supported in the business of human capital development.

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