Donors urged to give orphans capital

Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala has asked donors to provide capital for orphans and vulnerable children in vocational institutions to start their own businesses.

By Jean-Marie Nsambu and Jude Kafuuma

Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala has asked donors to provide capital for orphans and vulnerable children in vocational institutions to start their own businesses.

Wamala was recently speaking at the handover of a girls’ hostel at St. Elizabeth Vocational and Girls’ Home on Kabakanjagala Road in Mengo.

The one-storey building housing over 100 orphans was built with funds provided by the Archdiocese of Pescara in Italy.

Other contributors to the project included Rotary Foundation and the Rotary clubs of Torre del Greco in Italy and Portbell in Kampala. Together, they pooled $23,100 (about sh48.5m) to buy materials, computers and sewing machines.

“You are equipping these girls with skills to get jobs or get self-employed. But how shall they start without capital? Equip them with skills, but also provide start-up capital,” Wamala urged.

Wamala counseled the girls saying: “You were brought here to be educated and made into God-fearing citizens. We expect you to uphold this.

“If it doesn’t happen, then you will have wasted the resources of donors who established this home.”

The home was established in 1998 by the Good Samaritan Sisters to care for disadvantaged girls, including those living on the streets, who have HIV.