Welcome to the website for Fr. Mujule of the Diocese of Hoima, Uganda. It is three years since Fr Mujule came to Belleville Diocese and to St Rose of Lima Parish in Illinois,USA. This site (RurO) has been set up in response to St. Rose of Lima parishioners' request to know more about Fr. Mujule — his previous priestly pastoral ministry experiences in his home Diocese of Hoima, Uganda — to know more about Bishop Deogratias Byabazaire, the Bishop of Hoima Diocese, to know more about Hoima Catholic Diocese, the history of Uganda, and to know the people of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom. For Fr Mujule, this Website (RurO) is his witness to the work of GOD PLANTING THE SEEDS OF CHANGE among God's people.
Please use the links on the left side of the page to navigate to individual posts, or use the "Categories" section on the left side of the page to view all posts on a particular topic.
Father Mujule Comes to the USA
Fr. Michael Chris Mujule traveled on August 22, 2006 all the way from Hoima Catholic Diocese, Uganda, East Africa, to come as a missionary international priest ready to minister in the Belleville Catholic Diocese in the southern part of the state of Illinois in the USA. He is the third priest to have come from Hoima Diocese and serve in Belleville Diocese. Msgr Matthias Nyakatura Vicar General Hoima Diocese was the first to come here for a Sabbatical and stayed at Shiloh's Corpus Christi Church for one year June 03 - June 04. Then came Fr John Baptist Ssebitosi who served as Pastor at Valemeyer's St Marys Church for two years June 04 - July 06. On August 23, 2006, the feast day of St. Rose of Lima, Fr. Mujule arrived in Belleville and stayed at the residence of Belleville Diocesan Bishop Edward K. Braxton for a period of acclimatization to the Belleville Diocese, American culture, and the Catholic Church in America. Then on November 10, 2006, Fr. Mujule was given the appointment letter to go and minister to the Christians of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in the city of Metropolis, Illinois — known as the "Home of Superman." He arrived at the parish on Tuesday, November 14, and was officially and joyfully welcomed by the parishioners on Sunday, November 19, 2006.
Fr Mujule had earlier on come to the USA for his Master's Degree in Education at the University of Portland, Oregon's Catholic University, USA, 1983-84 when he was sent for studies by the then Bishop Albert Edward Baharagate of Hoima Diocese. But this time returning after almost 22 years (84-06) he found a lot of changes in the US. He is gratefull to the Congregation of the Holy Cross Fathers (CSC) who gave him the scholarship to study for M.Ed at the University of Portland, Oregon. The Holy Cross Fathers are at Notre Dame University, in South Bend, the State of Indiana. The CSC worked as missionaries in Bunyoro and Toro kingdoms now called Hoima and Fort Portal Dioceses respectively. Father Mujule first met the American CSC Fathers when they were missionaries working in his home parish of Bujumbura. He received the sacrament of Confirmation from Bishop Vincent McCauley (CSC) of Fort Portal Diocese, and was taught by the CSC at Virika high school or minor seminary (Fort Portal) and at Ggaba major seminary (Kampala) in Uganda.
Fr Mujule had earlier on come to the USA for his Master's Degree in Education at the University of Portland, Oregon's Catholic University, USA, 1983-84 when he was sent for studies by the then Bishop Albert Edward Baharagate of Hoima Diocese. But this time returning after almost 22 years (84-06) he found a lot of changes in the US. He is gratefull to the Congregation of the Holy Cross Fathers (CSC) who gave him the scholarship to study for M.Ed at the University of Portland, Oregon. The Holy Cross Fathers are at Notre Dame University, in South Bend, the State of Indiana. The CSC worked as missionaries in Bunyoro and Toro kingdoms now called Hoima and Fort Portal Dioceses respectively. Father Mujule first met the American CSC Fathers when they were missionaries working in his home parish of Bujumbura. He received the sacrament of Confirmation from Bishop Vincent McCauley (CSC) of Fort Portal Diocese, and was taught by the CSC at Virika high school or minor seminary (Fort Portal) and at Ggaba major seminary (Kampala) in Uganda.
Official Diocesan Appointment of Fr. Mujule
"His Excellency, the Most Reverend Edward K. Braxton, is pleased to announce the appointment of the Reverend Christopher Michael Mujule, on loan from the Most Reverend Deo Gratias Byabazaire, Bishop of Hoima, Uganda, as Temporary Administrator of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Metropolis, Illinois. He is appointed to provide pastoral assistance to Rev. Msgr. William P. McGhee, Pastor of St. Mary Parish in Mound City, St. Catherine Parish in Grand Chain, Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Ullin, and St. Patrick Parish in Cairo. This appointment is effective Monday, November 13, 2006."
Fr Mujule is grateful to Bishop Edward K Braxton for accepting, on Bishop Deo Byabazaire's recommendation, to invite Fr Mujule to come on Sabbatical and work as Missionary International Priest in Belleville Diocese. Bishop Braxton has invited many other priests from Nigeria:West Africa(7), Columbia(1), India(2), Poland(2), Uganda:East Africa(2:Fr Bernadine Nganzi of Fort Portal Diocese and Fr M C Mujule of Hoima Diocese), and now has international seminarians from Kenya(2), and Nigeria(1) studying to become Diocesan Priests of Belleville Diocese. The International Priests love Bishop Edward K Braxton because of his warm welcome to these priests working in his Diocese. Whenever a priest arrives in his Diocese he stays at the Bishop's residence for about 6 weeks, a very good time for the Bishop and the priest(s) to get to know each other. The International Priests are very grateful to the Priests of Belleville Diocese for the warm welcome and good working relationships existing between the priests of Belleville Diocese and the international priests working as missionaries in this Diocese. Bishop Braxton has set up what he calls the WISDOM COMMUNITY made up of all the International priests (about 12) and the new Diocesan priests(about 6) just ordained in the last three years since he took office June 05. The Wisdom Community meets with the Bishop 4 times a year for prayer, reflections and for their ongoing formation or acclimatization of Catholic Church in Belleville Diocese, in the USA and of course meeting also for a meal.
Fr Mujule is grateful to Bishop Edward K Braxton for accepting, on Bishop Deo Byabazaire's recommendation, to invite Fr Mujule to come on Sabbatical and work as Missionary International Priest in Belleville Diocese. Bishop Braxton has invited many other priests from Nigeria:West Africa(7), Columbia(1), India(2), Poland(2), Uganda:East Africa(2:Fr Bernadine Nganzi of Fort Portal Diocese and Fr M C Mujule of Hoima Diocese), and now has international seminarians from Kenya(2), and Nigeria(1) studying to become Diocesan Priests of Belleville Diocese. The International Priests love Bishop Edward K Braxton because of his warm welcome to these priests working in his Diocese. Whenever a priest arrives in his Diocese he stays at the Bishop's residence for about 6 weeks, a very good time for the Bishop and the priest(s) to get to know each other. The International Priests are very grateful to the Priests of Belleville Diocese for the warm welcome and good working relationships existing between the priests of Belleville Diocese and the international priests working as missionaries in this Diocese. Bishop Braxton has set up what he calls the WISDOM COMMUNITY made up of all the International priests (about 12) and the new Diocesan priests(about 6) just ordained in the last three years since he took office June 05. The Wisdom Community meets with the Bishop 4 times a year for prayer, reflections and for their ongoing formation or acclimatization of Catholic Church in Belleville Diocese, in the USA and of course meeting also for a meal.
Fr Mujule's 30 years a Priest (1978-2008)
Fr Mujule was ordained a priest of Hoima Diocese, Uganda on the vigil of Pentecost, i.e. Saturday May 13, 1978, the feast day of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima - Portugal. He was ordained a priest at the age of 23 yrs. His parents are Daniel Ndahura Kasigwa (R.I.P.-'97) and Maria Kabonesa Kasigwa(R.I.P.-'01). He is the sixth born in a family of eight children, four boys and four girls. He and Fr Joseph Kizito-Wangi were ordained priests on May 13, 1978 at the Church of our Lady of Lourdes, Bujumbura Catherdal Parish, by Bishop Albert Edward Baharagate of Hoima (now retired Bishop Emeritus of Hoima). He is grateful to his parents Daniel and Maria Kasigwa who helped him learn to respond with a humble YES to God's call to priesthood. Tobit 4:19 says "If God chooses, He calls and raises a man up to do His Will". Jesus' answer to God's call is: "YES FATHER, that is what it pleased you to do" Lk 10:21
LOOKING BACK AT THOSE 30 YEARS,
Fr Mujule says he thanks very much the Eternal Most High God for the constant grace God has given him to humbly say YES to Jesus' call: " Mujule: FOLLOW ME (Mk 1:17), You did not choose me, No, I chose you and sent you out to go and bear fruit that will last (Jn 15:16). And when you have done all you are commanded, then just say - we are only humble and unworthy servants (Lk 17:7-10) working in the Lord's vineyard, we have done what we were obliged to do."
Beloved people of God I humbly ask you to pray for me and to help me be what GOD wants me to BE, to HAVE and to DO for the GLORY OF HIS HOLY NAME, that Holy Name which Iam called to proclaim in the midst of God's great assembly you my brothers and sisters.
LOOKING BACK AT THOSE 30 YEARS,
Fr Mujule says he thanks very much the Eternal Most High God for the constant grace God has given him to humbly say YES to Jesus' call: " Mujule: FOLLOW ME (Mk 1:17), You did not choose me, No, I chose you and sent you out to go and bear fruit that will last (Jn 15:16). And when you have done all you are commanded, then just say - we are only humble and unworthy servants (Lk 17:7-10) working in the Lord's vineyard, we have done what we were obliged to do."
Beloved people of God I humbly ask you to pray for me and to help me be what GOD wants me to BE, to HAVE and to DO for the GLORY OF HIS HOLY NAME, that Holy Name which Iam called to proclaim in the midst of God's great assembly you my brothers and sisters.
Fr Mujule and Rural Schools
In his years as a priest, Fr. Mujule has been involved heavily in school and youth apostolate. This is because about 50% of the population of Hoima Diocese is below the age of 15, with another 46% between the ages of 16 to 64, and only 4% of the population aged 65 and over. (The sex ratio stands at 98 males per 100 females.) Many children and youth are being helped by the Uganda government and by the Hoima Catholic Diocese to go to school. Fr. Mujule's background includes serving as a teacher-rector in diocesan high school minor seminary, serving as a high school teacher, serving as Headteacher of St. Adolf Catholic High School, founding St Margaret Mary Catholic High school for girls, and mobilizing the local community in rural areas to support formal school education — especially for the girl-child going for high school secondary education.
Fr. Mujule's teaching experience in Hoima Town at St. John Bosco High School Seminary and at St. Andrea Kahwa Catholic High School (1979-1990) sharpened his love for helping the youth to get secondary education. His October 1991 transfer from Hoima Town (in Hoima District) to Muhorro Catholic Parish (in Kibaale District) gave him a big challenge to adjust to a new way of doing his priestly ministry in rural areas. It was the beginning of what he calls the program of RURAL OUTREACH = RurO: reaching out to the people deep in the rural areas and doing so in three ways: rural evangelization, rural socio-economic development, and rural education.
WHY THE INTEREST IN THE EDUCATION OF THE GIRL CHILD?
When Bishop Deo Byabazaire of Hoima Diocese transferred Fr Mujule to Muhorro rural parish, the Bishop made it clear that Fr Mujule would have to do a lot in three areas of priestly ministry: (1)evangelisation of all peoples, (2) to be incharge of the Catechumenate (OMUGIGI in native Runyoro language): its equal to the PSR Parish School of Religion in the USA, (3) and rural school education. The Catechumenate or PSR had a big resident annual group of youth 130 in number who were residing at the Parish catechumenate boarding facilities. These Catechumens would be residing at the parish for one year away from school doing catechumenate studies in preparation for reception of the sacrament of Confirmation. Fr Mujule realized that every year from 1991 to 1995 most of the catechumenate class (90%) were girls aged 13-18 years and most of these girls had not attended any formal class or school education. He introduced more intensive teaching of reading, writing and maths and english language to the catechumenates and those capable of better performance especially the girls were taken out of the catechumenate and put back to school. Fr Mujule met a lot of resistance from parents and local community who didnot see at that time the value of educating the girl child because most girls after the Catechumenate would be married off at an early age of 15 years of age. Then in 1996 Bishop Deo Byabazaire wrote a pastoral letter directing that catechumens be encouraged to join the newly introduced free elementary education being given by the Uganda government under the Free Universal Primary Education that began in 1996. The Catechumenate was thus closed and the facilities turned into the Residence facilities for the Girls attending secondary school education in Muhorro area. That is how St Margaret Mary Girls Hostel began in 1996 and later on became St Margaret Mary Catholic Girls Secondary School in 2002, became a government aided secondary school in 2004, and in 2007 was elevated to the Uganda government program of Free Universal Secondary Education (USE).
In his struggles to mobilise the parents and local community support girls education, Fr Mujule was greatly inspired by the visionary approach of Mr. Mwalimu Musheshe of URDT, a local NGO that encouraged education of the girl child. Fr. Mujule was able to use URDT's local FM radio station, KKCR 91.7 FM, to mobilize local leaders, local community, and parents to send children to schools, especially the girl-child in rural areas. People responded positively and sent their children to schools for both primary/elementary and secondary school education.
Fr. Mujule made several pastoral safaris to village churches and met Christians, parents, and local community leaders at different parent-teacher associations of different schools, where he challenged parents to change from the old way of neglecting girl child education. It was common practice that once a girl is sixteen years old she is married off, and the boys continue with education. This has changed with the Uganda government now offering free Universal Primary Education (UPE) in 1997 and free Universal Secondary Education (USE) in 2007. Today there are more girls going to school than before — thanks to efforts of Uganda government, Hoima Catholic Diocese, URDT, and Fr. Mujule's weekly radio talks on education (aired on URDT's local radio station KKCR 91.7 FM, stationed at Kagadi).
Fr. Mujule's teaching experience in Hoima Town at St. John Bosco High School Seminary and at St. Andrea Kahwa Catholic High School (1979-1990) sharpened his love for helping the youth to get secondary education. His October 1991 transfer from Hoima Town (in Hoima District) to Muhorro Catholic Parish (in Kibaale District) gave him a big challenge to adjust to a new way of doing his priestly ministry in rural areas. It was the beginning of what he calls the program of RURAL OUTREACH = RurO: reaching out to the people deep in the rural areas and doing so in three ways: rural evangelization, rural socio-economic development, and rural education.
WHY THE INTEREST IN THE EDUCATION OF THE GIRL CHILD?
When Bishop Deo Byabazaire of Hoima Diocese transferred Fr Mujule to Muhorro rural parish, the Bishop made it clear that Fr Mujule would have to do a lot in three areas of priestly ministry: (1)evangelisation of all peoples, (2) to be incharge of the Catechumenate (OMUGIGI in native Runyoro language): its equal to the PSR Parish School of Religion in the USA, (3) and rural school education. The Catechumenate or PSR had a big resident annual group of youth 130 in number who were residing at the Parish catechumenate boarding facilities. These Catechumens would be residing at the parish for one year away from school doing catechumenate studies in preparation for reception of the sacrament of Confirmation. Fr Mujule realized that every year from 1991 to 1995 most of the catechumenate class (90%) were girls aged 13-18 years and most of these girls had not attended any formal class or school education. He introduced more intensive teaching of reading, writing and maths and english language to the catechumenates and those capable of better performance especially the girls were taken out of the catechumenate and put back to school. Fr Mujule met a lot of resistance from parents and local community who didnot see at that time the value of educating the girl child because most girls after the Catechumenate would be married off at an early age of 15 years of age. Then in 1996 Bishop Deo Byabazaire wrote a pastoral letter directing that catechumens be encouraged to join the newly introduced free elementary education being given by the Uganda government under the Free Universal Primary Education that began in 1996. The Catechumenate was thus closed and the facilities turned into the Residence facilities for the Girls attending secondary school education in Muhorro area. That is how St Margaret Mary Girls Hostel began in 1996 and later on became St Margaret Mary Catholic Girls Secondary School in 2002, became a government aided secondary school in 2004, and in 2007 was elevated to the Uganda government program of Free Universal Secondary Education (USE).
In his struggles to mobilise the parents and local community support girls education, Fr Mujule was greatly inspired by the visionary approach of Mr. Mwalimu Musheshe of URDT, a local NGO that encouraged education of the girl child. Fr. Mujule was able to use URDT's local FM radio station, KKCR 91.7 FM, to mobilize local leaders, local community, and parents to send children to schools, especially the girl-child in rural areas. People responded positively and sent their children to schools for both primary/elementary and secondary school education.
Fr. Mujule made several pastoral safaris to village churches and met Christians, parents, and local community leaders at different parent-teacher associations of different schools, where he challenged parents to change from the old way of neglecting girl child education. It was common practice that once a girl is sixteen years old she is married off, and the boys continue with education. This has changed with the Uganda government now offering free Universal Primary Education (UPE) in 1997 and free Universal Secondary Education (USE) in 2007. Today there are more girls going to school than before — thanks to efforts of Uganda government, Hoima Catholic Diocese, URDT, and Fr. Mujule's weekly radio talks on education (aired on URDT's local radio station KKCR 91.7 FM, stationed at Kagadi).
Ugandan Education System
The UGANDA'S 7-4-2-3 year EDUCATION SYSTEM —
It is a system corresponding to seven years of primary education, four years of ordinary-level secondary education, two years of advanced-level secondary education, and a minimum of three years at tertiary or university level. The academic year for grade schools and secondary schools is divided into 3 terms or trimesters: Term I begins around Feb - April, then 3 weeks holidays. Term II is June -Aug, then 3 weeks holidays. Term III is late Sept - Dec 4th, then longer holidays of summer till Feb next year. Terminal exams are conducted at the end of each term but the major exams that promotes one to the next class are done at the end of each year in November to cover all the material taught from Feb till Nov 2Oth.
The Uganda government's Ministry of Education has set up the UGANDA NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS BOARD = UNEB that sets up National Exams to be done by all candidates who finish the seven years of primary school education (classes = Primary One or P1,& P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7) at the end of Grade 7 or P7,These candidates sit for the UNEB Exams of Primary leaving Exams(PLE) or the UNEB's PLE. The graduates get a certificate of PLE by UNEB in order to go to secondary schools.
The secondary schools offer 4 years of Ordinary Level Secondary school education (Classes = Senior One or S1, & S2, S3, S4) and at the end of the 4th year the candidates sit for the UNEB Exams for UGANDA CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION (UCE)and get the UCE certificate. The successful graduates of O level then go for 2 more years of Advanced level secondary education (Clases = Senior Five or S5 & S6) and sit for UNEB exams for end of A level studies and thus get the UGANDA ADVANCED CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION(UACE) the UNEB UACE certificate.
The grading system for primary/elementary and secondary schools is as follows: D= Distinction, C= Credit, P= Pass, and F= Failure
The aggregate system is used per subject or course work, in terms of D1,D2,C3,C4,C5,C6,P7,P8,F9,
In the USA they have the grading system as follows A, B , C , D
D1=75-100%,----A of the USA grading system
D2=70-74 --------A-
C3=65-69 --------B
C4=60-64 --------B
C5=55-59 --------B-
C6=50-54 --------B-
P7=45-49 --------C
P8=40-44 --------D
F9=39 and below
The post secondary institutions, colleges and universities do follow the semester sytem as is the case in Europe and USA: Sept-Dec, mid Jan - May, then the long vacation of June July and August
In the past, few children have been going to school, and this has been mainly due to poverty in the families and failure to pay school fees in primary schools. But in 1997, the Uganda government introduced free Universal Primary Education (UPE). However, we now see that poverty, hunger, malaria, AIDS, orphans, and other UPE-related charges are now causing absenteeism and school dropouts at UPE schools. Government has also introduced Universal Secondary Education (USE) to cater to the many poor but bright children who cannot afford fees and payments in other private secondary schools. These AIDS orphans are many. These orphans lack proper clothing, they are hungry, without medicine or good education, and are crying out to the world for special help.
It is a system corresponding to seven years of primary education, four years of ordinary-level secondary education, two years of advanced-level secondary education, and a minimum of three years at tertiary or university level. The academic year for grade schools and secondary schools is divided into 3 terms or trimesters: Term I begins around Feb - April, then 3 weeks holidays. Term II is June -Aug, then 3 weeks holidays. Term III is late Sept - Dec 4th, then longer holidays of summer till Feb next year. Terminal exams are conducted at the end of each term but the major exams that promotes one to the next class are done at the end of each year in November to cover all the material taught from Feb till Nov 2Oth.
The Uganda government's Ministry of Education has set up the UGANDA NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS BOARD = UNEB that sets up National Exams to be done by all candidates who finish the seven years of primary school education (classes = Primary One or P1,& P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7) at the end of Grade 7 or P7,These candidates sit for the UNEB Exams of Primary leaving Exams(PLE) or the UNEB's PLE. The graduates get a certificate of PLE by UNEB in order to go to secondary schools.
The secondary schools offer 4 years of Ordinary Level Secondary school education (Classes = Senior One or S1, & S2, S3, S4) and at the end of the 4th year the candidates sit for the UNEB Exams for UGANDA CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION (UCE)and get the UCE certificate. The successful graduates of O level then go for 2 more years of Advanced level secondary education (Clases = Senior Five or S5 & S6) and sit for UNEB exams for end of A level studies and thus get the UGANDA ADVANCED CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION(UACE) the UNEB UACE certificate.
The grading system for primary/elementary and secondary schools is as follows: D= Distinction, C= Credit, P= Pass, and F= Failure
The aggregate system is used per subject or course work, in terms of D1,D2,C3,C4,C5,C6,P7,P8,F9,
In the USA they have the grading system as follows A, B , C , D
D1=75-100%,----A of the USA grading system
D2=70-74 --------A-
C3=65-69 --------B
C4=60-64 --------B
C5=55-59 --------B-
C6=50-54 --------B-
P7=45-49 --------C
P8=40-44 --------D
F9=39 and below
The post secondary institutions, colleges and universities do follow the semester sytem as is the case in Europe and USA: Sept-Dec, mid Jan - May, then the long vacation of June July and August
In the past, few children have been going to school, and this has been mainly due to poverty in the families and failure to pay school fees in primary schools. But in 1997, the Uganda government introduced free Universal Primary Education (UPE). However, we now see that poverty, hunger, malaria, AIDS, orphans, and other UPE-related charges are now causing absenteeism and school dropouts at UPE schools. Government has also introduced Universal Secondary Education (USE) to cater to the many poor but bright children who cannot afford fees and payments in other private secondary schools. These AIDS orphans are many. These orphans lack proper clothing, they are hungry, without medicine or good education, and are crying out to the world for special help.
Muhoro Teachers Association
When Fr Mujule was transferred to Muhorro in Oct 91, he found the schools in a very appaling situation. there were very few teachers in the neighbouring schools and also there were very few students in these schools, the school infrastructures were virtually on the verge of collapsing. Many students had dropped out of school because they did not see value of school education. But thanks to the cooperation from, Muhorro Catholic Parish, the priest incharge of education(Fr Mujule), the local community leaders, the teachers and thedifferent elementary or primary school's Parent Teacher Associations, slowly by slowly some change began to appear in the schools and more so because of more schools inspection by the Ministry of Education through the Office of the Kibaale District Education Officer (DEO)
In the 2003 an effort was made to have the teachers in Muhorro area to come together and see how they can improve their teaching methods in these upcountry rural schools be they primary or secondary schools. Over the next years, there was an improvement of academic performance in the schools, thanks to the work of the teachers. Since then, these teachers have organized themselves into what they now call the Muhorro Teachers Association and they had their meeting and celebrations on Sunday Nov,9, 08 at Muhorro Catholic Parish.
On that very day of Nov 9,08 the Muhorro Teachers extended their vote of thanks to Fr Mujule by acclaiming him to be the Patron of the teachers association, in appreciation for the work he had done in encouraging the teachers to make an association for the good of their profession and for the improvement of the students academic performance. In Fr. Mujule's acceptance message, he gave them the history of education in Muhorro area and how slowly there has come progress due to the hard work and cooperation among the teachers
In the 2003 an effort was made to have the teachers in Muhorro area to come together and see how they can improve their teaching methods in these upcountry rural schools be they primary or secondary schools. Over the next years, there was an improvement of academic performance in the schools, thanks to the work of the teachers. Since then, these teachers have organized themselves into what they now call the Muhorro Teachers Association and they had their meeting and celebrations on Sunday Nov,9, 08 at Muhorro Catholic Parish.
On that very day of Nov 9,08 the Muhorro Teachers extended their vote of thanks to Fr Mujule by acclaiming him to be the Patron of the teachers association, in appreciation for the work he had done in encouraging the teachers to make an association for the good of their profession and for the improvement of the students academic performance. In Fr. Mujule's acceptance message, he gave them the history of education in Muhorro area and how slowly there has come progress due to the hard work and cooperation among the teachers
Letter to Muhoro Teachers Association
To
All Teachers
Muhorro Teachers Association
Kibaale District
My Dear Co-workers
in the teaching field. Greetings from Fr Michael Chris Mujule here at St Rose of Lima Catholic Parish in Metropolis City, State of ILLINOIS, in USA. Iam very happy that you have managed to organize yourselves into such a big Teachers Association. Forming this Teachers Association is something that I always wanted to do while I was still in Muhoro but due to the many pastoral commitments I could not do so.
Iam grateful to the many teachers that I met while I was in Muhoro and Bwikara Parishes (Oct'91-July'06), teachers that inspired me because of their love for Rural Education and for teaching the students and pupils in rural areas! And for me, this was the beginning of RURAL OUTREACH, a program of reaching out to the pupils and teachers in rural schools. I will never forget that day after I had arrived in Muhorro in October 1991, yes the day I went to visit Muhorro BCS and found Mr Rwahwire Josef teaching under very poor conditions at that primary school. I then went to visit St Adolf SS and met Teacher Dansan Tusiime teaching there also under very difficult situations too. Then I met Mr Birungi Josef at Muhoro Muslim P/S also under very poor conditions. Then came teachers like Mulindwa Wilson kucapa kaazi, Wilson Ntaro, Mugisa Alex, Matojjo Abooki, Kisembo George William, Celestine Rwanikire, Yiga Josef. As time went by more teachers came to Muhoro and among the extras were Teachers like John Asaba Ssentongo, Antonio Lwanga Omuhinda, Asiimwe Fred, Lwanga Charles, Byakutaaga James, Kisitu Fred, Rwatooro Billy of St Maria P/S, Allan Magambo, Sr Imelda Kabatongole, Sr Gorreti Birungi, Scoutman Michael Muhumuza-Kalapate, Mr John Patrick Kabanyansi, the Bursar and new Headteacher St Adolf SS.
Allow me mention these three special teachers:
Mr JOHN ASABA SSENTONGO,
MR JOSEF NDUURU BIRUNGI and
MR ANTHONY LWANGA OMUHINDA
Iam very grateful to the above three people who encouraged me begin St Margaret Mary Girls SS in Muhoro even when some people were very sckeptical that ithe school would not take off. Yes SSENTONGO, LWANGA , BIRUNGI encouraged me to begin the Girls Secondary School and after getting their support I went ahead and announced in Muhoro church and also at KKCR that the school was beginning at Muhorro catholic parish. Thanks to Mr Geoffrey Tumuhimbise, Gregory Ochola, Mugisa Sam, Odyek and Bursar Richard Tumwebaze, Musinguzi Andrew, Tumwebaze Matia, Lucy Byabusa and Mrs Rose Lwamasaka, for accepting to come and teach at St Margaret Girls SS. I know that many more teachers not mentioned here have come and have served in the several primary and secondary schools around Muhooro Town and am grateful to you all for your services to these schools
Iam grateful to Bishop Deogratias Byabazaire of Hoima Diocese, the Chairman LC5 Kibaale, and the DEO Kibaale, Mwalimu Musheshe and Radio KKCR, the Business community of Muhoro, for the support they gave me in the field of education in Muhorro catholic parish. Iam grateful to Retired State Minister for Lands Mr Matia Baguma-Isoke who helped St Adolf Tibeyalirwa SS become a government aided SS in 1996. Special thanks go to Retired State Minister for Pensions Mrs Benigna Mukiibi for helping St Margaret Mary Girls SS become a government aided secondary school in 2004 and both secondary schools are now under the USE govt program... a special Blessing for Muhoro people.
I know that because of your endurance in the teaching profession in these schools, yes you have managed to bring about change in society. There are more children attending school today and more graduates of primary (PLE) and secondary schools (UCE). Some of these graduates at P7/S4/S6 have gone on for futher studies in post secondary institutions and have graduated there too, while others have gone back to the rural areas and trading centers thus igniting the light of education in the local population.
Dear teachers keep the fire burning, encourage the students not to give up going to school..... yes tell them of the story of the US President Elect BARAKA OBAMA slowly rising to the highest office of leadership in America. His motto was and is YES WE CAN!!! and so as teachers YES WE CAN unite and put in more efffort in helping our students do better in class and in UNEB Exams, YES WE CAN.
I wanted to be with you in this celebration on Sunday 9th Nov 08 but unfortunately Iam unable to be with you in person now, but be assured that Iam with you in Spirit. My contribution to Muhoro Teacher Association and to Muhoro people is the schools that I set up in Muhoro and I thank God who enabled me to do that work of education in Muhoro. Finally my thanks go to Mr Josef Birungi for keeping me updated with progress of Muhoro Teachers Association. Best wishes in your celebrations of Muhoro Teachers Association
May
God's Peace and Blessings be with you all.
Yours
in Education
Fr. Michael Chris Mujule
St Rose of Lima Parish
Belleville Diocese
USA
All Teachers
Muhorro Teachers Association
Kibaale District
My Dear Co-workers
in the teaching field. Greetings from Fr Michael Chris Mujule here at St Rose of Lima Catholic Parish in Metropolis City, State of ILLINOIS, in USA. Iam very happy that you have managed to organize yourselves into such a big Teachers Association. Forming this Teachers Association is something that I always wanted to do while I was still in Muhoro but due to the many pastoral commitments I could not do so.
Iam grateful to the many teachers that I met while I was in Muhoro and Bwikara Parishes (Oct'91-July'06), teachers that inspired me because of their love for Rural Education and for teaching the students and pupils in rural areas! And for me, this was the beginning of RURAL OUTREACH, a program of reaching out to the pupils and teachers in rural schools. I will never forget that day after I had arrived in Muhorro in October 1991, yes the day I went to visit Muhorro BCS and found Mr Rwahwire Josef teaching under very poor conditions at that primary school. I then went to visit St Adolf SS and met Teacher Dansan Tusiime teaching there also under very difficult situations too. Then I met Mr Birungi Josef at Muhoro Muslim P/S also under very poor conditions. Then came teachers like Mulindwa Wilson kucapa kaazi, Wilson Ntaro, Mugisa Alex, Matojjo Abooki, Kisembo George William, Celestine Rwanikire, Yiga Josef. As time went by more teachers came to Muhoro and among the extras were Teachers like John Asaba Ssentongo, Antonio Lwanga Omuhinda, Asiimwe Fred, Lwanga Charles, Byakutaaga James, Kisitu Fred, Rwatooro Billy of St Maria P/S, Allan Magambo, Sr Imelda Kabatongole, Sr Gorreti Birungi, Scoutman Michael Muhumuza-Kalapate, Mr John Patrick Kabanyansi, the Bursar and new Headteacher St Adolf SS.
Allow me mention these three special teachers:
Mr JOHN ASABA SSENTONGO,
MR JOSEF NDUURU BIRUNGI and
MR ANTHONY LWANGA OMUHINDA
Iam very grateful to the above three people who encouraged me begin St Margaret Mary Girls SS in Muhoro even when some people were very sckeptical that ithe school would not take off. Yes SSENTONGO, LWANGA , BIRUNGI encouraged me to begin the Girls Secondary School and after getting their support I went ahead and announced in Muhoro church and also at KKCR that the school was beginning at Muhorro catholic parish. Thanks to Mr Geoffrey Tumuhimbise, Gregory Ochola, Mugisa Sam, Odyek and Bursar Richard Tumwebaze, Musinguzi Andrew, Tumwebaze Matia, Lucy Byabusa and Mrs Rose Lwamasaka, for accepting to come and teach at St Margaret Girls SS. I know that many more teachers not mentioned here have come and have served in the several primary and secondary schools around Muhooro Town and am grateful to you all for your services to these schools
Iam grateful to Bishop Deogratias Byabazaire of Hoima Diocese, the Chairman LC5 Kibaale, and the DEO Kibaale, Mwalimu Musheshe and Radio KKCR, the Business community of Muhoro, for the support they gave me in the field of education in Muhorro catholic parish. Iam grateful to Retired State Minister for Lands Mr Matia Baguma-Isoke who helped St Adolf Tibeyalirwa SS become a government aided SS in 1996. Special thanks go to Retired State Minister for Pensions Mrs Benigna Mukiibi for helping St Margaret Mary Girls SS become a government aided secondary school in 2004 and both secondary schools are now under the USE govt program... a special Blessing for Muhoro people.
I know that because of your endurance in the teaching profession in these schools, yes you have managed to bring about change in society. There are more children attending school today and more graduates of primary (PLE) and secondary schools (UCE). Some of these graduates at P7/S4/S6 have gone on for futher studies in post secondary institutions and have graduated there too, while others have gone back to the rural areas and trading centers thus igniting the light of education in the local population.
Dear teachers keep the fire burning, encourage the students not to give up going to school..... yes tell them of the story of the US President Elect BARAKA OBAMA slowly rising to the highest office of leadership in America. His motto was and is YES WE CAN!!! and so as teachers YES WE CAN unite and put in more efffort in helping our students do better in class and in UNEB Exams, YES WE CAN.
I wanted to be with you in this celebration on Sunday 9th Nov 08 but unfortunately Iam unable to be with you in person now, but be assured that Iam with you in Spirit. My contribution to Muhoro Teacher Association and to Muhoro people is the schools that I set up in Muhoro and I thank God who enabled me to do that work of education in Muhoro. Finally my thanks go to Mr Josef Birungi for keeping me updated with progress of Muhoro Teachers Association. Best wishes in your celebrations of Muhoro Teachers Association
May
God's Peace and Blessings be with you all.
Yours
in Education
Fr. Michael Chris Mujule
St Rose of Lima Parish
Belleville Diocese
USA
Muhoro BCS Primary School
Muhorro BCS primary school began in 1949 and this year 2009 the local community and Muhorro Catholic Parish will be celebrating 60 years since the foundation of this school. It is one of the oldest schools in the area of Muhorro Subcounty. Muhorro BCS stands for Bunyoro Catholic Schools.The school began as a catholic church founded school that had its roots in the catechumenate Bible classes that were at every mission in those days. Over the years the school did not make much progress as the leaders did not encourage the people to educate their children and thus the parents did not see much value in education. Then in the late 80s the number of students began to rise and by the time Fr Mujule was transferred to Muhorro Catholic Parish in Oct 1991 the school had 250 students for the grades 1-7 or P1-P7. With financial help from Msgr Matthias Nyakatura, Financial Administrator Hoima Catholic Diocese, help from Brother Max Gmuer (M.Afr) of the Missionaries of Africa, and other donations from Europe and USA, Fr Mujule was able to build 4 classrooms, provide desks for students, build a staffroom, the Headteacher's office and store and contributed to the construction of the new Multipurpose Hall of 30 meters by 90 meters. The Uganda Government Ministry of Education throuh the pffice of Kibaale District education Office was able to assist with construction of the Multipurpose Hall and the two extra classrooms. This school is under the Government program of Free Universal Primary Education (UPE), and it has an enrolment of 1000 students that is 550 boys and 450 girls; most of the graduates of this primary school go to St Adolf and to St Margaret Mary Secondary schools. The students are many but the classrooms are not enough for the children.
St. Maria Catholic Primary School
St. Maria Catholic Primary School was begun by Fr. Mujule in 2001, and the Banyatereza Sisters took over its leadership assisted by the lay teaching staff who helped the school get to a good start. It is situated at Muhorro Catholic Parish and now offers seven years of primary education. It has about 150 students: 85 are boys, and 65 are girls. The school was built and set up with the help of donations from Fr. Mujule's friends both in Europe and in the USA, providing classrooms and desks for the children. Yes what was bush is now a set of buildings capable of housing these students who are here to get a good Catholic education at St. Maria Primary School. Special thanks go to Bishop Deo Byabazaire of Hoima Diocese who in 2005 got a grant to help improve the school's infrastructure. The graduates of this school are already getting secondary education with most girls joining St Margaret Mary Girls secondary school.
St. Adolf Tibeyalirwa High School
The school is named after a Uganda Martyr Saint called Adolf Tibeyalirwa a Martyr Saint from Mwenge county, Kyenjojo District in Toro kingdom. The neighbours of Buganda tribe changed his name from Tibeyalirwa to Ludigo-Mukasa. This secondary school was began in 1985 by a missionary priest Fr. Michael Vezzolli (M.Afr) the Parish Priest of Muhorro parish at that time. After Fr. Vezzoli was transferred, the people lost confidence in the school and the enrolment went down over the years (1987-91) until October 1991 when Fr. Mujule was transferred from Hoima to Muhorro Catholic Parish. Immediately upon arrival he became the Headteacher/Principal of this school and began to mobilize parents and the local community to bring in more students. As Headteacher, Fr. Mujule saw a rise in enrollment from 40 students in Oct 1991 to 400 in 1997 and to current enrollment of almost 700 students, of whom 300 are girl students.
Fr. Mujule was the school Headteacher from October 1991 to February 1998, and during that time he managed to get the school built with funds from his most dear friend Brother Max Gmuer of Missionaries of Africa (M.Afr), Fr Francis Eikelshulte also of Society of the Missionaries of Africa (formerly known as White Fathers, Uganda)and assistance from Fr Mujule's friends in Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, and USA. With their help extra classrooms were built and a Multipurpose hall, a water tank for 40,000 liters and Administration Block, desks were bought for the students to cater for the increasing number of students. Special thanks go to Bishop Deo Byabazaire of Hoima Diocese and Retired Hon. Matia Baguma-Isoke, former Uganda government Minister for Lands, who played a big role in having this Catholic school become a government-aided school, and now it is under the program of Universal Secondary Education (U.S.E. program — Universal Secondary Education. St Adolf school has a girls residence facility and the residence for the boys as well. The school has also been helped by the government ministry of education which built and provided lab equipment for the newly constructed science laboratory block. The number of students is getting higher and higher as more parents see value of secondary education and as more students graduate from Primary schools. Its enrollment might reach 900 by 2009.
Fr. Mujule was the school Headteacher from October 1991 to February 1998, and during that time he managed to get the school built with funds from his most dear friend Brother Max Gmuer of Missionaries of Africa (M.Afr), Fr Francis Eikelshulte also of Society of the Missionaries of Africa (formerly known as White Fathers, Uganda)and assistance from Fr Mujule's friends in Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, and USA. With their help extra classrooms were built and a Multipurpose hall, a water tank for 40,000 liters and Administration Block, desks were bought for the students to cater for the increasing number of students. Special thanks go to Bishop Deo Byabazaire of Hoima Diocese and Retired Hon. Matia Baguma-Isoke, former Uganda government Minister for Lands, who played a big role in having this Catholic school become a government-aided school, and now it is under the program of Universal Secondary Education (U.S.E. program — Universal Secondary Education. St Adolf school has a girls residence facility and the residence for the boys as well. The school has also been helped by the government ministry of education which built and provided lab equipment for the newly constructed science laboratory block. The number of students is getting higher and higher as more parents see value of secondary education and as more students graduate from Primary schools. Its enrollment might reach 900 by 2009.
St. Margaret Mary Girls High School
This school was begun by Fr. Mujule in February 2002 in response to Muhorro Parish and the local cummunity's appeal to Fr. Mujule to put up a secondary school for the girl-child. Special thanks go to three people who encouraged Fr Mujule put up the girls secondary school: they are Mr John Asaba Ssentongo (teacher St Adolf High School), Mr Joseph Nduuru Birungi (Headteacher Muhorro Moslem Primary school and Chairperson Muhorro parish council), and Mr Anthony Lwanga Omuhinda (of KKCR radio station at URDT- Kagadi)
Fr. Mujule had earlier approached friends from Europe and the Swiss League of Catholic Women who helped send funds to set up hostel-residence facilities for the girls. Fr. Mujule also contacted the U.S. Embassy in Kampala (Uganda) and got help for a solar light system for the girls school in 2003. A new classroom and Administration Office Block were set up, desks and beds were bought for the ever incresing number of students,and so special thanks to donations from friends in USA.
Special thanks go to Bishop Deo Byabazaire of Hoima Diocese and Retired Hon. Benigna Mukiibi, former State Minister of Pensions, for the big role they both played in having this Catholic Girls School become a government-aided school,and now its under the Universal Secondary Education (USE) program of Uganda government ministry of education.
BISHOP DEOGRATIAS BYABAZAIRE HOUSE:
is the School's Administration Block that Fr Mujule dedicated to Bishop Byabazaire in honour of Bishop's support for girls education at St Margaret Mary Girls High School.
The school has 350 students of whom 100 are day scholars. With USE now introduced, the school has seen a surge in numbers of students. By next year 2009 and with more (U.P.E) elementary school graduates coming to this school the number is likely to rise to about 600 students. But as of now the school lacks the facilities to house the many girls who are thirsty and hungry for secondary education and who would like to be residing at school as boarder students.
The school is offering only 4 years out of 6 years of secondary education. And so it means that those who finish the four year program (O Level = ordinary level of secondary education)and would like to do two more years ( A Level = advanced level) end up going to other schools that are offering the education of those 2 years. It is the plan of the school's foudation body Hoima Catholic Diocese, the School Administration and the local community to seek assistance from the Ministry of Education to elevate the school to a six year program so that the students do not have to go elsewhere for their A level studies. Government ministry of education has provided the school with teachers, school textbooks and science laboratory equipment. The school hopes to get assistance for the construction and stocking of the science laboratory block.
Fr. Mujule had earlier approached friends from Europe and the Swiss League of Catholic Women who helped send funds to set up hostel-residence facilities for the girls. Fr. Mujule also contacted the U.S. Embassy in Kampala (Uganda) and got help for a solar light system for the girls school in 2003. A new classroom and Administration Office Block were set up, desks and beds were bought for the ever incresing number of students,and so special thanks to donations from friends in USA.
Special thanks go to Bishop Deo Byabazaire of Hoima Diocese and Retired Hon. Benigna Mukiibi, former State Minister of Pensions, for the big role they both played in having this Catholic Girls School become a government-aided school,and now its under the Universal Secondary Education (USE) program of Uganda government ministry of education.
BISHOP DEOGRATIAS BYABAZAIRE HOUSE:
is the School's Administration Block that Fr Mujule dedicated to Bishop Byabazaire in honour of Bishop's support for girls education at St Margaret Mary Girls High School.
The school has 350 students of whom 100 are day scholars. With USE now introduced, the school has seen a surge in numbers of students. By next year 2009 and with more (U.P.E) elementary school graduates coming to this school the number is likely to rise to about 600 students. But as of now the school lacks the facilities to house the many girls who are thirsty and hungry for secondary education and who would like to be residing at school as boarder students.
The school is offering only 4 years out of 6 years of secondary education. And so it means that those who finish the four year program (O Level = ordinary level of secondary education)and would like to do two more years ( A Level = advanced level) end up going to other schools that are offering the education of those 2 years. It is the plan of the school's foudation body Hoima Catholic Diocese, the School Administration and the local community to seek assistance from the Ministry of Education to elevate the school to a six year program so that the students do not have to go elsewhere for their A level studies. Government ministry of education has provided the school with teachers, school textbooks and science laboratory equipment. The school hopes to get assistance for the construction and stocking of the science laboratory block.
Notre Dame Academy Girls High School
When Bishop Deo Byabazaire saw the urgent need to raise Kibaale District's education standards and leadership, he invited the American sisters, the Sisters of Notre Dame, to begin schools in Kibaale District. The sisters are in Buseesa Catholic Parish and began with St. Julie Primary School in 1998, and in 2003 Notre Dame Academy Girls Secondary School opened its doors to the girls of Kibaale District. The Sisters of Notre Dame made several visits to Muhorro Parish to see Fr. Mujule and discussed the Ugandan education system and girls education as already being done at St. Margaret Mary Girls High School - Muhorro. Notre Dame Girls School is a dream come true for the sisters who left USA to come set up a girls school deep in the village of Buseesa.
This girls school, Notre Dame Academy (NDA), has about 200 girl students, and it is offering only 4 out of 6 years of high school education. It means that those girls who want to do the 2 extra years end up going to other schools for that program. Fr Mujule has also been re mobilising parents deep in villages of Muhorro, Bwikara Catholic parishes to send their daughters to NDA and get good catholic education and get good secondary education at Notre Dame Academy Girls High School.
This girls school, Notre Dame Academy (NDA), has about 200 girl students, and it is offering only 4 out of 6 years of high school education. It means that those girls who want to do the 2 extra years end up going to other schools for that program. Fr Mujule has also been re mobilising parents deep in villages of Muhorro, Bwikara Catholic parishes to send their daughters to NDA and get good catholic education and get good secondary education at Notre Dame Academy Girls High School.
St. Andrea Kahwa High School
This school was begun in 1965 by the late Bishop Vincent McCauley of Fort Portal Catholic Diocese which was by then taking care of both Bunyoro and Tooro Kingdom. St Andrea Kahwa College as it is called, picks its name from the Uganda Martyr Saint of Kibaale District in Hoima Diocese, a saint called Andrea Kahwa or Kagwa as Baganda tribe have called him. It is one of the best schools in academic performance in Hoima District and Hoima Diocese. Many students come to this school to join the best program of fifth and sixth year (S5 & S6) of secondary education. Several girls upon completion of four years of high school have joined St Adrea Kahwa School for two more years of High School. These girls are from St. Adolf High School, St.Margaret Mary Girls School, and Notre Dame Girls Academy - Kibaale District. The school admits boys and girls from other schools for fifth and sixth year of high school since their former schools do only four years of secondary education. Bishop Deo Byabazaire has been very supportive of this school which has about 950 students, of whom 490 are girls, all of them coming here to get good Catholic secondary education.
URDT Girls School - ARU University for Women
The Uganda Rural Development Training (URDT) is a local NGO that was established by Mwalimu Musheshe in Kagadi Town. URDT has a URDT Girls School — primary school, secondary school, and recently it opened its doors to students joining the first African Rural University for Women (ARU).
Fr Mujule is grateful to his friend Mwalimu Musheshe founder of URDT, KKCR and ARU, for the encouragement given him in coming to Kagadi and give radio talks on education and and on girl child education. Fr Mujule learnt alot from Mwalimu Musheshe and especially the love for helping the RURAL PEOPLE claim ther own pace of development through education and imparting of skills.
URDT has set a good example of giving good girl-child education to poor and needy but bright students. It has a local FM radio station, Kagadi-Kibaale Community Radio =(KKCR) 91.7 FM, that Fr. Mujule has been using every Monday morning from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. for radio talk on education issues — thus mobilizing the local community, parents, peasants, business people, and students to see the value of school education, especially the girl child education. See the two videos on African Rural University / URDT here:
Fr Mujule is grateful to his friend Mwalimu Musheshe founder of URDT, KKCR and ARU, for the encouragement given him in coming to Kagadi and give radio talks on education and and on girl child education. Fr Mujule learnt alot from Mwalimu Musheshe and especially the love for helping the RURAL PEOPLE claim ther own pace of development through education and imparting of skills.
URDT has set a good example of giving good girl-child education to poor and needy but bright students. It has a local FM radio station, Kagadi-Kibaale Community Radio =(KKCR) 91.7 FM, that Fr. Mujule has been using every Monday morning from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. for radio talk on education issues — thus mobilizing the local community, parents, peasants, business people, and students to see the value of school education, especially the girl child education. See the two videos on African Rural University / URDT here:
Sponsorship of Girl Child
The sixteen years (1991-2006) of pastoral priestly experience and ministry of Fr. Mujule in rural Catholic Parishes of Muhorro and Bwikara (Kibaale District) enabled him to see the poverty of the people. Many families live on just $1.00 (one U.S. dollar) per day or even less, thus finding it difficult to support the education of their six to eight children (per family) — especially in secondary schools. many parents would love to educate their children and give them good education in better schools but cannot do so due to poverty in the homes. Andso even if government has offered free secondary and elementary education it has not covered all areas and not covered all schools. as a result many students still go to private or community owned schools wher they have to pay school fees. To keep a child in secondary school requires at least $300 (U.S. dollars) per year in a day school, or about $800 per year for a child going to a boarding school. But it is difficult for the family to raise this money when a family is able to raise only about $200 per year — out of sales for cash and subsistence crops.
Fr. Mujule's love for RURAL OUTREACH Program has been influential in his seeking out and educating the poor but bright and needy students, and has pushed him to get involved a lot in supporting and sponsoring RURAL GIRL-CHILD EDUCATION, especially in secondary schools in line with the 1990 HOIMA DIOCESE SYNOD Resolution to encourage all families to send all their children to school especially the girlchild in the homes.— as can be seen in the above schools.
Any help to further this
VISION OF GIRL CHILD EDUCATION
is most welcome.
Remember: When you educate a WOMAN or GIRL CHILD, you actually educate a NATION. And UGANDA needs your support in educating the girl child. We are the world, so let's help the Ugandan girl-child who is thirsty and hungry for school education. DONATIONS ARE WELCOME — they will help education of girl-child in Hoima Catholic Diocese, Uganda.
Fr. Mujule's love for RURAL OUTREACH Program has been influential in his seeking out and educating the poor but bright and needy students, and has pushed him to get involved a lot in supporting and sponsoring RURAL GIRL-CHILD EDUCATION, especially in secondary schools in line with the 1990 HOIMA DIOCESE SYNOD Resolution to encourage all families to send all their children to school especially the girlchild in the homes.— as can be seen in the above schools.
Any help to further this
VISION OF GIRL CHILD EDUCATION
is most welcome.
Remember: When you educate a WOMAN or GIRL CHILD, you actually educate a NATION. And UGANDA needs your support in educating the girl child. We are the world, so let's help the Ugandan girl-child who is thirsty and hungry for school education. DONATIONS ARE WELCOME — they will help education of girl-child in Hoima Catholic Diocese, Uganda.
Education in Bwikara Catholic Parish
In the newly established Bwikara Catholic Parish where Fr Mujule has been its Founding Pastor Mar'05-Jul'06, there are several elementary schools established mainly by the local communities and some of those schools have now become government aided schools under the program of Universal Primary Education (UPE) for all. During his priestly ministry in Muhorro and Bwikara parishes, Fr Mujule made it a policy that every village catholic chapel open up a nursery school that would slowly grow into an elementary or primary school as it is called in Uganda. And soby now one finds that in most areas where there is a village catholic church, there too one will find the primary school established on church land and thus registered as catholic church founded school even if it has also children from other faith communities they too are studying in that school. some of these schools are offering 3, 5 or 7 years of primary education.
St KIZITO CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
is a Bwikara Parish catholic church founded school that has almost 600 children doing the 7 years of elementary school education. The biggest numbers are in the lower classes P1=120, P2=110, P3=95, P4=85 P5=75, P6=65, P7= 50: As one an see there is a high rate of school dropouts by the 7th year. Government has helped put up classrooms but the rooms are not enough and so some children study from temporary made clasrooms that are not made of bricks and cement.
BWIKARA SECONDARY SCHOOL
This secondary school which has almost 300 students doing four years of secondary education, was began by the local community as a school by the SubCounty of Bwikara. There are 180 boys and 120 girls in this school. Most of these students come from far and have to walk 6 miles from home in the morning and have to go back on foot 6 miles back home in the evening. It is a Day school that has benefitted from the recently established government policy of Universal Secondary Education (USE) for all elementary school graduates. The number of students is likely to increase to 550 by next year 2009 due to the USE program the school founded.
MPEEFU SEED SECONDARY SCHOOL
This secondary school is situated near Mpeefu Subcounty Headquarters some 10 miles away from Bwikara Catholic Parish. This school was began by the Mpeefu Subcounty local community and got funding from Uganda government. It has been built up with good infrastructure and set up deep in the village of Kasojo, Mpeefu. There are 410 students in this school who are doing four years of secondary education: 230 boys and 180 girls. Its a Day school with no boarding facilities or hostel for the students and the students have to walk some 6-8 miles to and from school every day. This school is also under the Universal Secondary Education program and will see its numbers increase by next year to about 650 students.
WHY THE HIGH RATE OF SCHOOL DROPOUTS IN RURAL SCHOOLS?
There is a high rate of school drop outs mainly due to the fact that the students find it hard to endure walking 12 miles daily to and fro school for 5 days a week =60 miles and do it for 12 weeks a term =600 miles in one academic term of three months: and to do it for 3 terms of one academic year is 600 miles x 3 terms = 1800 miles a year. to do that for 4 years of secondary school means walking 1800 miles x 4 years = 7200 miles a year. And so most student give up half way through their secondary education and others get discouraged due to long distances of walking. But mainly its the girls with the very high rate of school dropout due to early pregnacies and lack of support from parents and community to have the girl child continue with education: the girls just get married at an early stage like by end of 2nd year high school. Most of these girls have one major problem and that is lack of women rolr models for them to see and admire and be able to say yes I CAN GO ON till I finish my secondary school education
St KIZITO CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL
is a Bwikara Parish catholic church founded school that has almost 600 children doing the 7 years of elementary school education. The biggest numbers are in the lower classes P1=120, P2=110, P3=95, P4=85 P5=75, P6=65, P7= 50: As one an see there is a high rate of school dropouts by the 7th year. Government has helped put up classrooms but the rooms are not enough and so some children study from temporary made clasrooms that are not made of bricks and cement.
BWIKARA SECONDARY SCHOOL
This secondary school which has almost 300 students doing four years of secondary education, was began by the local community as a school by the SubCounty of Bwikara. There are 180 boys and 120 girls in this school. Most of these students come from far and have to walk 6 miles from home in the morning and have to go back on foot 6 miles back home in the evening. It is a Day school that has benefitted from the recently established government policy of Universal Secondary Education (USE) for all elementary school graduates. The number of students is likely to increase to 550 by next year 2009 due to the USE program the school founded.
MPEEFU SEED SECONDARY SCHOOL
This secondary school is situated near Mpeefu Subcounty Headquarters some 10 miles away from Bwikara Catholic Parish. This school was began by the Mpeefu Subcounty local community and got funding from Uganda government. It has been built up with good infrastructure and set up deep in the village of Kasojo, Mpeefu. There are 410 students in this school who are doing four years of secondary education: 230 boys and 180 girls. Its a Day school with no boarding facilities or hostel for the students and the students have to walk some 6-8 miles to and from school every day. This school is also under the Universal Secondary Education program and will see its numbers increase by next year to about 650 students.
WHY THE HIGH RATE OF SCHOOL DROPOUTS IN RURAL SCHOOLS?
There is a high rate of school drop outs mainly due to the fact that the students find it hard to endure walking 12 miles daily to and fro school for 5 days a week =60 miles and do it for 12 weeks a term =600 miles in one academic term of three months: and to do it for 3 terms of one academic year is 600 miles x 3 terms = 1800 miles a year. to do that for 4 years of secondary school means walking 1800 miles x 4 years = 7200 miles a year. And so most student give up half way through their secondary education and others get discouraged due to long distances of walking. But mainly its the girls with the very high rate of school dropout due to early pregnacies and lack of support from parents and community to have the girl child continue with education: the girls just get married at an early stage like by end of 2nd year high school. Most of these girls have one major problem and that is lack of women rolr models for them to see and admire and be able to say yes I CAN GO ON till I finish my secondary school education
Church in Rural Evangelization
Parish Renewal in Small Christian Communities.
After several years of ministry in Hoima Town area, Fr Mujule was transferred to Muhorro Catholic Parish in Kibaale District where he has worked in rural areas Oct'91 - Jul'06. During those years he was able to serve as Associate Pastor at Muhorro Parish (91-97), Pastor of Muhorro Parish (Jan'98-Feb'05), Caretaker incharge of preparing the would be newly established Kagadi Town Parish (96-97), and Pastor of newly established Bwikara Parish (Mar'05-Jul'06)
The priestly ministry in rural areas gave Fr Mujule a chance to look at life differently and realize that the people deep in the villages are also active in their faith and are seeking ways to educate their children and to pull themselves out of the cycle of poverty. Its this new outlook that Fr Mujule calls RURAL OUTREACH (RurO).
In 1996 Muhorro catholic parish had 35 village chapels and in 1997 when Kagadi Town Parish was established it took away 7 subparishes or village chapels that made the new Kagadi parish and thus Muhorro parish remained with only 28 chapels. But the years that followed Muhorro parish experienced great SPIRITUAL RENEWAL by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT at work in two lay apostolate movements or prayer groups i.e. the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (BAKATWESENGEREZE group) and the Uganda Martyrs Guild (BAKAISO group). It was a time of God's Special Favour (Lk 4:19), a time of His Grace given to his people of Buyaga County in southern part of Kibaale District.
Iam grateful to Bishop Robert Muhiirwa of Fort Portal Diocese and the below mentioned two Priests of Fort Portal Diocese for the enlightment and encouragement they gave me when I contacted them on how to deal with the new lay apostolate movement of the Uganda Martyrs Guild in Muhorro parish. They are Rev. Fr. Bonaventure Kasaija a Diocesan Priest, and Rev. Fr. Richard Potthast (CSC) a Missionary Priest of the Holy Cross Fathers. Fr Richard is stationed at Kyarusozi Catholic Parish, District that borders with Kibaale District. Bishop Robert Muhiirwa, Fr Kasaija and Fr Potthast told Fr Mujule that the Holy Spirit works in a variety of spiritual gifts and lay apostolate movements and it does so for the the Holiness of God's glory and for good of God's people the church. Fr Potthast who accepted the invitation to come to a central place of Kagadi town parish and facilitated a general retreat for the members of Uganda Martrys Guild. These christians came from the Mugalike deanery that covers buyaga County and has these parishes of Kagadi, Muhorro, Bwikara Mugalike, Kinyarugonjo and Kahunde. The Uganda Martyrs lay apostolate movement is very strong and active in the neighbouring Diocese of Fort Portal because of ADOLF MUKASA-LUDIGO (TIBEYALIRWA) the martry saint from Katoosa Parish, Kyenjojo District, Fort Portal Diocese.
Iam grateful to Bishop Deo Byabazaire of Hoima Diocese for having accepted that the Uganda Martrys Lay apostolate movemnt begin in his Diocese of Hoima and begin in Muhorro parish. Iam grateful for the support he gave me in encouraging me contact Fort portal Diocese for help on how to nurture the Martrys Apotolate movent and how this group may work hand in hand with the already existing lay apotolate movent of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR).
The arrival of these two active movements brought about a big moment of parish renewal as experienced in the formation of many SMALL CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES centred on the WORD of GOD. Thus the number of catholics increased and Muhorro parish grew from 28 village chapels in 1997 to 70 chapels in Dec 2004. In Mar'05 Fr Mujule was tranferred to a place deep in the village to begin the new Bwikara Parish that took away 50 village chapels and thus Muhorro remained with 20 village chapels. Each village chapel has about 150-200 catholic families subdivided into smaller units called EMIGONGO or Small Christian Communities (SCC)of about 10 families for each SCC. Each subparish or village chapel has a lay person a Catechist as its leader for Sunday services in the absence of the priest. The chapel has a President/Chairperson of the village chapel pastoral council. The new Bwikara parish has been blessed by God and has witnessed the birth of many spiritual gifts through the arrival of the Uganda Martrys Movement now most active in the many small christain communities and in many individual homes.
After several years of ministry in Hoima Town area, Fr Mujule was transferred to Muhorro Catholic Parish in Kibaale District where he has worked in rural areas Oct'91 - Jul'06. During those years he was able to serve as Associate Pastor at Muhorro Parish (91-97), Pastor of Muhorro Parish (Jan'98-Feb'05), Caretaker incharge of preparing the would be newly established Kagadi Town Parish (96-97), and Pastor of newly established Bwikara Parish (Mar'05-Jul'06)
The priestly ministry in rural areas gave Fr Mujule a chance to look at life differently and realize that the people deep in the villages are also active in their faith and are seeking ways to educate their children and to pull themselves out of the cycle of poverty. Its this new outlook that Fr Mujule calls RURAL OUTREACH (RurO).
In 1996 Muhorro catholic parish had 35 village chapels and in 1997 when Kagadi Town Parish was established it took away 7 subparishes or village chapels that made the new Kagadi parish and thus Muhorro parish remained with only 28 chapels. But the years that followed Muhorro parish experienced great SPIRITUAL RENEWAL by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT at work in two lay apostolate movements or prayer groups i.e. the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (BAKATWESENGEREZE group) and the Uganda Martyrs Guild (BAKAISO group). It was a time of God's Special Favour (Lk 4:19), a time of His Grace given to his people of Buyaga County in southern part of Kibaale District.
Iam grateful to Bishop Robert Muhiirwa of Fort Portal Diocese and the below mentioned two Priests of Fort Portal Diocese for the enlightment and encouragement they gave me when I contacted them on how to deal with the new lay apostolate movement of the Uganda Martyrs Guild in Muhorro parish. They are Rev. Fr. Bonaventure Kasaija a Diocesan Priest, and Rev. Fr. Richard Potthast (CSC) a Missionary Priest of the Holy Cross Fathers. Fr Richard is stationed at Kyarusozi Catholic Parish, District that borders with Kibaale District. Bishop Robert Muhiirwa, Fr Kasaija and Fr Potthast told Fr Mujule that the Holy Spirit works in a variety of spiritual gifts and lay apostolate movements and it does so for the the Holiness of God's glory and for good of God's people the church. Fr Potthast who accepted the invitation to come to a central place of Kagadi town parish and facilitated a general retreat for the members of Uganda Martrys Guild. These christians came from the Mugalike deanery that covers buyaga County and has these parishes of Kagadi, Muhorro, Bwikara Mugalike, Kinyarugonjo and Kahunde. The Uganda Martyrs lay apostolate movement is very strong and active in the neighbouring Diocese of Fort Portal because of ADOLF MUKASA-LUDIGO (TIBEYALIRWA) the martry saint from Katoosa Parish, Kyenjojo District, Fort Portal Diocese.
Iam grateful to Bishop Deo Byabazaire of Hoima Diocese for having accepted that the Uganda Martrys Lay apostolate movemnt begin in his Diocese of Hoima and begin in Muhorro parish. Iam grateful for the support he gave me in encouraging me contact Fort portal Diocese for help on how to nurture the Martrys Apotolate movent and how this group may work hand in hand with the already existing lay apotolate movent of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR).
The arrival of these two active movements brought about a big moment of parish renewal as experienced in the formation of many SMALL CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES centred on the WORD of GOD. Thus the number of catholics increased and Muhorro parish grew from 28 village chapels in 1997 to 70 chapels in Dec 2004. In Mar'05 Fr Mujule was tranferred to a place deep in the village to begin the new Bwikara Parish that took away 50 village chapels and thus Muhorro remained with 20 village chapels. Each village chapel has about 150-200 catholic families subdivided into smaller units called EMIGONGO or Small Christian Communities (SCC)of about 10 families for each SCC. Each subparish or village chapel has a lay person a Catechist as its leader for Sunday services in the absence of the priest. The chapel has a President/Chairperson of the village chapel pastoral council. The new Bwikara parish has been blessed by God and has witnessed the birth of many spiritual gifts through the arrival of the Uganda Martrys Movement now most active in the many small christain communities and in many individual homes.
Construction of Village Churches
In the years of pastoral ministry in the rural areas of Muhoro Parish (Oct'91-Feb'05) and Bwikara Parish (Mar'05-Jul'06) Fr Mujule has been amazed at the will-power of the local people in mobilising themselves to build their own local churches. He has seen the church leaders, the catechists and the lay people get actively involved in the mobilisation catholic families and of the local christian community in being able get finances, local materials and set up village chapels for their areas.
THE CATECHIST AND THE VILLAGE CHAPEL PASTORAL COUNCILS
Oftentimes Fr Mujule would meet the leaders of the Parish Catechists Council and we would discuss on how to bring services nearer to the people by opening up more village chapels/churches at shorter distances. Both the parish pastoral council and the Parish catechists council did agree that to go ahead and open new village chapels or subparishes. And as earlier indicated, as the number of catholics grew in Muhorro parish there was an increase of village chapels from 38 chapels in 1998 to 70 in 2004, and as 20 chapels remained in the old Muhorro parish,the remaining 50 chapels were demarcated to belong to the new Bwikara Parish which began on Sunday March 6, 2005 when Bishop Deo Byabazaire officially announced in St Josef's Muhooro Church that he had began the new Bwikara parish with Fr Mujule as the new Parish Priest of Bwikara.
Beginning Bwikara Parish was not that easy because the basic infrastructure of buildings were not there. It was as if Fr Mujule was begin the place as the missionaries did years ago
CHURCHES AT MPEEFU, KYATEREKERA, RWABARANGA & KITEBERE
In places where the population of catholics is big, the christians have managed to follow the advice of Fr Mujule and have put up big chapels/churches that are the size of 30 meters by 90 meters. When these chrces were being constructed some 8 year ago, the christians complained that they were too big and no body will ever fill them. But today these churches are filled to capacity during the Sunday Services and many more people do attend these services when they are outside because there is not enough room inside the chapels. most of these chapels have been built near the small trading centers scattered deep in the villages
OUTSIDE FUNDS FOR VILLAGE CHURCH CONSTRUCTIONS
During his pastoral work in Muhoro and Bwikara parish, Fr Mujule managed to get some financial assistance from his Friends in Europe and USA, funds that helped the construction of these Village churches
BWIKARA:
St Peter's Church
the construction of Temporary Houses for Fathers Rectory
MPEEFU:
SHRINE of St Mary Our Lady of Mercy Church
part of the construction and roofing of the Mpeefu Church
KYATEREKERA:
St Peter Church
part of the construction and roofing of Kyaterekera Church
RWABARANGA:
SHRINE of The Uganda Martrys Church
part of the construction of the Rwabaranga church
KITEBERE:
St Peter's Church
part of the roofing of Kitebere Church near Lake Albert
THE CATECHIST AND THE VILLAGE CHAPEL PASTORAL COUNCILS
Oftentimes Fr Mujule would meet the leaders of the Parish Catechists Council and we would discuss on how to bring services nearer to the people by opening up more village chapels/churches at shorter distances. Both the parish pastoral council and the Parish catechists council did agree that to go ahead and open new village chapels or subparishes. And as earlier indicated, as the number of catholics grew in Muhorro parish there was an increase of village chapels from 38 chapels in 1998 to 70 in 2004, and as 20 chapels remained in the old Muhorro parish,the remaining 50 chapels were demarcated to belong to the new Bwikara Parish which began on Sunday March 6, 2005 when Bishop Deo Byabazaire officially announced in St Josef's Muhooro Church that he had began the new Bwikara parish with Fr Mujule as the new Parish Priest of Bwikara.
Beginning Bwikara Parish was not that easy because the basic infrastructure of buildings were not there. It was as if Fr Mujule was begin the place as the missionaries did years ago
CHURCHES AT MPEEFU, KYATEREKERA, RWABARANGA & KITEBERE
In places where the population of catholics is big, the christians have managed to follow the advice of Fr Mujule and have put up big chapels/churches that are the size of 30 meters by 90 meters. When these chrces were being constructed some 8 year ago, the christians complained that they were too big and no body will ever fill them. But today these churches are filled to capacity during the Sunday Services and many more people do attend these services when they are outside because there is not enough room inside the chapels. most of these chapels have been built near the small trading centers scattered deep in the villages
OUTSIDE FUNDS FOR VILLAGE CHURCH CONSTRUCTIONS
During his pastoral work in Muhoro and Bwikara parish, Fr Mujule managed to get some financial assistance from his Friends in Europe and USA, funds that helped the construction of these Village churches
BWIKARA:
St Peter's Church
the construction of Temporary Houses for Fathers Rectory
MPEEFU:
SHRINE of St Mary Our Lady of Mercy Church
part of the construction and roofing of the Mpeefu Church
KYATEREKERA:
St Peter Church
part of the construction and roofing of Kyaterekera Church
RWABARANGA:
SHRINE of The Uganda Martrys Church
part of the construction of the Rwabaranga church
KITEBERE:
St Peter's Church
part of the roofing of Kitebere Church near Lake Albert
Youth in Rural Development
Who are the Rural Youth?
It is estimated that 60% of the Uganda population are made up of children below the age of 16 years. And that means that in the villages there are many youth who are of school going age, some of whom attend school while others are just in the vikkages and have not continued with formal school education. Thus we have the school youth and the rural youth including thos that may be staying near the scatterd small trading centers.Besides the school youth the oher rural youth are aged between 15-25 and most of them are unemployed and lacking activity to keep them busy.
Boy Scouts, Girl Guides and Xaverian Youth Groups
In some school these youth movements are there and active but not in all schools. There was an active Scout Troop at St Adolf Secondary school but these days its not that active. Scouting and Girl Guides has become active in several elementary schools and it has helped train the youth in discipline and self help activities and incomegenerating activities. Bwikara and Mpeefu areas have very many boys and girls who are active in the Catholic Church Youth movement called the Xaverians. Xaveruians are similar to the Scouts and Guides but there is more of the christian faith formation added to these youth and they are traing youth leadership at an early stage
Adult Youth with semi skills
Several youth who have not managed to continue with their education after primary schools or have dropped out of secondary education, these youth have been mobilised to do agriculture and some are in small businesse at trading centers, other are involved in offering public transportation by motorcycles called Boda Boda drivers. Other are learning on job the skills of carpentry and brickmaking and building at Bwikara RurO Capentry. Some of these youth builders were working with Fr Mujule in constructions of buildings at Bwikara catholic parish.
It is estimated that 60% of the Uganda population are made up of children below the age of 16 years. And that means that in the villages there are many youth who are of school going age, some of whom attend school while others are just in the vikkages and have not continued with formal school education. Thus we have the school youth and the rural youth including thos that may be staying near the scatterd small trading centers.Besides the school youth the oher rural youth are aged between 15-25 and most of them are unemployed and lacking activity to keep them busy.
Boy Scouts, Girl Guides and Xaverian Youth Groups
In some school these youth movements are there and active but not in all schools. There was an active Scout Troop at St Adolf Secondary school but these days its not that active. Scouting and Girl Guides has become active in several elementary schools and it has helped train the youth in discipline and self help activities and incomegenerating activities. Bwikara and Mpeefu areas have very many boys and girls who are active in the Catholic Church Youth movement called the Xaverians. Xaveruians are similar to the Scouts and Guides but there is more of the christian faith formation added to these youth and they are traing youth leadership at an early stage
Adult Youth with semi skills
Several youth who have not managed to continue with their education after primary schools or have dropped out of secondary education, these youth have been mobilised to do agriculture and some are in small businesse at trading centers, other are involved in offering public transportation by motorcycles called Boda Boda drivers. Other are learning on job the skills of carpentry and brickmaking and building at Bwikara RurO Capentry. Some of these youth builders were working with Fr Mujule in constructions of buildings at Bwikara catholic parish.
Women in Rural Development
Formation of Muhoro Women Association.
During his visits to the small christian communities, the families in the small trading centers and in the villages, Fr mujule noticed that there are few women who have attended classes of elementary school education. This is mainly because culturally in the past few girls were encouraged to go to schools and that also the fathers in the home were active in sponsoring the education of boys only. And so Fr Mujule began a program of meeting these women and encouraging them to set up Women Associations at the village chapels and to start engaging in Functional Adult Literacy (FAL) Classes for the women. URDT an NGO in Kagadi Town of Kibaale District has done a lot in encouraging adults to gather at village levels and attend these FAL Classes. The local FM radio station called Kagadi Kibaale Community Radio =KKCR 91.7FM is owned by URDT and has been instrumental in uplifting the standards of women in the villages. There is a lot of radio talks on home issues and home economics. In these Women Groups the women have also been encouraged to form smaller associations that will enable them learn skills for home economics, home improvement, hygiene, income generating projects or activities and to encourage their children especially their daughters to go to schools and stay in schools.
Help by the Swiss League of Catholic Women
Special thanks go to the Swiss League of Catholic Women(SLCWomen) who helped Fr Mujule in setting up St Margaret Mary Girls Hostel (1997-8) in Muhorro. This Girls Hostel eventually became St Margaret Mary Girls secondary school that was began by Fr Mujule in Feb 2002. The SLCWomen was interested in girls education and in sponsoring the home education of the women in rural areas. After several visitations to the village women groups and having held women seminars at church zone levels and at Muhoro Parish, Fr Mujule got a chance to contact the Swiss League of Catholic Women (SLCWomen) who took interest in Fr Mujule's seminars and actually sent a team from Switzerland to visit the Muhorro Catholic Women Association (MUCWA).Then the SLCWomen joined hands with the Women Apostolate Offices at Hoima Catholic Diocese and at the National level at the Uganda Catholic Secretariate of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, and made visits to Muhorro Women's Group. The SLCWomen funded the women seminars that took place afterwards in Muhoro parish. These seminars were on how to improve on their home management skills and how to establish income generating projects for their homes. This assistance was given to Muhorro Catholic Women Association which has branches in other rural areas like Bwikara and Mpeefu and Kyaterekera
Mpeefu RurO Women's Group
Mpeefu area is an example of how women have been mobilized by their fellow women and are now busy following the above women programs and are trying to set up self help income generating projects for both the Mpeefu Women Association and the individual homes. these women of Mpeefu are trying to put in practice the knowlegde and skills they got from the seminars sponsored by the SCLWomen. Mpeefu Women's Group has set up a tree planting project by planting trees, they have began rearing local poultry birds, piggery in the homes, better foods for home nutrition and making hand crafts for sale. It is their hope that these projects will spread deep in the villages and thus help the women raise themselves from poverty
Bwikara RurO Women's Group
At Bwikara the women are engaged in forming the above association in order to improve their homes and set up some income generating projects. NAADS by the Uganda government and SIDA are two bodies that have been active in Bwikara, trying to encourage the women do some agriculture with modern seeds. Some active women have put up demostration gardens where several women come see and learn the modern way of gardening. Other projects in the families are piggery and the keeping of local poultry birds for sale of eggs and sale of poultry. They are planting a lot so as to sell off the surplus of their subsistence crops
Rwabaranga RurO Women's Group
Is an association that has recently been established by the women with the hope that they can help themselves get out of the circle of poverty that has affected many homes. These women are near Lake Albert and are involved in making sure that their children do not go down the escarpment to the lake to do businesses there and thus ran out of school. The women are involved in rearing pigs, goats, local chicken and agriculture by planting crops for home use and selling the surplus so as to raise cash for the needs of the family especially in support of the education of their daughters who at times do not get assistance from their Dads simply because culturally the boys are given better preference.
Kasojo RurO Women's Group
The Kasojo group has began as a way to help the women in the village to improve on teir home income generating projects and sponsorship of the education of the girll child in their homes. since kasojo Area is where the Government established secondary school of Mpeefu Seed School is, the parents are benig encouraged to send their kids to schooland thus get the much needed secondary education. In Kasojo the girls attending high school education is very low and several girls are being married by the age of 18 or at times much younger than that. So we hope to mobilise the parents to revers e this trend by encouraging the girls to stay in scholl especially in high school
During his visits to the small christian communities, the families in the small trading centers and in the villages, Fr mujule noticed that there are few women who have attended classes of elementary school education. This is mainly because culturally in the past few girls were encouraged to go to schools and that also the fathers in the home were active in sponsoring the education of boys only. And so Fr Mujule began a program of meeting these women and encouraging them to set up Women Associations at the village chapels and to start engaging in Functional Adult Literacy (FAL) Classes for the women. URDT an NGO in Kagadi Town of Kibaale District has done a lot in encouraging adults to gather at village levels and attend these FAL Classes. The local FM radio station called Kagadi Kibaale Community Radio =KKCR 91.7FM is owned by URDT and has been instrumental in uplifting the standards of women in the villages. There is a lot of radio talks on home issues and home economics. In these Women Groups the women have also been encouraged to form smaller associations that will enable them learn skills for home economics, home improvement, hygiene, income generating projects or activities and to encourage their children especially their daughters to go to schools and stay in schools.
Help by the Swiss League of Catholic Women
Special thanks go to the Swiss League of Catholic Women(SLCWomen) who helped Fr Mujule in setting up St Margaret Mary Girls Hostel (1997-8) in Muhorro. This Girls Hostel eventually became St Margaret Mary Girls secondary school that was began by Fr Mujule in Feb 2002. The SLCWomen was interested in girls education and in sponsoring the home education of the women in rural areas. After several visitations to the village women groups and having held women seminars at church zone levels and at Muhoro Parish, Fr Mujule got a chance to contact the Swiss League of Catholic Women (SLCWomen) who took interest in Fr Mujule's seminars and actually sent a team from Switzerland to visit the Muhorro Catholic Women Association (MUCWA).Then the SLCWomen joined hands with the Women Apostolate Offices at Hoima Catholic Diocese and at the National level at the Uganda Catholic Secretariate of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, and made visits to Muhorro Women's Group. The SLCWomen funded the women seminars that took place afterwards in Muhoro parish. These seminars were on how to improve on their home management skills and how to establish income generating projects for their homes. This assistance was given to Muhorro Catholic Women Association which has branches in other rural areas like Bwikara and Mpeefu and Kyaterekera
Mpeefu RurO Women's Group
Mpeefu area is an example of how women have been mobilized by their fellow women and are now busy following the above women programs and are trying to set up self help income generating projects for both the Mpeefu Women Association and the individual homes. these women of Mpeefu are trying to put in practice the knowlegde and skills they got from the seminars sponsored by the SCLWomen. Mpeefu Women's Group has set up a tree planting project by planting trees, they have began rearing local poultry birds, piggery in the homes, better foods for home nutrition and making hand crafts for sale. It is their hope that these projects will spread deep in the villages and thus help the women raise themselves from poverty
Bwikara RurO Women's Group
At Bwikara the women are engaged in forming the above association in order to improve their homes and set up some income generating projects. NAADS by the Uganda government and SIDA are two bodies that have been active in Bwikara, trying to encourage the women do some agriculture with modern seeds. Some active women have put up demostration gardens where several women come see and learn the modern way of gardening. Other projects in the families are piggery and the keeping of local poultry birds for sale of eggs and sale of poultry. They are planting a lot so as to sell off the surplus of their subsistence crops
Rwabaranga RurO Women's Group
Is an association that has recently been established by the women with the hope that they can help themselves get out of the circle of poverty that has affected many homes. These women are near Lake Albert and are involved in making sure that their children do not go down the escarpment to the lake to do businesses there and thus ran out of school. The women are involved in rearing pigs, goats, local chicken and agriculture by planting crops for home use and selling the surplus so as to raise cash for the needs of the family especially in support of the education of their daughters who at times do not get assistance from their Dads simply because culturally the boys are given better preference.
Kasojo RurO Women's Group
The Kasojo group has began as a way to help the women in the village to improve on teir home income generating projects and sponsorship of the education of the girll child in their homes. since kasojo Area is where the Government established secondary school of Mpeefu Seed School is, the parents are benig encouraged to send their kids to schooland thus get the much needed secondary education. In Kasojo the girls attending high school education is very low and several girls are being married by the age of 18 or at times much younger than that. So we hope to mobilise the parents to revers e this trend by encouraging the girls to stay in scholl especially in high school
RurO Network Against Malaria
In October 2006 during Fr Mujule's stay at the Bishop's Residence in Belleville Diocese, Illinois USA, Bishop Edward K Braxton of Belleville Diocese encouraged Fr Mujule to visit some American homes and get a feel of the catholic families in the Diocese. He happened to visit one family that picked interest in the pastoral work he had been doing in Hoima Diocese, Uganda, East Africa. Having been told of the diverse ministry of Fr Mujule's involvement in rural parish life, in rural education, Girls education and women's selfhelp groups that particular family decide that they would begin to fundraise for the money for buying Insecticide Treated Nets the bednets to send to the families in Uganda. It was their hope that their help would reduce the many deaths of mothers and children in rural parts of Uganda
NETWORK AGAINST MALARIA:
NETwork Against Malaria was thus began by that family in Belleville. The daughters in that family have given talks to their fellow students in elementary schools, secondary or high schools and in universities. They have put up websites and videos for demonstration to different youth as they ask people to contribute only 10$ for one MosquitoNET. Many lives are lost due to malaria the number one killer disease in Africa, a disease that has killed more people than AIDS.
RURAL OUTREACH(=RurO)& NETWORK
Fr Mujule's work in Muhorro and Bwikara rural areas is a program known as RURAL OUTREACH or RurO. RurO has established partnership with NETwork Against Malaria an NGO in USA and RurO is Network's sole distributor of their MalariaNETS to Uganda via Fr Mujule. The first batch of NETS were bought and given to these residents of Kibaale District: (a)350 NETS to students of St Margaret Mary Girls High School in Muhorro (b) and 50 NETS were distributed among some families in Bwikara Village. RURAL OUTREACH (RurO) has successfully conducted Phase I of the distribution of MalariaNETS in Muhoro and Bwikara is awaiting for Phase II distribution of more BedNETS to the people of rural areas in Bwikara.
MORE INFORMATION ON NETWORK AGAINST MALARIA
www.NETworkAgainstMalaria.org
NETwork Against Malaria Blog
NETwork Against Malaria: Change Makers
NETWORK AGAINST MALARIA:
NETwork Against Malaria was thus began by that family in Belleville. The daughters in that family have given talks to their fellow students in elementary schools, secondary or high schools and in universities. They have put up websites and videos for demonstration to different youth as they ask people to contribute only 10$ for one MosquitoNET. Many lives are lost due to malaria the number one killer disease in Africa, a disease that has killed more people than AIDS.
RURAL OUTREACH(=RurO)& NETWORK
Fr Mujule's work in Muhorro and Bwikara rural areas is a program known as RURAL OUTREACH or RurO. RurO has established partnership with NETwork Against Malaria an NGO in USA and RurO is Network's sole distributor of their MalariaNETS to Uganda via Fr Mujule. The first batch of NETS were bought and given to these residents of Kibaale District: (a)350 NETS to students of St Margaret Mary Girls High School in Muhorro (b) and 50 NETS were distributed among some families in Bwikara Village. RURAL OUTREACH (RurO) has successfully conducted Phase I of the distribution of MalariaNETS in Muhoro and Bwikara is awaiting for Phase II distribution of more BedNETS to the people of rural areas in Bwikara.
MORE INFORMATION ON NETWORK AGAINST MALARIA
www.NETworkAgainstMalaria.org
NETwork Against Malaria Blog
NETwork Against Malaria: Change Makers
HOIMA CATHOLIC DIOCESE (General Information)
The Diocese of Hoima in Uganda was erected on 9th August 1965, being made up of areas cut off from Fort Portal Diocese and the former Lubaga Archdiocese. It started with seven parishes and now has 37 parishes, with more to be opened in the future due to an increase in faith and in birth rate. Hoima Diocese has had three bishops. Bishop Cyprian Kihangire, the founder, was later transferred to Gulu Diocese, in North Uganda. He was succeeded on 5th October 1969 by Bishop Albert Edward Baharagate, who retired on 9th March 1991. He was in turn succeeded by Bishop Deogratias Byabazaire, the current Bishop of Hoima Diocese.
Hoima Diocese covers a total area of 17,200 square kilometers or 6,643 square miles, comprising four civil-local government districts of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, the oldest kingdom in the East and Central Africa region. King Kabalega of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom put up a tough military resistance to British colonization of his kingdom until he was captured in 1899. King Kabalega was exiled in Seychelles Islands till 1923 when he was brought back to Uganda sick and aged. He died before he could reach his kingdom again. As a result of the people of Bunyoro's resistance to British Colonial rule, Bunyoro was left undeveloped for many years by the Pre-Independence and Post-Independence governments. It is only recently that the current Uganda NRM government is trying to bring development to the people of Bunyoro Kingdom. The Catholic Church – Hoima Diocese has done a lot in the field of education, evangelization, and socio-economic development to help the people of Bunyoro.
Bunyoro Kingdom and Hoima Diocese cover the same area, comprised of four districts as mentioned here: Masindi (north of the diocese), Bulisa (northwest), Hoima (central), and Kiboale (south). Hoima Diocese is found in western Uganda along Lake Albert, which borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo – formerly known as Zaire).
Hoima Diocese covers a total area of 17,200 square kilometers or 6,643 square miles, comprising four civil-local government districts of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, the oldest kingdom in the East and Central Africa region. King Kabalega of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom put up a tough military resistance to British colonization of his kingdom until he was captured in 1899. King Kabalega was exiled in Seychelles Islands till 1923 when he was brought back to Uganda sick and aged. He died before he could reach his kingdom again. As a result of the people of Bunyoro's resistance to British Colonial rule, Bunyoro was left undeveloped for many years by the Pre-Independence and Post-Independence governments. It is only recently that the current Uganda NRM government is trying to bring development to the people of Bunyoro Kingdom. The Catholic Church – Hoima Diocese has done a lot in the field of education, evangelization, and socio-economic development to help the people of Bunyoro.
Bunyoro Kingdom and Hoima Diocese cover the same area, comprised of four districts as mentioned here: Masindi (north of the diocese), Bulisa (northwest), Hoima (central), and Kiboale (south). Hoima Diocese is found in western Uganda along Lake Albert, which borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo – formerly known as Zaire).
Diocesan Administrative Structure and Statistics
| Address: | Hoima Catholic Diocese P.O. Box 34 Hoima Uganda |
| E-mail: | hoimadiocese@yahoo.com |
| Fax: | 0465 - 40336 |
| Phone: | +256, 0465, 40061 |
Offices
| The Bishop | Rt. Rev. Deogratias Byabazaire |
| The Retired Bishop | Rt. Rev. A. Edward Baharagate |
| Vicar General | Msgr. Matthias Nyakatura |
| Kibaale Episcopal Vicar | Msgr. John M. Kabyanga |
| Pastoral Coordinator | Fr. Robert Mugisa |
| Financial Administrator | Fr. Mark Tibesigwa |
| Administrator - Construction | Fr. Rogers Biriija |
| Rector - St. John Bosco Seminary | Fr. Joseph Bigirwa |
| Socio-Economic Development | Fr. Joseph Birungi |
| Headteacher - St. Andrea Kahwa S.S. | Fr. Paschal Kihika |
| Refugees Settlement | Fr. Joseph Kizito Wangi |
| Diocesan Head Catechist | Mr. David Busobozi |
Statistics - Hoima Diocese
| Area of Diocese | 17,200 square km or 6,643 square miles |
| Population | 1,600,000 (approximate) |
| Catholics | 860,000 (approximate) |
| Percent of Catholics | 53% |
| Parishes | 38 |
| Diocesan Priests | 110 |
| Catholics per Priest | 7,800 |
| Catechists | 800 |
| Outstations | 750 |
Parishes in the Four Districts
| KIBAALE (16 Parishes) | HOIMA (9 Parishes) | MASINDI (10 Parishes) | BULIISA (3 Parishes) |
| Bwikara | Bujumbura | Nyamigisa | Buliisa |
| Muhorro | Hoima | Masindi | Biiso |
| Kagadi | Kitoba | Nyantonzi | Kitana |
| Mugalike | Butema | Kabango | |
| Kahunde | Kigaya | Murro | |
| Kibeedi | Munteme | Pakanyi | |
| Bujuni | Rwemisanga | Kyatiri | |
| Buseesa | Bulindi | Kigumba | |
| Kakumiro | Bugambe | Kiryadongo | |
| Bukuumi | Katulikire | ||
| Magoma | |||
| Kasambya | |||
| Nalweyo | |||
| Kakindo | |||
| Kinyarugonjo | |||
| Mpasaana |
ASSISTANCE TO THE DIOCESE IS MOST WELCOME
Establishment of a New Parish = $150,000
Construction of a Village School = $70,000
Construction of a Multi-Purpose Hall = $40,000
Construction of a Rural Health Center = $40,000
Construction of a Village Chapel = $20,000
Construction of a House for a catechist = $10,000
Water Tank for a Village Chapel/School = $10,000
Solar Light system for Rectory in Rural areas = $10,000
Maize Mill for Women, Widows or Youth Groups = $8,000
Pastoral Transport (Bicycles) for 70 Catechists = $7,000
Roofing a Village Chapel built to ringbeam = $6,000
Cement for plastering V.Chapel walls & floor = $4,000
Pastoral Transport: Motorcycle for Headcatechist = $1,500
Annual Sponsorhip of a Major Seminarian = $800
Annual Sponsorship of a High School Seminarian = $500
Annual Sponsorship of Boarder High school student = $400
Annual sposorship of a child in primary school = $200
Pastoral Transport: bicycle for a catechist = $100
Other Needs for orphans, widows, women groups = Unlimited
Oil Discovery
Uganda is a beautiful country set in the heart of Africa astride the equator. It has a total of 91,249 square miles or 236,860 square kilometers. Of this, swamps and open water cover 17%, while forest reserves and national parks cover about 12%. Uganda has a population of approximately 30 million people, of whom 50% are below the age of 15 years with an annual population growth rate of 3.4%. But as mentioned elsewhere on this site, about eight million people are very poor and live on less than $1 (one U.S. dollar) per day. The good news that might help eradicate poverty is that along Lake Albert, oil has been discovered. There is excitement that the Bunyoro Oil Discovery might help reduce poverty among Ugandans and thus raise the economic, social, and education standards of the population. The oil discovery is a blessing to the Banyoro people.
People's Economic Activities
The people of Hoima Diocese are from different tribes but co-existing together in one Diocese and under one Bunyoro Kingdom. Many tribes have shifted to Bunyoro, e.g., the Bakiga, Banyankole, Banyarwanda, Alur,Acholi, Langi, Lugbara, Congolese, Sudanese refugees, and the natives — the Banyoro.
And 90% of the diocesan population is involved in agriculture, but mainly subsistence farming of food crops like sweet potatoes, corn/maize, bananas, cassava, millet, upland rice, beans, and groundnuts. For cash crops they have coffee, tea, tobacco, a bit of cotton, and mainly beer bananas. Those along Lake Albert do fishing and some livestock farming. The recent discovery of oil on the shores of Lake Albert is good news for the economic recovery of Bunyoro — there is a prospect for oil drilling and refinery in the near future. It is the hope of Uganda and Bunyoro that the oil discovery will eradicate poverty of many who live on less than $1 (U.S.) per day; that's about $200 per year.
And 90% of the diocesan population is involved in agriculture, but mainly subsistence farming of food crops like sweet potatoes, corn/maize, bananas, cassava, millet, upland rice, beans, and groundnuts. For cash crops they have coffee, tea, tobacco, a bit of cotton, and mainly beer bananas. Those along Lake Albert do fishing and some livestock farming. The recent discovery of oil on the shores of Lake Albert is good news for the economic recovery of Bunyoro — there is a prospect for oil drilling and refinery in the near future. It is the hope of Uganda and Bunyoro that the oil discovery will eradicate poverty of many who live on less than $1 (U.S.) per day; that's about $200 per year.
Socio-Economic Development
In order to help the population get involved in poverty eradication, Hoima Diocese has set up HOCADEO - Hoima Caritas Development Organization with the mandate and mission to foster social and economic development among the poor, the marginalized, and the disadvantaged in Hoima Diocese. Uganda's eight million people are really poor and cannot afford to run the family on a daily basis. The Uganda government is aware of this poverty situation and is trying to redress the problem.
Catechists' Pastoral Activities
It has been said that Africa and indeed the Third World is experiencing a rapid rise and expansion in Christianity and moreso in Catholicism. But in Africa or Hoima Diocese the priest alone cannot do the task of the formation of the Christian community – the parish. Often the parishes are big, spreading out and far, some 20 miles to the furthest end of the parish. Each parish has about 20-50 village chapels run by catechists. And each village chapel has 90-150 Cathoilc families. There is need to get more laity trained as catechists but the diocese has few funds to do so. These catechists are trained at Mugalike Catechists Training Centre, some for one year, others for two years. Most catechists lack the simple pastoral transportation of a bicycle which costs just $100 (U.S. dollars) = 160,000 Uganda shillings.
Vocations to the Priesthood
St. John Bosco High School Seminary
This seminary was established in 1967 to give early priestly seminary formation to Catholic boys of high school or secondary education. These boys aged 14 years come here for six years of secondary education and by the time they end their minor seminary formation, they are 20 to 22 years old. Hoima Diocese is gifted with many vocations to the priesthood — there are about 200 students in St. John Bosco Diocesan High school Seminary. This seminary can now proudly claim to have produced almost 100 out of 110 diocesan priests. The many others who didn't make it to priesthood are good civil leaders with a sound Catholic faith formation they received at this minor seminary — and are good Christians belonging to different parishes.
Pre-Theologate + Theologate Major Seminarians
After St. John Bosco Seminary, the students go to either Alokolum (in Gulu Archdiocese) or Katigondo (in Masaka Diocese) National Major Seminary for three years of B.A. in social and philosophical studies and pre-theologate priestly seminary formation. After these three years they go out to the parishes for one year of Pastoral Spiritual Year and a time to reflect on their vocation. Then they go to either National Seminary: Kinyamasika (in Fort Portal Diocese) or Ggaba (in Kampala Archdiocese) for four years of theologate seminary formation. At the end of the third year theologate one is ordained a transitional Deacon, and at the end of the fourth year theologate is ordained a Priest. Hoima Diocese has been blssed by God with a rise in priestly vocations, with almost 90 major seminarians.In the last four years Hoima Diocese has been blessed with almost 6 priestly and 6 deaconate ordinations taking place every year in the month of July. The Theologate Seminaries offer a degree: Master of Arts in Religious and Theological Studies.
In Hoima Diocese with Uganda's high birthrate as reflected on national level one finds that the ratio of priest per christians is still at a rate of 1:7,700. There is need for more young men to listen to God's call and respond generously by joining the seminary formation for the priesthood. However it mut be remarked that in my several years as seminary teacher, High School Rector, andlater on as Pastor in the rural parishes, I have realized that there are some very good and genuine candidates for the priesthood who fail to continue with seminary priestly formation simply because of poverty at home: yes their parents cannot afford to pay the fees for these seminarians be it at high school or at pre-theologate or at theologate level. As the late Pope John Paul II and now Pope Benedict has said, we must increase all efforts to support morally, financially and spiritually the rise of vocations to priesthood. But above all, as Our Lord and best Friend Jesus has said - we have to pray for these vocations in our church of today throughout the whole world: "The harvest is rich but the workers are few. So, PRAY, ASK the Lord GOD of the harvest that He may send more workers in His Vineyard. Mt 9:38
This seminary was established in 1967 to give early priestly seminary formation to Catholic boys of high school or secondary education. These boys aged 14 years come here for six years of secondary education and by the time they end their minor seminary formation, they are 20 to 22 years old. Hoima Diocese is gifted with many vocations to the priesthood — there are about 200 students in St. John Bosco Diocesan High school Seminary. This seminary can now proudly claim to have produced almost 100 out of 110 diocesan priests. The many others who didn't make it to priesthood are good civil leaders with a sound Catholic faith formation they received at this minor seminary — and are good Christians belonging to different parishes.
Pre-Theologate + Theologate Major Seminarians
After St. John Bosco Seminary, the students go to either Alokolum (in Gulu Archdiocese) or Katigondo (in Masaka Diocese) National Major Seminary for three years of B.A. in social and philosophical studies and pre-theologate priestly seminary formation. After these three years they go out to the parishes for one year of Pastoral Spiritual Year and a time to reflect on their vocation. Then they go to either National Seminary: Kinyamasika (in Fort Portal Diocese) or Ggaba (in Kampala Archdiocese) for four years of theologate seminary formation. At the end of the third year theologate one is ordained a transitional Deacon, and at the end of the fourth year theologate is ordained a Priest. Hoima Diocese has been blssed by God with a rise in priestly vocations, with almost 90 major seminarians.In the last four years Hoima Diocese has been blessed with almost 6 priestly and 6 deaconate ordinations taking place every year in the month of July. The Theologate Seminaries offer a degree: Master of Arts in Religious and Theological Studies.
In Hoima Diocese with Uganda's high birthrate as reflected on national level one finds that the ratio of priest per christians is still at a rate of 1:7,700. There is need for more young men to listen to God's call and respond generously by joining the seminary formation for the priesthood. However it mut be remarked that in my several years as seminary teacher, High School Rector, andlater on as Pastor in the rural parishes, I have realized that there are some very good and genuine candidates for the priesthood who fail to continue with seminary priestly formation simply because of poverty at home: yes their parents cannot afford to pay the fees for these seminarians be it at high school or at pre-theologate or at theologate level. As the late Pope John Paul II and now Pope Benedict has said, we must increase all efforts to support morally, financially and spiritually the rise of vocations to priesthood. But above all, as Our Lord and best Friend Jesus has said - we have to pray for these vocations in our church of today throughout the whole world: "The harvest is rich but the workers are few. So, PRAY, ASK the Lord GOD of the harvest that He may send more workers in His Vineyard. Mt 9:38
Bishop Deo Byabazaire's Support for Education
Bishop Deo Byabazaire has put in a lot of efforts in education of the people within Hoima Diocese. He is encouraging every Catholic parish in the diocese to have at least one Catholic-founded or community-founded secondary school. And he has appointed a priest in charge of education/youth/schools in every parish to take care of schools and to ensure that the school children get good Catholic education. He invited the Sisters of Notre Dame from U.S.A. to come to Kibaale District to set up Notre Dame Academy Girls High School. Bishop Deo Byabazaire has a great love for education and for education of the girl child throughout the whole diocese.
