Ugandan Activists Visit Adams to Spread Awareness and Raise Funds
Matthys (left) and Kakooza (right)
November 7, 2018
On November 2, 2018, Father Joseph Kakooza and Mrs. Matthys spoke to John Adams High School about families and children currently living in Uganda, along with the condition of the schools. Father Joseph Kakooza was born and raised in Uganda, so he is very passionate about helping them have a better life. Kakooza and Matthys spoke about how “the future of these schools depend on us young people.”
Uganda is a very small country in Africa that can be compared to the size of Wisconsin. Although Africa is a rich continent, Uganda is extremely poor. Museveni, the leader of Uganda, manages the money extremely poorly. He recently got rid of the Age Limit bill, so he can essentially serve as president until death. Museveni uses the money that belongs the the country as his own. Schools in Uganda are not run by the government. The government does not support the education of young people, so the Catholic Church pays for and runs most of the schools in Uganda. The future of Uganda depends on the young people there, and the young people here in America. We need to help teach them how to fight for their freedom, get a better education, and how to live life to the fullest.
Kakooza started and runs three different ministries. The first ministry puts young kids in school. Although the Catholic Church runs the schools, families still have to pay for their kids to go to school. This program helps put kids in extremely bad situations into schools. Kakooza said that “the program is for kids who need to go to school so they can learn to fight for their rights. The program is for girls and women that may otherwise be taken as property, so they can learn to fight for their rights.” Kakooza’s second ministry provides clean water for Uganda. This is very important, since many people have to walk miles just for water. The last and most important ministry is the Bethany Miracle Village project. They have opened vocation schools and health centers for the citizens of Uganda. The project provides water, sanitation, food, medical treatment, and education for African villages.
Matthys visited Uganda last summer, and spoke about her experiences there. Matthys stated that “people had no hope to rise above the circumstances. But when we visited, we didn’t see that at all.” When visiting, they taught the villagers how to filter water with a five gallon drum. This was extremely beneficial to the village. When we help educate the citizens in Uganda, we help save lives. When a girl in Uganda is absent from school for more than five days, her parents start to look for a husband for her. When a girl is menstruating, she has to stay home from school. A group of women went to Uganda and taught the girls how to sew reusable menstrual pads, so they can stay in school and have better opportunities in life. Father Joe said, “When you educate a girl, you educate a family.”
Ugandan singer, Bobi Wine, wrote a song called “Freedom” to help motivate Uganda to stand up for what they believe in, and fight the power. The president was threatened by this, and put Wine in jail and had him beaten. Ugandan citizens are starting to fight for their rights, but they need our help. Us as Americans should want to help Uganda so they can become more educated and have more opportunities in life, just like us. You can donate to the Bethany Miracle Village using the link below.
