Dear Parishioners,
For this weekend’s message, let me share with you Fr. Joachim Ssebwana’s letter dated October 7, 2021, asking us to help him build classrooms for the poor students of his parish and school. Fr. Joachim was my former student at St. John’s Seminary and a classmate of Fr. John O’Brien. He is now working as a parish priest in charge of Our Lady of Presentation Ndibata School in the Diocese of Kiyinda Mityana, Kiboga-Uganda-East, Africa. I hope this letter will inspire us to build a long-time relationship with his parish “to put a face” to our mission outreach. Here it is:
Dear Father Rodel Balagtas and Incarnation Family,
Greetings from Our Lady of Presentation Parish-Ndibata, Kiyinda Mityana Diocese-Uganda!
I am grateful to be working with you in growing and supporting St. Mary’s Primary School. We began with 60 children, and in 2 years, enrollment has grown to over 450 children. Our children are from local communities who are not aware of things outside their communities. For example, 95% of our children come from families without running water or electricity and have never worn shoes.
In a region where people don’t value education (most haven’t had one) and marry off their daughters at ages as early as 12, St. Mary’s is built to provide a comprehensive education for all children; giving them equal opportunities to become good Christians, professionals, leaders, parents, and valued community members. Protecting our children comes first, and educating them always follows. St. Mary’s is a safe home for all our children. We work, learn, and grow together as a family.
I never wore shoes until I was in high school at age 14, and I owned one pair of shorts and one shirt. My family could only afford one meal a day, and sometimes we slept on empty stomachs. We relied on local herbs when ill. Of all my siblings, only I got the proper education with the support of other organizations. Most of our children at St. Mary’s come from families like mine. I understand what they go through and how much they need our support to improve their families’ lives.
Our children have different needs as individuals. We house 80 out of 453 children at school. Since they are at high risk in our community, priority is given to girls, and some children walk more than 10 miles daily to come to school. We provide all students with life skills, food, safe drinking water, accommodations, medicine, emotional support, and more. Students are fed breakfast and lunch and dinner for those that stay at school. Our enrollment is about to grow as parents want to enroll their children in our school for 2022.
Our current focus is finishing a four-classroom block that is near completion. Next, we need to plaster and paint the walls and lay down a floor inside and out. Shortly, we will need a perimeter wall for protection, more dormitories, beds, desks, classrooms, textbooks, scholastic materials, a latrine for staff, and so forth.
We thank you for your love and support. We are excited by the prospect of our interaction with the Incarnation family and becoming united with Our Lady of Presentation Parish through St. Mary’s Primary School. Thank you for giving our children a chance to know they are loved beyond their own family and country borders. God’s love has no boundaries.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Fr. Joachim Ssebwana
Father in charge of schools,
Our Lady of Presentation Parish
Ndibata Kiyinda Mityana Diocese, Uganda
