President receives Kampala Archdiocesan leaders; discuss ways in which the Catholic Church can supplement government efforts in the fight against household poverty.

President Yoweri Museveni has received and held a meeting with Catholic leaders from the Production and Development Departments of the Archdiocese of Kampala, led by the Kampala Archbishop His Grace Cyprian Kizito Lwanga.

The Catholic leaders met the President at his country home in Rwakitura, Nyabushozi County in Kiruhuura district last evening. The President and the delegation discussed ways in which the Catholic Church through her production and development directorate can supplement government efforts in the fight against household poverty.

Mr. Museveni told them that it was important that the Church and other religious institutions use their proximity to their followers and on top of their cardinal role of spiritual nourishment, to preach on ways of overcoming household poverty. He noted that the war against poverty should be every person’s and institution’s duty adding that a rich and economically empowered population is good for the government, the Church and the entire society.

He told the clergy that once the population is rich, it becomes empowered to pay taxes, which makes it easy for the government work of offering services to the population. He further noted that if the Church faithful are economically vibrant, they are capable of empowering and supporting the different projects and programmes that the different Churches undertake.

Mr. Museveni pledged that government, through a number of programmes such as the National Agricultural and Advisory Services, the Micro-Finance Program and others that target the youth and women, will support and work with the Catholic Church and other faith-based organizations to overcome poverty in the country. He asked the religious leaders to be examples themselves to the people they lead so that they are able to emulate their leaders’ deeds.

Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, on behalf of the his delegation, which had earlier visited model farmers in Masaka and Kiruhuura districts, informed the President that the Catholic Church and Kampala Archdiocese in particular, was undertaking a number of projects and programmes that are geared towards poverty eradication and improvement of the welfare of the people they lead. He, however, noted the need for special support from the government for the success of these many undertakings.

The Archbishop said the projects that target the youth, women, children and the disadvantaged are in the sectors of education, health, social welfare and income generation, among others. He said that with good partnership between government and faith based organizations ensured, a lot would be achieved since faith-based organizations have a time tested track record of being good mobilizers of society and also of largely being trusted by the population.