Clare N
A significant number of refugees at the Rwamwanja settlement in Kamwenge District found solace following a successful charity and spiritual visit by the Inter-Religious Council Fort Portal chapter yesterday.
The team, led by IRCU Fort Portal Chairperson Bishop Reuben Kisembo and including Bishop Sanyu Joseph, Sheikh Swaib Tibenda, Fr. Gerald Akugizibwe, Pastor Richard Tibenda, Sr Joseline Buhiirwa, Sr.Gaudentia Tumuhairwe and Fr. James Isabakaki, visited Rwamwanja with four main objectives: to pray with the staff caring for the refugees, offer spiritual support to the refugees, understand the settlement’s current challenges, and distribute essential aid items such as rice, maize grain, flour, cassava flour, beans, and soap.
During the visit, Bishop Kisembo addressed refugees in Mahani B and Zone Base Camp, acknowledging their difficulties and encouraging them to pray, seek forgiveness, and persevere, reminding them that they remain children of God. He also commended people of different faiths for their generous contributions and thanked the staff for approving the visit.
Sheikh Swaib Tibenda, the County Sheikh of Fort Portal, expressed his gratitude to the IRC for bringing hope and smiles to the refugees despite their challenging circumstances.
He noted the importance of such encouragement to this population in the current situation they are experiencing.
Rev. Fr. Gerald Akugizibwe, representing Bishop Robert Muhiirwa Akiiki, the Vice Chair of the IRC, encouraged the refugees to maintain hope, pray for themselves and their loved ones, and live in harmony.
Settlement badly hit by WFP food reduction
Mr. Niyonzima, Chairperson of the Refugees Welfare Committee, expressed appreciation for the IRC’s donation of relief items, noting that it was timely given the recent reduction in food supplies from the World Food Program and the exclusion of some individuals from assistance.
According to the statistics from the United Nations High Council for Refugees 2024, found in Kamwenge district Western Uganda, Rwamwanja is a home to over 97,940 refugees, mostly of Congolese and Rwandan origins who fled the M23 rebellion and Kivu conflict of early 2012.
