Leaders of Catholic Women Association (CWA) across the parishes of Kabale Diocese have held a seminar on integral empowerment, having convened at Rushoroza pastoral centre. This was a second conference of its kind on the Diocesan level in which each parish had 5 representatives.
Mrs Mbonigaba Sophia, chairperson of the Catholic Women Association (CWA) on the Diocesan level and representative of Mbarara Ecclesiastical Province on the National level thanked members for turning up in big numbers more than before. She urged women to always have time for their family, balance time for their work and family. She also urged women to always take care of children both they have produced and those they have not produced.
She said that women have benefited from this association in terms of Spiritual, political and economic empowerment. Each parish has a project run by women eg. piggery, credit and saving, promic, caritas among others in order to support their families. These projects have helped women to support their family, provide education for their children and have stable families.
The take home message for the women from the seminar is to bring men on board so that they too are empowered to support their wives for the development of their families, thereby eliminating poverty, domestic violence and disease. No development can take place in a family that is entangled by violence. – Sophia Mbonigaba.
Mrs. Edvinah Tugume, deputy coordinator of Family life ministries in Kabale Diocese reminded participants in the seminar that the family is a domestic church. Family members should have quality time together, pray together and plan together. She urged parents to have time for their children especially during the holidays.
You as women leaders must be an example to the other women you lead. Do not spend too much time outside your family, but balance your time between work and family. – Edvinah Tugume.
Mrs. Honest Niwagaba, senior ontomologist for Kabale district, and chairperson for Holy Family apostolate for Kabale Diocese thanked the women for the leadership roles they embraced. She said it’s God who enables the family to stand and the couple work together to make the family progress.
She said that for families to stand out and shine, there must be some qualities which must be exhibited and these include love and commitment between the husband and wife, humility, patience and forgiveness, quality time, trust and honesty, communication and selflessness. With these qualities, families stand out as model families. Quoting the Bible in the book of Ruth 1:14-17, Mrs. Honest urged wives to always have respect for families and don’t simply abandon them, the way Ruth vowed not to leave hear mother-in-law.
Rev. Fr. Bruno Byomuhangi, director for Lay Apostolate Commission thanked the women for taking an active role in the Catholic Church especially in Kabale Diocese. He said that 65% of the apostolate in the Catholic Church is gone by women. They serve in various capacities and support various projects of the Church.
He said the Bishop of Kabale Diocese, Rt. Rev. Callist Rubaramira is grateful to the work and apostolate done by women, and that he wishes to have both Catholic Women Association (CWA) and Catholic Men Association (CMA) join together into one so that having merged the two, both women and men can benefit together. Fr. Bruno requested the participants in the seminar not to go empty handed, but take with them what will build their families and lead them towards development.