Kabale Diocese has embarked on the program to offer financial literacy to the faithful across the parishes in a move to promote financial sustainability in the Diocese.
The program which was launched in Kinanira Parish by Pastoral Coordinator, Fr. Fidel Ndagijimana saw different leaders of Small Christian Communities (obutaagi) met the financial literacy team at Kinanira Parish grounds on Tuesday, November 11, 2025.
While opening the one day seminar, Fr. Fidel Ndagijimana thanked Bishop Callist Rubaramira for his visionary leadership and stating programs to empower the faithful towards financial sustainability. He said that according to the UBOS statistics of 2024, poverty levels in Kigezi increased from 12% to 27%.
Fr. Fidel said that one of the causes of high poverty levels is improper handling of finances and this is the reason why Kabale Diocese has decided to launch the program of financial literacy to members of the small Christian communities before distributing start up capital for them to establish projects which will boost household income to members.
While in Kinanira Parish, 9 leaders of each of the 5 Small Christian Communities (SCCs) from 5 different out stations (hiika) and which include St. Francis SCC of Kinanira Hiika, St. Theresa SCC of Nshungwe Hiika, St. Mathias SCC in Muhanguzi Hiika, St. Theresa SCC in Nyarurambi Hiika and St. Cecilia SCC in Muyange Hiika and were given 1,250,000 shillings as start up capital to supplement what is already in the pocket of each SCC.
Fr. Fidel further explained that the program will run in all the seven Deaneries (Mutolere, Rubanda, Rushoroza, Bukinda, Kitanga, Nyakibale and Makiro) and 4 parishes are selected from each Deanery making a total of 28 Parishes for first phase while the other 15 parishes will benefit in the second phase.
In each Deanery the groups to meet and sensitize include the leaders of Small Christian Communities, married couples, Youth and their parents plus catechists together with their wives. Each of these groups is given liberty to identify a project of their choice which they would establish after the start up capital has been released by the Diocese.
Mr. Gilbert Niyonshima, branch manager of PROMIC Kabale Diocese, Kisoro Branch offered financial literacy lessons to the attendants. He urged them to always keep records of the income and expenditure in order to track a record of income flow for their projects. He also reminded them to have a register of the members in the SCC and bring them on board to participate in the daily activities of the SCC in order for the project to grow.
He said PROMIC (Promotion of Micro Enterprises) was established to grant soft loans to small scale farmers at 2.5% reducing. The micro enterprise so far has 11 branches in Kabale Diocese which offer financial literacy before giving out soft loans unlike other banks and money lenders who don’t sensitize the clients on how to use the money profitably.
The Pastoral Coordinator thanked the attendants and urged them to put in practice what they learnt from the seminar. He noted that the intention of the Diocese is that each household can have some income generating project.
He thanked members who participated in the financial literacy in view of helping them on the proper use of money. Have financial discipline should stretch to the family and not stopping at the kataagi only. He asked families to always make budgets so that they know their income and expenditure.
Sr. Gladys Kyoshabire, the Assistant Human Resource Manager for Kabale Diocese reminded the attendants that they should look at the capital given to each SCC as loan which should be repaid so that it can help other members.
She requested the leaders of the selected SCCs to call meeting for all members and shared this knowledge with them so that before a project is started, they first have knowledge of what they are going to do:
START: what have we not been doing and we are going to start doing that will make our money help us?
STOP: What things have we been doing that did not make our money yield profits and we should stop? Alcohol, laziness,
CONTINUE: What you have been doing and is important for the generation of profits and you can continue. Since you have the pocket of the kataagi, how has it been performing?
She also hinted on how Record Keeping is very important and urged them to always record both income and the expenditure and the saving so that there is transparency for the project.
Fr. Augustine Munyandamutsa parish priest of Kinanira Parish thanked the Pastoral Coordinator and team for the seminar on financial literacy. He also appreciated the Diocese for thinking about them to uplift their standards and economically supporting the families through Small Christian Communities.
He also thanked the faithful for supporting their Church and reminded the members of Small Christian Communities to always have time and meet for prayer and discussion about their project. He said each SCC is entitled to have Mass at least once in a year in order to pray together as one family, seeking the intercession of their patron saint.
On the same date (11.11.2025), the Youth and children office together with family ministry met the parents and the youth from 10 families in Rubanda Parish where the Diocesan team met the parents with their children in order to help them work together as a family.
Sr. Judith Atukwatse, the Family Ministry Coordinator for Kabale Diocese taught them about bridging the gap between the parent and the youth. She reminded parents to always work with their children and help them learn basics of work.
Fr. Januario Nomugisha, the director of Youth and children ministry for Kabale Diocese took the members through the session of spiritual empowerment noting that family members should pray together as a team. He reminded them that a family which prays together stays together and that amidst their tight schedule, each family should have time for God, entrusting their plans to God.
Mr. Felix Abaho, the Diocesan Youth Coordinator taught about financial literacy, saving culture and how they should work together as a team, establish one project of their choice and have occasional meetings to help the project grow.
Rubanda formed an association called the model family and vowed to start a piggery project and cabbage growing. They would be meeting on the first day of the month and will be saving 5000 shillings and will open a group account in PROMIC. The Diocese contributed one million shillings to help them start the project. This money would be repaid after one year and be given to another group in another parish.
Fr. Isaac Turinawe, the project supervisor in Rubanda Parish urged the beneficiaries to work hard and use the resources given to them profitably so that their families can benefit. He thanked Kabale Diocese for thinking about her faithful and empowering them economically.
On their part, the beneficiaries, both in Kinanira and Rubanda parishes thanked Kabale Diocese for supplementing their little income with financial literacy and financial support. They noted that this money given to them will help their families have income for supporting their families, their church and nation.