Worthing church supports rural community in Uganda during coronavirus pandemic

The St Mary of the Angels parish has been forging a bond with Our Lady of the Rosary in Narozari over the past few years.

Donations of food, spectacles and medical items have already proved hugely helpful and now the Worthing church is supplying soap for families, to help in the fight against coronavirus.

Bryan Robinson, from the St Mary of the Angels Church Justice and Peace Group, said: “Uganda faces many challenges. The support our town can give may seem small in the face of these vast challenges but it is a sign of hope and a sign of Worthing’s humanity. We all need that right now.

“Uganda faces the threat of coronavirus along with the rest of the world. There are only 55 intensive care beds in the whole country, to serve 43million people, so the need to promote good hygiene is desperate.”

The partnership began in early 2018, when Fr Silvester Kewaza Bukenya approached St Mary’s for help. He asked for unwanted shoes, as 85 per cent of children in the rural areas have to walk to school barefoot, and as a result, more than 600 pairs were donated.

Money was also collected to provide water storage equipment, hand tools and seedlings for the farmers.

Bryan said: “Since then, a similar campaign to collect pairs of spectacles has seen equal success and help has been provided for a solar power scheme in the parish.

“In July 2019, the St Mary’s Justice and Peace Group organised a collection of medical equipment for a new centre that had been established to serve the village. Enough equipment was donated to fill two cars, sent to Uganda and put to good use in Narozari.

“Now, more help has been sent. While Worthing faces very testing times in the face of the coronavirus challenge, the flame of charity still burns brightly in our town.”

Fr Silvester had been able to buy 100 bars of locally-produced Mukwano soap. Each bar will last a family for three weeks, the current length of quarantine in Uganda.