By URN
The Mothers Union of the Church of Uganda launched a tree-planting campaign as part of the efforts to fight against deforestation.
The campaign will also help to sensitize and mobilise women Christians in the fight against or to cope with the effects of climate change.
It is part of the activities of the Mother’s Union ahead of the celebrations to mark the annual Mother’s Union day also known as Mary’s Day in the Church of Uganda. The day is celebrated annually on 25th March.
Grace Murengezi, the provincial Mother’s Union president at the Church of Uganda said it is vital that women are mobilized to take part in safeguarding the environment and the fight against climate change. She described mothers or women as the stewards of the environment.
Murengezi encouraged all women to embark on the same campaign of tree planting when they get back to their respective churches and also in their homes which will be beneficial to climate change and environment conservation.
Murengezi told URN that apart from climate change and the environment, the campaign will also involve women in the fight against gender-based and domestic violence.
She revealed that the Mother’s Union has developed and will disseminate a guide on how they can prevent, respond to, and manage gender-based violence.
The guide according to Murengezi been designed to address different social-cultural situations across the various reasons of Uganda.
She explained that the different regions of the country have different forms of domestic violence and gender-based violence.
The Archbishop of Uganda Dr. Steven Kazimba Mugalu noted that men also in different homes are battered by women and some have been forced to abandon their homes expressing the need to combat gender-based violence.
He also urged women to ensure proper parenting and upbringing of children to fight gender-based and domestic violence.
Dr Kazimba particularly emphasized the boy child saying that several youths are turning out to be drug and betting addicts. He said most seem to have been neglected by their parents and while they emphasis on the girl child.
Roselyne Bingi Kawiso the president of Mothers Union Namirembe diocese and president central region said that as they remember Mary as the role model of Mother’s Union, they encourage women to always trust God at all times to manage their problems in their homes and churches.
She also noted that one of the causes of gender-based violence is poverty in families. Kabwiso urged women to work hard so that they could support their husbands and improve their families.
She also revealed that because of the demand of the Mother’s Union work, they are looking at building a Mother’s Union House as a province where they can generate money to run the operations of the organization.
She added that currently, they are looking at fundraising over a billion shillings to start the first phase of the job.
