NAMAYINGO — Minister for the Presidency and Budiope West Member of Parliament Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda has challenged religious leaders to go beyond preaching the Gospel and actively encourage their congregations to embrace wealth creation, hard work and saving as practical weapons against household poverty.
Babalanda made the call while officiating at the closing of a one-week Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Camp Retreat in Namayingo District, where she addressed hundreds of worshippers who had gathered for prayer, Bible study, reflection and fellowship. She also serves as Director for Busoga SDA Women field.
The Minister delivered greetings from President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports Janet Kataaha Museveni, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President Hajji Yunus Kakande and staff of the Office of the President. She commended the retreat organizers and participants for setting aside time to seek spiritual guidance and strengthen their relationship with God.
She said Uganda’s peace and freedom of worship under the NRM Government have created an environment in which churches and other faith-based institutions can play a bigger role in transforming communities. According to Babalanda, religious leaders are not only custodians of spiritual values but also important partners in promoting unity, discipline, productivity and socio-economic development.
“The NRM has given us peace and freedom to worship. Churches and mosques are now central in shaping the morals and development of our communities,” Babalanda said, urging pastors and other religious leaders to use their pulpits to educate communities about Government programmes designed to help households improve their incomes.
She pointed to initiatives including the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, Youth Livelihood Programme, Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) and GROW, saying the programmes can only transform lives when beneficiaries approach them with integrity, hard work, unity and a culture of saving. She particularly encouraged Namayingo residents to embrace the 4-Acre Model, with coffee or cocoa on one acre, fruits such as oranges, mangoes and passion fruits on another, food crops on the third, and pasture for zero-grazing dairy farming on the fourth.
Babalanda also encouraged households to consider poultry farming, particularly for eggs, which she said can be embraced by Muslim and SDA families, while recommending backyard piggery for non-Muslim households. She said such ventures, when properly managed, can provide families with additional sources of income and support the broader Government strategy of moving Ugandans from subsistence to commercial production.
“As believers in Christ, working hard with our hands is a key part of our faith, and God blesses that effort to help us beat poverty. Let us work hard beyond praising God alone; that’s how we shall overcome poverty,” Babalanda said, as she called for a stronger partnership between religious institutions and Government in the fight against poverty. The Namayingo retreat brought together SDA leaders and members from the district and neighbouring areas for spiritual renewal, Bible study and community fellowship.
