NEWS- The National Treasurer of the National Resistance Movement, Ambassador Barbara Nekesa, has called on the clergy to incorporate messages of wealth creation into their sermons as strategic move to rally religious leaders in the fight against poverty.
Ambassador Nekesa made the remarks while meeting a delegation of religious leaders from Busia District who paid a courtesy visit at the National Resistance Movement Secretariat in Kampala where she emphasized the vital role that religious leaders play in shaping mindsets and guiding communities.
She urged them to use their influence to encourage believers to embrace production not only for food security but also for income generation, thereby uplifting their standard of living and highlighted that the trusted voices of religious leaders can significantly contribute to the government’s efforts to alleviate poverty.
She further encouraged religious leaders to actively promote government-led development programs such as the Parish Development Model, Emyooga, and skilling hubs among their congregants saying that the initiatives are designed to empower communities, create jobs and enhance local economies especially in rural areas.
She stressed that poverty eradication requires a collective effort, noting that an empowered population can significantly contribute to national development by generating taxable income that funds public infrastructure projects like roads, schools, and hospitals.
She reiterating the call for mindset change as stipulated in the 7 pillars of Parish Development Model and implored religious leaders to discourage the culture of subsistence farming solely for food.
“The mindset of working for the stomach alone should quickly change to focus both on food and money and people to strive for financial independence through productive engagement in agriculture and small-scale industries,” She said.
She also advised against the distribution of handouts, which, according to her, fosters dependency and does not lead to sustainable wealth creation. Instead, she encouraged communities to form Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations and associations, through which they can access government support and collectively work towards the common good.
The Assistant Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Busia, Ms Doreen Nafuna who led the delegation, echoed Ambassador Nekesa’s sentiments, underscoring the critical role religious leaders play in driving mindset change.
“When religious leaders speak, our people keenly listen. They are actors of mindset change and this is really important for us in the fight against poverty,” Nafuna observed.
The meeting was used as an opportunity for dialogue and the religious leaders used it to seek guidance on how they can collaborate more effectively with the government to improve the livelihoods of their congregations and contribute to community development.
Ms Nafuna noted that their visit aimed to draw a strategic plan that would enhance cooperation between religious organizations and government initiatives.
One of the religious leaders in the delegation, Bishop Lawrence Lumu hailed the National Resistance Movement government for upholding freedom of worship and ensuring peace and stability across the country and pointed out that the church had already started taking steps towards wealth creation by utilizing its land for agricultural projects.
“As a church, we started some projects because we have land. And with more assistance, in five years we can be very far in terms of development such as rearing pigs, chicken, because the market for these products is readily available,” Bishop Lumu said.
Bishop Lumu remarks reflected a broader theme of self-reliance and the importance of collaboration between religious institutions and government to enhance economic growth in communities and the meeting set the tone for a more concerted effort between the NRM government and religious leaders to address poverty at the grassroots level.
“By emphasizing wealth creation in sermons and advocating for community involvement in government programs, religious leaders can play a transformative role in changing the economic landscape of rural Uganda,” Bishop Lumu emphasized.
The meeting highlighted the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration in the fight against poverty and the religious leaders, as trusted community figures, are being called upon to complement government efforts by championing wealth creation initiatives, thereby uplifting their congregants and contributing to the country’s overall development.
