Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio Strives to Promote Women Activities

For the last 25 years, the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio has been giving special attention to the welfare of women and family. The first native Bishop of the Diocese Titarani Joseph Gasi Abangite, MHSRP, wisely established a women development desk whose aim was to respond to the women’s need during war.

 “During the war, women actually were the ones who remained behind taking care of the children, producing food and maintaining the families because the majority of the men went out to fighting in the bush,” Barani Eduardo Hiiboro, the current Catholic Bishop of Tombura-Yambio explained adding that the war had destabilized everything, the markets were not functioning and it was difficult to access necessary goods.

 As such, Bishop Gasi found it necessary to make sure that attention was paid to these women so that they could be able to manage the responsibilities that rested solely on them.

 The desk, therefore, gave a forum for women to engage in such activities such as

making soap, knitting cloths, and also bartering whatever goods they had with what they needed. It also promoted farming as well as peacebuilding activities.

 In 2008 when Bishop Hiiboro took the Pastoral care of the Diocese, he changed the desk to the Women and Family Department to underscore the importance of a complete family structure. The Bishop felt that men principally are necessary for the development of a family together with the women. “Even though some women might not be in a marriage and are taking care of their children alone, there are other households with both wife and husband and so for the program to be holistic, it was important to that the family is incorporated.”

 The department therefore basically promotes women's health, women's progress, and development. It also thrives to promote income-generating activities such as knitting, catering, hairdressing, retailing of various essential goods as well as farming. In addition, the department has also ventured into issues such as trauma and healing, women participation in leadership roles within the communities, psychosocial support programs, girls’ education, prevention of early and forced marriages as well as early pregnancies.

 “All these activities are being carried out by this department and are benefiting residents all over Western Equatoria State. We have 35 parishes spread throughout Western Equatoria State and the women are active within the jurisdictions of their respective parishes,” Bishop Hiiporo explained.

 There are success stories; for instance, so many women have been able through the activities of the department to build for themselves houses, some are operating their own shops, many have income and have been able to see their children through schools, from primary to secondary and colleges. In addition, there are many women who are actually engaged in activism for peacebuilding and many others who have taken up various leadership roles in society. In totality, the voices of women are being heard throughout Western Equatoria, thanks to the programs of this department.

 “This department is one of the most admired and among the very important departments in our diocese. We have created groups in the different villages which have different names according to different circumstances,” Bishop expounded adding that the groups often use code names to hide the realities through which some of the women went through.

 “Many of them were child mothers, these were women abducted during war and they

suffered a lot of abuses in the hands of the rebels. The diocese through this department managed to convince the rebels and war groups to release most of these women; some of them yet managed to escape from the rebels,” the Bishop further explained adding that using code names for the groups enables the women to integrate well in the community.

 “Within Yambio alone there are over 16 groups which are spread within the different parishes, prayer centers, and chapels of the diocese and we have huge continuous programs for women and family.”

 The head of the department is Ms. Veronica Anni, the diocese has been giving some capitals to those women to startup businesses such as local bread making, vegetable production, and retail activities.

“The women have raised some amount of money from their activities and continues to do so. This will be used to expand our activities in order to help raise the living standards of women in Western Equatoria,” Ms. Anni explained.

By Rurugene Team