Yearly Archives: 2015

It was on this Wednesday 01^st July 2015 early in the morning (6.30 AM) that boys and the whole community of Don Bosco CALM started celebrating the Harvest Day. The event began with the Eucharist presided over by the Rector of the house, Fr. Jean Marie Mushibwe with Fr. Elie Nyandwi as co-celebrant. All boys and social workers were present. The Priest celebrant of the Eucharist preached from the Gospel according to Luke 17: 11-19 whereby Jesus healed ten lepers and only one Samaritan returned back to thank him. Thus, our Don Bosco CALM community has got a lot of healing, blessing and providence from God. In a special way, the fertile land and good season rhythmed by rain a sunshine gave us a bumper crop to feed our children. 

Uganda my country is mainly an agricultural Country with 80% of its land devoted to farming and yet today’s youth in Uganda is interested in urban employment leaving their small holdings in the country side fallows. Uganda’s soil is fertile with adequate rainfall twice a year leading to 2 crops a year. Don Bosco – CALM sits on a land of  12  acres, one acre being allocated for existing buildings. Salesians of Don Bosco took charge of Don Bosco – CALM in the year 2005. Beginnings were difficulties and finance was the main problem for the up keep of its 140 plus more children.It was only in the year 2013 an attempt was made to cultivate the vast fallow lands. To get the children interested in a small farming project was not all that easy. We began with a cattle – poultry farm with geese, ducks, layers, piggery, goats plus cows and this proved successful. As for farming, the years 2013 plus 2014 did not bring in much yield.

   Year 2015 has brought joy and happiness because of the told attempt to go on a large scale. The brain wave behind it is our Rector Fr. Jean Marie together with Br. Hubert and Mr. Henry Bukenya Also a good number of boys put their hands to the plough. We cannot forget; Dhamba  Vincent, Reagan, Waisswa, William plus other farm hands. We are now harvesting the fruits of our labors  among which grown include; Cabbages , carrots(Daucus Caroto) , Nakati , Onions ,Beans ,Maize ,Cassava ,Egg plants , Green peppers ,Cowpeas and Sweet Potatoes. As for now we have started and still consuming on the above mentioned vegetables and crops since they grow in a very short period of time. We are now harvesting beans and they are many in line with the area we planted them on. Already started consuming on these beans as we await the harvest of maize in short period of time from now.

Early in the morning the boys were up and eager to prepare for the big day. They were well motivated to show their faith and love for Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist. Some boys had to do house chores. Each one had to make sure that his bed was the best and some had put different types of roses on their beds and all looked wonderful because each boy had made different designs on his bed. The boys of each house organized tables in the front where the Blessed Sacrament was going to be adored. The tables were decorated with lovely roses of different hues and appearance. After work completed, the boys went to take shower and then dress smartly for the Eucharist Celebration.

     The first Eucharist celebration was for Makerere students and Fr. Jean Marie was the celebrant. The second Eucharist celebration was for us, Don Bosco-CALM and a good number of faithful from the neighborhood and elsewhere. Fr. Elie was the Celebrant. Fr. Elie in his preaching explained the meaning of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. He did this to tell us different stories trying to analysis the three readings and to draw from the lesson of being good Christians and how we should take ourselves as Christians.

 

This day in the Salesian Missal l it is always celebrated on the 24^th  May .This time round it was  to be a Sun day of which it Pentecost day  and this made the feast to be celebrated on 23^rd which was a Saturday. This day was begun early that at 6 o’clock most of the boys were out of their beds. They started with cleaning the different places where the uncles had allocated them to work. The cooking had already been done at night. After cleaning we all dressed up smartly for mass and it begun with a procession which started from the Grotto of mother Mary. The novena was led by father Elie and all those who had petitions wrote them on papers and were burnt. The smoke that rose up represented going to our mother Mary.

Now the best teams had made it up to the finals. Among these teams was Vocation Training Centre (VTC) that made it Basketball; Senior 6 that made it in Volleyball and Senior 3 that made it in all the two disciplines.It was a fairly flowing Sunday accompanied with a favorable weather when the first game kicked off. A tight volleyball game between Senior 6 and Senior 3 officiated by Rev.Fr. Jean Marie, The Rector of the place. All the teams seemed ambitious and were determined to raise the trophy. The game begun with a high pace, everyone received the ball, tossed it and then pushed it over the net by either a spike or a simple toss. Enthusiastic music was heard in the background as the teams battled. At this moment the Senior 3 team was seen losing morale despite the fact that it comprised a large fan base, finally they ended up losing it to the Senior 6 team. Jubilations were seen from the wining team but this did not make the defeated team to give up as it still had a chance of taking it in another discipline. With their hope of winning it in Basketball, they wished a fair play with the winners by a handshake and relaxed for the next game.

The next game had been announced to kick off immediately after lunch and so it was because at exactly 2:00 Pm all the teams had already gathered with their respective fans. It was now the Basketball Grand Finale between VTC and Senior 3 officiated by Rev.Fr. John Bosco, The Vice Rector of the place.

The students are to engage themselves in sports competition basically in volleyball and basketball. For competitive games, the students are to be grouped as follows;

Group A  

·         Primary (from P.4 to P7)

·         Senior six.

·         Senior One combined with senior four.

Group B

·         Senior three.

·         V.T.C (Vocational Training Center) both from Kamuli and Bombo.

·         Senior two combined with Senior five.

In honour of St.Dominic Savio,this day is graced and cerebrated particularly in Salesians of St.Don Bosco communities in remembrance of his works and deeds especially  to the young. In  Uganda, all the four communities; Kamuli, Bombo, Gulu and Namungogo CALM, converged in Namungongo CALM community to cerebrate this great feast in the Salesian family and the theme of the day was;  “WE ARE CALLED TO SERVE LIKE ST.DON BOSCO”.

By the virtue of having to medical care, our beneficiaries do receive medical services of all sorts to keep them healthy in order to fully benefit and participate in other activities respectively.    

At Don Bosco CALM, the children take porridge early in the morning before going to school which is served in the dining hall with some eatables like, eggs or bread at times. While at school for those in primary, during break time, porridge is again taken to them though school porridge is served which is not of good quality hence […]