Uganda hosts more refugees than any other country in Africa and is now a case study. What is the situation in Kampala, the area where you serve? Can you tell us about the Scalabrinian mission? (When was it opened, etc…)
Thank you for this question. Kampala is one of the fastest growing African cities in terms of markets and business. This has become a pull factor for some economic migrants and refugees (including those in refugee settlements). Therefore, there’s a massive presence of migrants and refugees in Kampala, originating from other African countries. There are several large communities of migrants and refugees: Congolese, South Sudanese, Ethiopians, Eritreans, Burundians, Rwandans, Somalis, and Nigerians. Most economic migrants run businesses to support themselves, while refugees face difficulties because according to government policy, a refugee can only receive assistance when he/she is residing in a refugee settlement. Therefore, those arriving in cities like Kampala are considered to be self-sufficient.
We started our mission on January 11, 2023, and currently operate in two dioceses: the Archdiocese of Kampala and the Diocese of Arua. Our mission in Kampala is currently institutional. First, we were asked by the Archbishop to establish a pastoral office for migrants and refugees, which currently doesn’t exist. Additionally, we are studying the situation of migrants and refugees to determine what kind of pastoral ministry will be meaningful, without duplicating the efforts of other organizations.
Apart from Kampala, our mission extends to the Diocese of Arua, where there’s a large presence of refugees in refugee settlements. We work in one of these settlements, where our pastoral work has two dimensions: sacramental, involving the celebration of masses and other sacraments, and social activities, where we’re implementing projects to assist refugees. So far, we have plans for several projects targeting women and children.
What are the skills and pastoral tools to implement in the service to migrants and refugees in Uganda?
Uganda is a new country for the Scalabrinian mission with a new type of migrants and refugees, requiring intercultural skills from Scalabrinian missionaries working in this African country. These skills enable us to approach the cultural complexity of migrants and refugees in a respectful and democratic manner, learning about their culture and customs without prejudice or stereotypes. Furthermore, there’s a need for specific training in migration and psychology. Firstly, the new mission in Uganda requires an expert in migration for both pastoral and social projects. Psychological training will serve refugees who have suffered post-war trauma, helping them overcome it. The majority of refugees in settlements have mental health issues due to terrible experiences of war and violence. Thanks to the San Giovanni Battista Scalabrini Region, among the missionaries in Uganda, there’s a psychologist doing excellent psychological support work with some refugees. Finally, the ability to mediate between different tribes of migrants and refugees is important. Pastoral care among refugees from South Sudan, where tribalism dominates, requires mediation to help manage tribal diversity and conflicts.
As a SIMI alumnus, what is the importance of training in pastoral service for migrants and refugees?
As a SIMI alumnus, I see that training in Pastoral Theology and Human Mobility prepares a student for professional pastoral service with migrants and refugees. First of all, this training offers extensive practical and theoretical knowledge of the human mobility phenomenon. This knowledge is then translated into practical pastoral service, with specific aspects such as viewing the recipients of pastoral care (migrants and refugees) as active rather than passive individuals, respecting the paths of any migrant or refugee, and considering migrants and refugees as people rather than mere numbers. Besides offering knowledge, this training shapes a whole person. Anyone who goes through SIMI training doesn’t remain the same from a human perspective, making it a human-centered training on the phenomenon of migration. From my brief experience on a mission in Uganda, training in pastoral theology provided me with the necessary tools to address pastoral challenges. This training helped me conduct pastoral service with migrants and refugees consciously and professionally. Sometimes I imagine that if I had not done the SIMI course, the things I do today would have been much more difficult.
How important is the Scalabrinian charisma and how does it fit into the country in which you serve?
I find three reasons why the Scalabrinian charisma is important in Uganda. Firstly, the Scalabrinian charisma is significant in a country like Uganda, where there is a substantial presence of migrants and refugees, as it fulfills its mission to stand by people affected by the drama of migration. Indeed, the Scalabrinian charisma exists for migrants and refugees. Secondly, from a pastoral standpoint with migrants and refugees, no other religious congregation has a specific charisma like ours, so the charisma and the service we provide go hand in hand. Other religious congregations working with migrants and refugees have had to read the signs of the times and have responded by modifying their specific mission somewhat. Finally, the service we provide to migrants and refugees in Uganda makes the Scalabrinian charisma meaningful, exemplary, and specific.
A brief profile of Fr John Kawisha, cs
My name is Fr John Kawisha, I was born on the 28th of November 1986 in Kitwe, Zambia. I am a cleric of the Missionary of St Charles – Scalabrinian Father, ordained on 11th September 2021 in Ndola Diocese in Zambia. I made my first religious profession in the Scalabrinian’s Congregation in 2017 and I made my final profession in 2020. I started the formation to religious life in Zambia and later transferred to Italy where I spent most of my years of formation.
I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy from the “Istituto Filosofico e Teologico San Pietro” in Viterbo, affiliated to the “Università Pontificio Ateneo Sant’Anselmo”. I graduated in 2013. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Sacred Theology from “Università Pontificio Ateneo Sant’Anselmo” in 2016. I also obtained a Licentiate in Pastoral Theology and Human Mobility from “Università Pontificia Urbaniana” in 2021. I speak English, Italian and Bemba (my local language) fluently.
I have various experiences with the different social and pastoral projects of the Congregation in Italy and in South Africa. In Italy, while in formation, I participated in the program called “Io ci sto” for three months, working in an informal refugee settlement with African refugees, in the Province of Foggia in Southern Italy (June – August 2016). I have a year of pastoral experience as a seminarian with Philippines Catholic migrants in Rome (2019 – 2020). For my two years of pastoral experience (September 2017 – September 2019) in Cape Town, South Africa, I worked as a volunteer at the Scalabrini centre. This is the centre founded by Scalabrini Fathers offering various social projects to refugees and migrants in Cape Town and surrounding areas. At the centre, I administered the multi-faith spiritual/pastoral desk, where migrants and refugees from all faiths and backgrounds were able to seek spiritual discussion, guidance, and support. I was also part of the English School program, teaching English language to the adults’ refugees and migrants. Besides that, I collaborated with the Stella Maris of Cape Town, visiting sick seafarers admitted in the hospital. After my priesthood ordination, for a year and some months, I was a pastoral assistant of the Scalabrini fathers in Cape Town. This year, I joined another Scalabrini father to start the Scalabrinian mission here in Uganda.
John Kawisha, missionario scalabriniano, ha conseguito la Licenza in Teologia Pastorale e Mobilità Umana presso l’Università Pontificia Urbaniana nel 2021. Ha varie esperienze con i diversi progetti sociali e pastorali della Congregazione Scalabriniana in Italia e in Sudafrica. Daquest’anno si è unito a un altro padre scalabriniano per iniziare la missione scalabriniana qui in Uganda