Strengthening Interfaith Relations While Supporting Government of Uganda Covid-related Efforts

Despite great social and economic loss, Uganda is the only country in the East African region that is yet to lose a single life to COVID-19.

What is Uganda’s secret? It could be its multi-stakeholder approach, which includes a unique partnership between the government and the country’s most trusted multi-religious platform: Religions for Peace’s Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU). IRCU is a coalition of diverse religious leaders representing the religious communities and institutions in Uganda who have been equipped to leverage their influence to provide solutions to the side-effects of the coronavirus, including increased gender-based violence (GBV) and the economic impact of lost livelihoods.

This “new normal” of limited movement and lost income among the country’s usually vibrant, majority-urban population has given rise to disarray, fear and violence. The IRCU immediately mobilised its established network of 300 religious member organisations to spring into multi-religious action.

Twenty-five religious leaders, including women and youth, led a peer outreach social media campaign, offering spiritual and psychosocial support to combat COVID-19 related tension. Videos and e-posters were shared to address the increase in reported GBV. These resources are being used by educators like Mr. Lazarus Simbwa, the National Youth Coordinator for the Uganda Orthodox Church, who said that “the messages are spot on… I am currently using the video to offer counseling to the young people in the Orthodox Church.” Mrs. Jolly Kamishani, a woman of faith representative of the Province of the Church of Uganda, used the message to mobilise fellow women leaders in the Kampala diocese and reach out to women living in informal settlements in Naguru, Kamwokya and Nakawa who may have experienced GBV to support them in taking appropriate action.

With support from Religions for Peace’s Multi-religious Humanitarian Fund, the IRCU launched a food drive and distribution project, to complement the Government of Uganda’s efforts and with the endorsement of the President of Uganda, H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. IRCU was able to supply food aid and to encourage food donations through its well-established and trusted structures. Ms. Afua Mugumya, a young woman representative of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, engaged in the food collection effort and “Called young people…to identify families that were starving… then mobilised [other youth of faith to donate] food items.” Her efforts provided food for ten hard-hit families in Kampala.

Mr. Joshua Kitakule, Secretary General of IRCU, says that Religions for Peace’s Multi-religious Humanitarian Fund provided an opportunity for “capacity building of religious leaders on use of technology and in further strengthening interfaith relations in Uganda,”  which is critical for the continued success of IRCU’s high-level multi-sectoral collaborations, such as its strong partnership with the Ugandan government.