The work of REMWI

The Retired Ministers Welfare Initiative (REMWI) based in the Mbale District in Uganda, is a newly established organisation, launched in January 2020, with the focus on retired Church ministers welfare. These are people are not covered by any superannuation scheme or any avenues of welfare support. REMWI members were concerned about the situation in respect of their old and vulnerable clients during the recent years of Covid-19 lockdown but also overwhelmed by the number of phone calls seeking relief interventions. Being new, RMWI members had no resources at all to respond to the increased plight of the already suffering clients. Their members’ contributions had just been exhausted as they funded the launch activities which included a two-day medical camp for their clients and the general public, feeding and transportation of the clients and the launch package to them. Responding to the lockdown, clients’ needs, and requests were therefore hardly feasible. They had no money but could not ignore and forget the issue, and as the situation grew worse, they mobilised the members to scratch from wherever and whatever resources could be found for the rescue of their starving clients. Noting however that not all of them were at the same level of suffering influenced an intervention strategy.

The members of REMWI who were just managing to survive themselves tried their best and raised some support which were used in a first phase of intervention. Our Hearthstone partners were able to step in at this point and boosted their efforts and made the second phase possible. This was followed by more contribution by members. With this they had the third phase intervention.

Another very much needed support was given by Christian Childcare Programme (CCP), who had not only supported the district with transport for two months but also lent a vehicle for the three phases to distribute the food. This was a collective and collaborative effort which Hearthstone intends on nurturing with other local partner support.