For some years now Saint Anthony's Charities have been financing projects in the diocese of Masaka, Uganda, a huge country region some 140 km south of Kampala, the capital. This commitment derives from the direct contact that the director of Saint Anthony's Charities , Fr. Luciano Massarotto, has with the bishop of the diocese, Mons. John B. Kaggwa. Last year, this help was used to construct or rebuild a total of seven schools, which are the only reference point for the many AIDS orphans.
Education has a very low priority in what is one of the poorest nations in the world.
Hunger, illness and war are more immediate concerns. But while it is difficult to find a short-term solution for AIDS or for tribal conflicts, some immediate action can be taken to deal with poverty. This 'immediate action' depends on women. The diocese of Masaka has a population of over 1,200,000 inhabitants, over 90 per cent of whom live in rural areas. They depend almost completely on subsistence agriculture.