The Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities has extended support to Teresa Children’s Home in Nyanama as part of activities leading to Uganda’s World Tourism Day celebrations. The ministry team, led by Permanent Secretary Doreen Katusiime, donated rice, milk, tissue and other household items to the home, which cares for more than 20 children.
The visit is part of the ministry’s community and social responsibility activities during the Tourism Month, ahead of the national World Tourism Day celebrations scheduled for September 27 at Mbale Secondary School Grounds in Mbale City.
Speaking during the visit, the Tourism Ministry Undersecretary Geoffrey Sseremba said tourism was ultimately about people and communities, making social responsibility an important part of the sector’s work.
“One of the initiatives we chose to support is Teresa Children’s Home,” he said. The Nyanama home, operated by Teresa Ministries under the leadership of Reverend Father Raymond Kalanzi, cares for children who have come from different backgrounds and circumstances.
Sseremba said the team found children ranging from a four-day-old baby to seven years old during the visit. He commended the care provided at the facility and said the donation was intended to supplement the home’s efforts to provide for the children.
“We have delivered household items, including tissue, rice and milk, among others, so that we support this initiative and enable them to do more,” he said.
He noted that the initiative was linked to the ministry’s wider mandate of promoting tourism, conserving wildlife and protecting Uganda’s heritage.
“All this is done in society, and there are people. This is part of that society, and that is why we chose to come here and undertake this philanthropic act,” he said.
He also linked the initiative to Uganda’s reputation for hospitality, saying the spirit of welcoming visitors should extend to vulnerable members of Ugandan society.
“The same society that is hospitable to tourists has to also be hospitable to its own,” Seremba said.
The donation follows an earlier cash contribution of more than Sh2 million from the ministry. According to the home’s management, the money was used towards acquiring another children’s home in Nsambya, which operates as a branch of the Nyanama facility.
The outreach comes as the ministry and tourism agencies intensify activities ahead of World Tourism Day, which provides an opportunity to highlight the contribution of tourism to communities, culture and the economy.
“September is Tourism Month, and Uganda will join the rest of the world to celebrate World Tourism Day on September 27. This year, the national celebrations will take place in Mbale City,” Seremba said.
He said the ministry had lined up several activities ahead of the main celebrations, including free open-park entry days and community initiatives, a showcase of Eastern Uganda’s tourism potential, including its natural landscapes, cultural heritage, coffee experiences and other tourism products.
The activities leading to September 27 are therefore expected to take tourism beyond the promotion of destinations, highlighting its connection to communities and the people who give meaning to Uganda’s hospitality.