SEMBABULE – Caritas MADDO, the social development arm of the Catholic Church in Masaka Diocese, has donated bedding and other household essentials to elderly people in Katimba Deanery as part of activities to mark the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.
The beneficiaries received mattresses, blankets, bedsheets, soap, sugar and clothes to improve their living conditions and promote better hygiene, particularly in their sleeping areas.
The diocesan celebrations, held on Friday at St. Agatha Lwebitakuli Parish in Sembabule District, brought together elderly people from the parishes of Mateete, Katimba, Lwebitakuli and Katwe Centre. The event was held ahead of the global observance of the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, celebrated annually on July 26.
Speaking during Holy Mass on behalf of the Bishop of Masaka Diocese, Rt. Rev. Severus Jjumba, the Diocesan Youth Director, Rev. Fr. Robert Ssebadduka, challenged young people to become the “walking sticks” of the elderly by supporting and caring for them in their daily lives.
Fr. Ssebadduka said young people and older persons should strengthen their relationship through mutual understanding, respect and support.
He urged the youth to ensure elderly people have food, clean and comfortable places to sleep, and companionship, noting that such care enables them to live healthier and more dignified lives.
“The elderly should never feel abandoned. They need people who can stand by them, visit them and remind them that they are still valued members of society,” he said.
He also reminded young people that many of the opportunities and developments they enjoy today were built through the efforts of older generations.
“The youth should stop looking down on the elderly. Instead, they should seek their guidance, learn from their experience and work hard so that they too leave behind a meaningful legacy,” he added.
Representing the Director of Caritas MADDO, Rev. Fr. Gonzaga Kiyimba, John Ssuuna Mayanja said many elderly people continue to live in difficult conditions, with some lacking basic bedding and sleeping in unhygienic environments infested with fleas and bedbugs.
He said the donation was intended to restore dignity to older persons by providing them with clean bedding and improving their overall wellbeing.
Mayanja also highlighted loneliness as one of the biggest challenges facing the elderly, encouraging families and communities to regularly visit and spend time with them.
“A simple visit and conversation can give an elderly person renewed hope and improve their quality of life,” he said.
Rev. Fr. Charles Kaganda, the Youth Chaplain for Katimba Deanery, encouraged young people to use their time wisely by balancing recreation with hard work to secure a better future.
Meanwhile, Masaka Diocese Youth Leader John Vianny Mulembe said youth across the diocese have continued to support elderly people through community outreach programmes.
He said the youth have visited more than 230 elderly people to administer Holy Communion, built more than 25 houses and constructed sanitation facilities for vulnerable older persons.
Despite these efforts, Mulembe noted that many elderly people still face poor living conditions and called for greater support from individuals, organisations and communities.
The beneficiaries welcomed the assistance with gratitude, thanking Bishop Jjumba and Caritas MADDO for remembering them.
Several elderly recipients said the mattresses and blankets would protect them from the cold weather, which often worsens age-related body pains, allowing them to sleep more comfortably.
The World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly was instituted by Pope Francis to encourage the Church and society to honour older people, recognise their contributions and strengthen bonds between generations. In Masaka Diocese, the celebrations were held alongside the diocesan Youth Day, highlighting the Church’s call for solidarity between young and old.
