Among the special guests at the 85th Diocesan Convention were the Rt. Rev. Zebedee Masereka, retired bishop of the Diocese of South Ruwenzori, Uganda, and his wife Stella.
In Kasese, western Uganda, in 2001, the Maserekas established the
Bishop Masereka Christian Foundation
(BMCF) to provide school fees for the ever-growing population of
AIDS orphans. In the Kasese district, with a population of nearly
half a million, there are an estimated 20,000 orphaned children,
many of whom suffer from HIV/AIDS acquired at birth.
In 2005, with support from dioceses in The Episcopal Church and
others, the ministry was expanded to include the Bishop Masereka
Christian Foundation Medical Centre. The Centre provides treatment
to all who come but especially to those suffering from HIV/AIDS and
malaria, which is also rampant in Kasese.
One half of the offering given at the Convention Eucharist is
earmarked for the Maserekas' MDG-minded ministry. If you would
like to support this ministry, you may donate via the BMCF
Web site. With questions about
BMCF and the Maserekas' ministry, please contact the Rev.
Alice Haynes
(803.981.5534), vicar of St. Matthias, Rock Hill, and a member of
the U.S. Board of Directors for BMCF.
