Background Information

BUCADOS operates under the Catholic Diocese of Bukoba which is found in the Kagera region, one of the 31 administrative regions of Tanzania. The Kagera region covers an area of 35,686 square kilometers. According to the Tanzania National Bureau of Statistics 2022, the total population in Kagera is estimated at 2.9 million, with the majority living below the poverty line of 1 dollar per day. For decades, Kagera has been one of the least developed regions in the country. Poverty in Kagera can be attributed to the fact that the region is predominantly rural, completely landlocked, far from the coast and the capital, and largely dependent on subsistence agriculture. In addition, the Kagera region has historically been struck by tragedies that have left many families orphaned or plunged into abject poverty.

These include the war between Tanzania and Uganda (1978-79), deadly hunger and disease such as HIV-AIDS, that broke out as an aftermath of the war, the capsizing of the MV-Bukoba ship in Lake Victoria (1996) and the earthquake that struck the region in 2016. All this has contributed to the economic decline of the region plunging most families into poverty and making them unable to afford a good education for their children. BUCADOS is therefore committed to helping orphans and children from less fortunate families by providing school fees and other educational facilities to ease the burden of impoverished families and prepare them to contribute to the economic development of the region.

About the Founder

Fr Achilles Kiwanuka Machumilane, the founder of BUCADOS, is a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Bukoba in Tanzania and was born and raised in Bukoba. At the age of 8, Fr Achilles and his four brothers and five sisters were orphaned after the death of their father, Mr. Dominic Rutakulemberwa. He left them in the care of their mother Bertha Banagwa, who was only a housewife without any economic income. The coming years were a hard struggle for Fr Achilles and the family to make ends meet. Below, Fr Achilles recounts his heartbreaking experience as an orphan, which was the reason for founding BUCADOS.

The idea of starting an organization to support orphans and needy children was born out of the economic hardships I faced as an orphan during my childhood and during my studies. My father died in 1990 when I was still young, even before I entered the seminary. My father, who was a teacher, was the sole breadwinner of the family and had to struggle to raise the ten children. Unfortunately, when he died, my older siblings were still at school and none of them were working. Now my mother had to carry alone this heavy burden of raising us and paying for our studies. My studies and those of my other siblings were therefore associated with economic challenges. I remember that the initial fees and other expenses for joining Rutabo Seminary were contributed by the faithful members of our Christian community in Nyakigando, Kishogo Parish. Later, every time I came on vacation, I had to make local brew (rubisi) from which I could pay the fees and other needs. That was not easy. When I joined the Secondary School of St. Mary's Seminary, Rubya, the situation worsened because the fees were higher than what I was paying at Rutabo Seminary. I remember that at the beginning of every semester, I was always sent home the next day because I had no school fees.

My mother tried very hard to find the school fees for me and asked various people for help. Fortunately, when I was in Form Two, a friend introduced us to a Lutheran organization called HUYAWA-Huduma YA Watoto (Help for Children), which supports children from poor families. HUYAWA accepted my request and funded my school fees for three years until I finished Form Four. This was a very touching experience for me, which made me want to start a similar foundation to support other children who have similar economic difficulties. Since HUYAWA could not continue to support me due to their limited funds, I had to look for support elsewhere. I knocked on various doors looking for support, but all to no avail. Finally, I presented my situation to the Diocesan Bishop, the then Rit Rev. Nestory Timanywa, and asked him for help. The Bishop had compassion for me and waived my fees for the two years of high school. May the merciful Lord receive him into his eternal peace.

This experience created in me an intense desire to help poor orphans, because I believe that there are many orphans who are in a similar or even more difficult situation. Since my ordination to the priesthood in 2008, I have used my few resources to help pay the fees for the needy children. However, my wish was to set up a foundation that could help orphans on a larger scale, but I could not realize my dream as I was still pursuing my studies. I am very grateful to Bishop Jovitus Mwijage, the current Bishop of Bukoba Catholic Diocese, for welcoming my idea and pledging his full support in realizing our dream. Thanks to his help and support, BUCADOS is now taking shape. We humbly request other benefactors to join our efforts and contribute to the mission of BUCADOS.