With Father John in Hoima

Greetings from Hoima

Dear friends and helpers of Apwoyo,

Many of you met Father John from Hoima during his last visit to Germany. He has arrived safely back in his parish and sends warm greetings.

Father John also sent me photographs of one of the schools in his parish. They are an example of the challenges we face daily in our work in Uganda — and it is one picture among many.

Where Hoima lies

Hoima is a district in western Uganda; the town of the same name is its administrative centre. The area once belonged to the district of Bunyoro — one of the oldest and most tradition-rich kingdoms in the country.

The kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara was founded in the sixteenth century and stretched across territory that today forms parts of Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. Its ruler bears the title Omukama. In the nineteenth century the kingdom was conquered by the British and absorbed into the Uganda protectorate; in 1967 the Ugandan kingdoms were abolished and Bunyoro became a district. Today Bunyoro-Kitara continues as a traditional kingdom within Uganda — with its own king, but without political power. For the people of the region it still matters a great deal.

Since 2024, Hoima has been one of the regions where we work, alongside Kalaki and Ngora.