Sister Rose Mystica Muyinza is the founder of the Daughters of Charity, a charitable organization in Uganda. Through her organization, Sister Muyinza has performed special duties and responsibilities within the Catholic Church in Uganda, being committed to charity work, caring for and empowering many vulnerable persons.

Born in 1938 at Seeta in Mukono, central Uganda, she was named Imelda Namulwana by her devout Anglican parents Jose Nsubuga and Scholarstica Namuddu. She converted to the Catholic faith as a pupil at Namagunga primary school, a prominent Catholic founded institution. As a child she had always desired to become a Roman Catholic nun. For most of her childhood she lived with her aunt Edith Nakatumba and her grandparents Mr. and Mrs. Kyewungudde.

At age seven while in primary four, Namulwana went to live in a Roman Catholic religious congregation called the Little Sisters of Saint Francis in Nkokonjeru Mukono at the inspiration of her nun teachers. Life at the convent was pleasant for her. [1] She changed her name to Rose Mystica Muyinza when she joined the congregation. Imelda Namulwana attended Namilyango Junior School, and St. Joseph’s Namagunga.

After nine years in the convent, she had to leave in order to look after the fifteen children of her late brother Mr. Mabira. She formally resigned from religious life, but continued to live the rule of life for the religious.

She earned a diploma in social work and social administration from Nsamizi Institute and a bachelor of arts degree in education from Makerere University. She is good at mathematics, music, dance, and drama. [2]

She founded the Daughters of Charity Community after graduating from Makerere University and working for the Bank of Uganda for a short period. Sister Muyinza then dedicated her life to serving vulnerable children and needy women, mostly those affected by war and HIV/AIDS.

She has set up orphanage homes in central Uganda in Nsambya, Kampala, Kiwanga, Mukono, and Rakai. She is devoted to work and she has no property of her own. [3] Her life is governed by Christian principles. She is actively involved in the Catholic Church activities especially in the field of music, dance and drama. [4] She has instilled the culture of prayer in her Daughters of Charity Community. She serves God’s people within the Catholic Church and outside it. She was head of the laity in Nsambya Catholic Parish Kampala Archdiocese. She has been a member of the National Council of Children in Uganda, and a board member of the Uganda Bible Society. She was advisor to Uganda’s First Lady Mrs. Janet Museveni in setting up the Uganda Women’s Effort to Save Orphans (UWESO). She won the Guinness Power of Goodness Award as one of the fifteen most outstanding Catholic women in Kampala Archdiocese in year 2000.

The children are accepted by Sister Muyinza’s charitable organization after thorough scrutiny and once they are eighteen years old they are supposed to leave the institute. At the institute emphasis is put on the children’s morals and social behavior. The children are prepared to serve society. [5] The African traditional cultural, social, and moral values of tolerance, dialogue, and consultation are stressed. The children are prepared to strengthen the independence, integrity, and unity of African peoples.

Muyinza’s work is comparable to that of Mother Theresa of Calcutta India only that Muyinza empowers people to be self supporting. She strongly believes in the integration of the Catholic faith and the indigenous African traditional culture in Uganda. [6] She also promotes the integration of African traditional cultural medicine and modern medical practices in Uganda. She always advocates for the culture of charity. She encourages the vulnerable to cooperate and unite. She also encourages her former congregation, the Little Sisters of St. Francis, in their work of expanding the kingdom of God and in upholding the values of unity.

Sister Muyinza died in November 2009.

Deogratias Kabagambe

Notes:

1. Sister Rose Mystica Muyinza interviewed on November 22, 2006.

2. Mr. Wasswa Muyinza interviewed on November 22, 2006.

3. Remark by Sister Sephas who was Sister Muyinza’s superior at the Little Sisters of St. Francis convent in Nkokonjeru Mukono, central Uganda.

4. Sid Smith, “Uganda Dance Troupe Hope, Inspiration: World Music,” Chicago Tribune art critique, (May 21, 2006).

5. International philanthropy in donating, voluntary fundraising tax deductible donations. Universal giving organization; Uganda children’s charity.

6. Sister Rose Mystica Muyinza interviewed on November 22, 2006.

Bibliography

Smith, Sid. “Chicago tribune World Music, Uganda dance Troupe Hope, inspiration.” Tribune arts critics, May 21, 2006.

International Philanthropy, donating volunteering, fundraising, tax deductible. Universal giving Organization. Uganda children’s foundation, United States US EIN#75 2577687.

http://www.universalgiving.org/donate/Uganda-childen’s - charity - foun/id1456.do May 21, 2006.

Oral Sources:

Kizito Damba: Kizito Damba of Nsambya Catholic Parish Kampala has worked with Sister Rose Mystica Muyinza.

Stephen Wasswa: Wasswa is one of the administrators at the Daughters of Charity, and one of the sons brought up by Sister Muyinza at the institution, a close associate of Sister Muyinza.

Owekitibwa Teo Lubega: Owekitibwa Lubega is the Coordinator of Daughters of Charity who helped Sister Muyinza to run the charity organization.

Sister Sephas: Sister Sephas who is seventy years old, a member of the Congregation of the Little Sisters of Saint Francis was Sister Muyinza’s caretaker at Nkokonjeru, the headquarters of the Little Sisters of Saint Francis. Sister Sephas knows Sister Muyinza very well.

Florence Ndawula Nalongo: Nalongo Ndawula is the home administrator of the Daughters of Charity who is a close associate of Sister Muyinza.

Benedict Kiriisa: Kiriisa a social welfare officer with the Daughters of Charity, a close associate of Sister Muyinza.

John Muteewo: Mr. Muteewo who served Mother Kevin Primary School in Kiwanga for twenty years, is a close associate of Sister Muyinza.

Ivan Kilya: Kilya worked with Sister Muyinza as a social worker for the Daughters of Charity.

Sister Mary Sebastian Nansubuga: Sister Nansubuga who is eighty years old is a former mother superior for the Little Sisters of Saint Francis. She knows Sister Muyinza very well.

Sister Felicitas Nakamya: Sister Nakamya, who is seventy years old, is the current mother superior of the Little Sisters of Saint Francis at Nkokonjeru. Sister Nakamya is a close associate of Sister Muyinza.

This article, received in 2009, was researched and written by Deogratias Kabagambe, Executive Director of the Centre of African Christian Studies (P.O. Box 33507, Kampala, Uganda; Tel. (256) 0414-510 373; [email protected]) and DACB liaison coordinator.