By Immaculate Kisembo | September 25, 2025
Opening this club is celebrating St. Maria Goretti and the Impact of Girls and Women in Ecology. Against this backdrop, the Laudato Youth Initiative (LYI) happily launched its newest Laudato Si’ Club at St. Maria Goretti Girls’ School (LSiC – SMG) in Fort Portal. The launch, carried out in collaboration with the Fort Portal Diocese Youth Office and the school administration, marks an important milestone in both spiritual and ecological education among Catholic Schools in Fort Portal.
This new club joins a growing family of Laudato Si’ Clubs across the country, aimed at nurturing a generation of environmentally conscious youth equipped with the tools of faith, science, innovation, and community engagement.
A Spirit-Filled Launch Rooted in Faith and Ecology
The event opened with a solemn Creation Mass led by Rev. Fr. Dr. Ronald Kawoya, CSC, who challenged students to “make the main thing the main thing.” He invited them to reflect on their personal and collective mission, not just to excel academically, but to grow holistically through a Catholic education that integrates care for creation.
Fr. Kawoya reminded students that the main mission of the Laudato Youth Initiative is to empower and unite young people for climate action, to understand and protect God’s creation. Emphasizing integral ecology, he explained that Laudato Si’ Clubs by LYI are not just about planting trees, but about discovering our deep interdependence with the environment, and responding to ecological challenges through action and faith.
St. Maria Goretti: A Model for Ecological Spirituality
Fr. Kawoya beautifully connected the launch to the legacy of St. Maria Goretti, highlighting her symbolism in the context of ecology. Known for her purity, courage, and forgiveness, Maria Goretti exemplifies the human dimension of ecological spirituality. Her life reminds us that caring for creation begins with reverence for human dignity, especially the vulnerable.
“She is often depicted holding Lilly flowers; symbols of beauty, purity, and life,” he said. “This image should inspire members of the Laudato Si’ Club to approach their mission with the same spirit of gentleness, courage, and deep respect for all living things.”
He also invoked the inspiration of St. Francis of Assisi, patron of ecology, and St. Adolf, patron of herdsmen and farmers, and the chosen patron of the Laudato Youth Initiative.
Messages of Support from Church and School Leaders
The launch of the club was attended by remarkable leaders who gave speeches;
Rev. Sr. Judith Kenkimba, Head Teacher of SMG, warmly welcomed the LYI team, thanking them for providing a platform for girls to actively contribute to environmental protection and leadership.
Mr. Daniel Rusahura, shared about the gratitude of the youth office for the work of the Laudato Youth Initiative through their Laudato Si’ Clubs in the region, encouraging SMG students to collaborate, learn, and lead together.
Rev. Sr. Judith Ayesiga, Diocesan Youth Coordinator, expressed joy at for the opening of the Laudato Si’ Club, emphasizing the Diocese’s commitment to adding voice to activities of LYI through the youth office.
Laudato Youth Initiative leaders
Representatives from the Laudato Youth Initiative team graced the event, including:
Mr. Benard Kahwa – Executive Director, Ms. Immaculate Kisembo – Programs Manager and Mr. Fred Ayebale – Media
In her remarks, Ms. Immaculate Kisembo outlined the vision of LYI:
“Our mission is to mentor and establish Laudato Si’ Clubs in schools, universities, parishes, and communities. These clubs are run by the institutions themselves, while we provide training, mentorship, and programming support. Today, we officially welcome St. Maria Goretti Girls’ School into the Laudato Youth Initiative family. And with that, we plant the seeds of something beautiful and life-changing.” Together we shall strive to build climate resileince and build our faith through the amazing Laudato Youth Initiative programs that run throughout the year.
She also highlighted the remarkable transformation these clubs bring:
“Wherever a Laudato Si’ Club is formed, transformation follows. Students grow in their love for God, gain ecological problem-solving skills, and build stronger ties with their communities. They use research, innovation, talents and faith to reflect and address real issues.” from Laudato Si Chapter one that pauses a question “What is happening to our common h0me?”.
What Will the Laudato Si’ Club at SMG Do?
We want to form a Laudato Si’ Club that will serve as a hub for environmental education, faith formation, and community impact in the school whose activities will include:
Core Program Areas: Spiritual and ecological formation, Climate change education and action, Sustainable agriculture and innovation, Community engagement and outreach, Digital storytelling and youth expression among others.
Planned Projects: Tree planting and campus greening, Smart gardens and nursery bed creation, Student-led research on environmental issues, Poetry, drama, and debates to communicate eco-messages, Creation Masses and spiritual reflections, radio talk shows, digital storytelling and the “Laudato Voices Magazine”
The Bigger Picture in view of Environmental Programs in Catholic Schools
The launch of this club reflects broader national efforts in to integrate environmental protection in the new curriculum educational model and the catholic church desire for its schools to promote youth and faith-based environmental protection. From tree-planting campaigns to clean energy advocacy, the Catholic Church in Uganda and the civil society including schools, churches, and community groups are increasingly focused on promoting environmental conservation and our LYI model aims to implement this need through building climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, and environmental justice under the MAST model and through the patroness of St. Adolf Mukasa Ludigo the patron of Farmers and Herdsmen.
The MAST model, introduced through the Vatican Africa Resileince Model is aimed at The MAST Model is a climate resilence framework standing for Mitigation, Adaptation, and Societal Transformation. This comprehensive strategy aims to address the climate crisis by reducing emissions (mitigation), preparing for unavoidable climate impacts (adaptation), and fostering systemic changes in human values, behavior, and governance (societal transformation) to create a sustainable future. It was central to the 2024 Vatican African Climate Summit where we represented the youth voices and vowed to implement it in all our clubs. It is a key component of the Planetary Protocol for Climate Change Resilience, guiding efforts toward global cooperation on climate action.
We all know Uganda faces pressing challenges: deforestation, wetland degradation, erratic weather patterns, and the impact of plastic pollution. Initiatives our Laudato Youth Initiative respond to these realities by empowering the most important stakeholders young people.
LSiC – SMG for us will be a club where the future Faithful Meet Integral Ecology
The launch of the Laudato Si’ Club at St. Maria Goretti Girls’ School is more than an event it is a call to action, a moment of empowerment, and a sign of hope for Catholic Schools implementation of Laudato Si under the Laudato Youth Initiative Programs.
As Laudato Youth at SMG take up this mission, they follow in the footsteps of saints and changemakers who saw the beauty and sacredness of all life. Their journey is just beginning, but their potential to transform their communities and the planet is already evident.
“Young people demand change. They wonder how anyone can claim to be building a better future without thinking of the environmental crisis.”– Pope Francis, Laudato Si’
We thank all who made this launch possible, and we look forward to walking this journey together—toward a more just, green, and faithful Uganda. United for Climate Action.
