Launch of Fundraising Campaign

The Lions Club of Kampala Central will Launch it's annual Fundraising Campaign on October 22, 2010 at Hotel Africana, Kampala to support health Activities. This year's campaign is targeting to raise 29million for running the Medical Camps and other health activities.

You can help support this cause by purchasing a fundraising card at Ugx 50,000. We look forward to receiving your support so as to help us serve the less fortunate better.

For further information, please contact us on lionsclubofkampalacentral@gmail.com or directly to me on emmakan2001@yahoo.co.uk or contact the Chairperson SightFirst and Health Committee on israelmanzi@yahoo.co.uk or call him on +256-70-2011361 or the Club President on +256-78-644068.

We shall be greatful for your contribution.

Uganda Mourns!!

We note with too much grief, the passing away of innocent Ugandans and other people of different nationalities especially Ethiopians and Americans who perished in the bomb blasts the rocked Kampala in the few minutes that preceded the final whistle or world cup 2010.

In the photo, some of the people who lost their lives in the blasts

As the excitement and anxiety built among the football loving fans, some "creature" in the shape of a human being had other 'ill motives'.

The simultaneous blasts at three locations in the city have so far left over 70 people dead and hundreds nursing serious injuries.

This attack on Kampala is a 'rape' of the hospitality that Ugandans have always been known for and it is sad that some one could even have conceived such an idea.

The Membership of the Lions Club of Kampala Central and the whole Lions fraternity in Uganda, join in grieving for the souls that have passed-on to the creator and we join our prayers in comforting the families that lost loved ones and praying for the quick recovery of those who are bed-ridden because of this inhuman act.

We call upon all Peace-loving people across the world to join us in the struggle to restore normalcy in our country, One thing am sure of is that Ugandans will always be hospitable no matter what!!!

Service amidst Challenges!

On Friday 19, March 2010, the Lions of Kampala Central together with a team of doctors, nurses and other support staff set off on a journey to Kyabugimbi Health centre in Bushenyi District for the Second Medical camp. The camp was held successfully on 20th March and 2448 patients with different ailments received free treatment.

(Left in the photo, Lions and Leos doing registration at one of the centres)

The journey travelled was one of the most challenging so far; from the heavy downpour that characterized both days to surviving a nasty accident on the Mbarara – Bushenyi road which left our bus very damaged but fortunately with no one hurt in the process. All that could not deter us from our purpose and we finally held our camp successfully.

We set off at 10:00am amidst heavy rain, traversed the rough Makasa-Kampala road (under construction) up to Lukaya where we had our stop-over for some gonja. We reached Mbarara in time for our schedule radio talk show at Radio West studios. As other sat for Lunch, Lion Dr. Cillasy Tumwesigye together with Lion Venie Tinkumanya, went for the talk show where they explained Lions activities in general and the magnitude of our camp in particular. They then joined us as we got back on the journey to Bushenyi where we had scheduled to distribute sanitary pads to the girls of Nyakabanga and Kibona secondary schools.

Seven Kilometres into the journey, a speeding salon car overturned and damaged our bus but fortunately nobody was hurt in the accident including miraculously the driver of the salon car. We then began the long process of recording statements with the traffic police which lasted more than expected and we lost more time which in the end affected our program. We had to postpone the distribution of Pads to Sunday after the camp. I am glad that it was finally done successfully.

We reached at our host’s (Lions John Bosco and Mercy Ntangaare) home at about 8:00pm. We then refreshed, had tea and a brief meeting before we proceeded to dinner and retired to sleep.

It’s Saturday 20th, the day of the camp. We quickly have breakfast and head to the venue (Kyabugimbi health centre) which was about 4kms from the Ntangaare’s residence. The crowds had gathered already. We quickly set up our different registration, examination and treatment centres as well as the dispensary. Everything soon started going smoothly until the rain started pouring heavily. My surprise and challenge for the day; despite the rain, people did not leave the lines for registration, so Lions had nothing to do but run for umbrellas and continue with registration.

The numbers were overwhelming but our bigger medical team worked tirelessly and in the end, everybody was served.

(In the photo, Lions at registration overwhelmed by numbers)

The occasion was graced with the presence of the Minister of State for Health (General duties) who is also the area Member of Parliament. He congratulated Lions for the wonderful job to humanity and encouraged us to continue the service. He contributed Uganda Shillings 4.6million to support our activities.

We then wound up the day with a fellowship at the Ntangaare’s where we ate, drunk and danced to the tunes in celebration of our achievement.

(Lion Gervase dancing with guests)

Sunday morning, we had breakfast and proceeded to distribute pads at Nyakabanga secondary school where our own Lion Grace engaged the students in dance and singing before we distributed pads to the girls and left for our journey back to Kampala.

The SightFirst and Health committee on behalf of the president and the entire membership of the club, would like to thank all those who contributed in one way or the other to make this activity a success. In a special way, we thank the management of Joint Medical Stores and National Medical Stores who gave us medicine, the Management of Fly540, Millennium Tour and Travel Services and Hon. Richard Nduhura who gave us cash contributions towards our activities. We are also greatful to Dr. Charles Ibingira who helped us in transport arrangements as well us linking us to Makerere University School of Health Sciences and the Medical students who did a tremendous job at the camp. We also thank the Management of Kyabugimbi health centre who gave us the facilities and made our work easier. We cannot forget the office of the District Medical officer, Bushenyi, who supplemented our medical team with their staff. Our appreciation also go to Kampala International University, Western Campus who also supported us with their medical personnel. And to all the Lions who sacrificed time and resources to make this camp a success, we are very greatful.

Dinning for a Cause!

On October 8, 2009, all roads led to Hotel Africana for a fundraising dinner to support health activities for the Lionistic year 2009/2010. Lions and their guests had to endure a heavy down-pour coupled with heavy traffic jam but in the end many of us made it to the hotel in time for the occasion.



(Left; some of the Lions and guests at the dinner)

The chief guest, Hon. Jim Muhwezi Katugugu also arrived in time and the function was started as scheduled.
The Club President, Lion Dr. Cillasy Tumwesigye, in his opening remarks, thanked members for their untiring support to the cause of serving humanity and encouraged them to always give their best to this cause. He also thanked guests for responding to our invitation and asked them to join lionism and support its activities of serving the needy of our society.




(Club President, Lion Dr. Cillasy Tumwesigye welcomes lions and guests to the function as the Chief guest and other dignatories look on)


The chief Guest (a Rotarian), thanked Lions for what they have done in the service of the needy. He said that the many projects started and supported by the Lions in Uganda had helped raise the standard of living for many people and encouraged every one to always give in support of these activities. On his part, he contributed UG Shs 1million in support of this year’s health activities. He also helped raise another Uganda Shillings Seven Hundred Thousand by auctioning a Lion Sculpture which was bought by Lion Engineer Dans Naturinda; the club Secretary.




(Lion Eng. Dans receives an item he bought during the auction)
The occasion was also graced with the presence of Lion PDG Hon. Shem Bageine who contributed half a million shillings in support of this cause. Also in attendance was the region chairman, Lion Robert Munanura and his spouse and they contributed Shillings two hundred thousand. Other Lions and guests also contributed generously. We thank all members and guests who braved the harsh conditions of that evening to come and support the cause of helping the needy. In a special way, we would like to acknowledge the support from our sister clubs especially the Lions club of Kampala host and the Lions club of Kampala city.
The function was punctuated with interesting jokes from Lions and guests and the Chief Guest could not be left behind on this, he hilariously told the guests a high school joke which left everybody busting in laughter. So next time make sure you attend because you don’t want to miss as a General tells a joke!
The function was crowned with a sumptuous dinner and at the end of it, as advised by a renowned nutritionist, it was time to dance and Lions and guests could not disappoint on this. We danced till late.





(The chief guest is joined by our club president and other lions to dance in celebration of a job well done)









The health committee thanks every one who made this activity a success. We are greateful for your support.

Harvesting the fruits of Hardwork!

I don't know what to call this, but as far as i can remember, my hands almost turned red because of clapping. Lost?? ok! read the headline again!

Well, let me help you, during the convention, as the Governor gave awards in appreciation of hard work and dedication to serving the less fortunate, Lions club of Kampala central had a tremendous 'harvest' and we could not help but clap endlessly.............now you know why my hands almost turned red! Yes, the club received awards in the following categories;

Best sight conservation program in Uganda,

Highest number of Melvin Jones Fellows for a club in Uganda,

Best District activity of the club in Uganda- (Medical Camps),

Best E-Newsletter/ Bulletin,

Best Club President In Uganda,

Best club Secretary in Uganda; And to crown it all the club was overall third best in the parade, tell me that's not a great acheivement!!

Above, Lion Mercy(Club President) receives the trophy for Best club President In Uganda

Above, Lion Mercy and Lion Dr. Tumwesigye receive a trophy for best Sight Conservation Program.

Above, Lion Mercy and Lion Dans receive the Trophy for best District Activity of the Club- Medical Camps

The club is supported by it's members and when an individual member receives an award, we celebrate together and in that regard the following members received District governor's award in recognition of their dedication to service;

Lion Hon Shem Bageine, IPDG,

Lion Venie Tinkumanya,

Lion John Bosco Ntangaare,

Lion Florence Tinkumanya,

Lion Kenneth Kintu,

Lion Gervase Ndyanabo,

Lion Anaclet Turyakira,

Lion Eleanor Bageine.

IPDG, Lion Hon. Shem Bageine receives an appreciation award from Gorvornor Majid Khan for his dedication to service.

As a club we salute each and everyone who made this possible. The president and Her cabinet could not have acheived all that alone so the members' support and dedication was paramount.

Let not the acheivements of yesterday blind us from the reality ahead. Let us continue to work tirelessly to support those who need us most..........those who cannot support themselves.

A convention to remember!!

Come with me as i take you through what in my opinion is an unforgettable experience during the 6th MD 411 convention at the Leisure Lodge Resort hotel in Mombasa.

It is the 29th of April, all the members are ready and set for the journey. Some have boarded the plane and others including myself are at the bus station to take the bus for what seems to be an impossible journey.

(Above, some of the lions in a group photo)

(Above, Some of the dignatories during the convention)

Well, you've seen bikers in movies and most recently, road troopers on Ugandan roads but believe me this was nothing like those............... this was a lionistic road trip because 95% of the passengers on the bus were lions from Kampala and Entebbe clubs and it was an exciting journey as you'll find out as we go on.

The journey begun with an invocation (a lionistic ritual). The driver has quickly manoeuvred through the mid-morning traffic jam and within no time we're passed mukono towards Jinja.

Stop over number one: Namawojoro. If you have travelled the eastern route, then you probably know what this place is famous for; roasted chicken, and yes! these are lions and be sure the driver had to heed to their requests for a stop to grab a chicken wing/thigh for the start.

Fast forward; we have reached Busia border post. We quickly rush through the clearances and cross over to Kenya where swahili is the language and i quickly get my first light moment of the day........I've overheard a bargain between one of our members and a Kenyan seller and it goes this way;

Our lion: Sasa "amazi" ni ngapi?

Kenyan seller: Fifty "bob"!

Our Lion: "Atte kati" fifty bob is what?

Kenya seller: Fifty Kenyan Shillings boss!!

Ok! save your ribs for what is ahead. The lion gets his phone makes some quick calculations but to him it's quite expensive only that he has to buy it anyway. he grumbles to himself a he enters the bus........" Baano ebintu byabwe nga babisela nyo"........( literary meaning "these guys are too expensive")

Soon everybody is on the bus again and we are in traversing the Kenyattaland. The sun is setting and most people have already dozed off.

Time check: 10:"something" and we're in Nakuru having dinner and for some of us who are mad about football, we're already looking around to see if we could get a TV screen with ManU vs Arsenal game but to our disappointment we do not find any and after dinner we all get back onto the bus but to our relief the car radio has a live commentary and i personally enjoy as ManU beats Arsenal in the first leg; enough of football!!!

It's past mid-night and we are in Nairobi. We stretch abit, get back onto the bus as we head southwards to Mombasa. The journey from Nairobi to Mombasa was basically a sleepy one as everybody took a nap. Though i kept waking up so often.....because of my snoopy habits! i could not capture any exciting news though, save for a few snoring heads..........don't ask me who?

Time check: 7:"something" a.m of 30th April and we're entering the great coastal city of Mombasa. It's a few minutes to 8:00 a.m and we're at the bus station. We first book our return tickets, the the driver from the convention venue arrives and we board the bus to the south coast.

Wonder no. 1: We're at the ferry and for most of us who had never seen one, we pull out our cameras to take snaps and capture the nice view of Mombasa port.

The journey to the hotel takes longer than we expected.........i guess because of the fatigue but we arrive shortly before ten and unite with the other members who travelled by air. We quickly go through registration and accommodation issues before heading for a brief meeting!

We're now in Mombasa and the sea is marvelously spread before us and the breeze and the view are indeed breath-taking. It's soon approaching lunch time and we're headed for lunch. It's sumptuous and we all enjoy ourselves.

Fast-forward..........It's Friday and we're deeply engrossed in the campaigns but at the end of the day, we're second best. We congratulate ourselves, put our heads high for providing an alternative point of view...........that's what competition is all about!!

The evening has come and we sit down by the pool side to recollect on our achievements. It's dinner time; your guess is as good as mine! We quickly dash to our hotel rooms to dress for the occasion and if you know the glamour at such a dinner , then you do not need to be told how smart we were!

(Above, Lion Venie Campaigning for the First Vice Governorship)

It's Saturday and we are elegantly dressed for the parade and with the smooth voices we sing as we match............(this is a secret........Lion Eleanor Bageine has a very smooth voice and i think she could win a "Grammy".....Shhhhhhh!!!!!). Our smartness finally pays off and we are rewarded with third best position in the Parade........Big applause to the Convention committee for choosing a good attire.

The day has moved so fast and it's already evening and we're headed for the Pirates dinner. the dress code is fascinating as we all try to look like the pirates. As usual, the dinner was sumptuous and if you don't think so, ask some of the lions who tasted the lobster, you Will get very serious testimonies.

As we wind up the day and the convention at large, the music is in good rhythm and non of us was left seated as we shook our bones while enjoying the sea breeze.

It's sunday morning and the buses are already roaring and those departing by air are busy checking in at the airport. The convention has come to an end but the memories of what we experienced and everything we enjoyed will stay with us forever. We quickly head northwards to cross the ferry and return to our motherland.

A big thank you to the organisers of the convention and all those who made it possible. The hospitality we experienced will live with us forever and be rest assured that next time there is another convention in Mombasa, i'll be the first to register.

Lions forever!

We Serve.

VERY MANY THANKS!!

Welcome back to all those who travelled to mombasa. I know very well that it was a journey and convention to remember for most of us. 

However, i would like to dedicate this 'piece' in thanking those clubs and individuals who supported us and Lion Venie Tinkumanya's candidature for the post of first Vice District Governor 411B.

I know we did not succeed but that's what Lionism is all about; providing alternatives to enhance better service delivery for the benefit of the less fortunate.

Very many thanks also go to Lion Venie who offered himself. For those that listened to you, your speech was full of what a true lion should stand for and what we ought to do for the betterment of lionism and the society in general. We hope the new leadership will alongside their agenda pick a leaf from you and incorporate some of your principles in order to take our district 411B to greater heights.

Lastly, i would like to congatulate the successful candidates and on behalf of the entire club pledge our support for the greater development of our District.

We serve.