Caritas Uganda is challenging Ugandans and families with older persons to embrace renewable energy as a way to protect the environment and promote healthy living conditions for the elderly.
Over the weekend, Caritas Uganda, in collaboration with ECOCA East Africa, a renewable energy company celebrated Elderly Day at the Good Samaritan Sisters’ Bakateyamba Home in Nalukolongo.
The elderly residents were treated to a Eucharist Mass, lunch, and free medical services provided by Jehova Alive for Old Age (JAFOA).
Dorothy Mitala, Gender Focal Person and Welfare Officer at Caritas Uganda, emphasized the importance of protecting older persons’ internal organs, particularly their lungs, from the harmful effects of firewood smoke to help them live longer, healthier lives.
Meanwhile, Ruth Komuntale Muwanguzi, Managing Director of ECOCA East Africa, highlighted that renewable energy not only safeguards the health of older people but also helps preserve the environment by preventing deforestation and other environmental degradation.
Gabriellah Malaika Ligami, Executive Director of JAFOA, urged communities to create friendly environments for older persons and ensure they receive timely medical care.
She noted that older individuals hold valuable knowledge that can protect cultural values for future generations.
By Charles Katabalwa
14th July 2025
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