The Archbishop of Mbarara Lambert Bainomugisha has  commended AMDA members' efforts to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in the modern age, equating them to missionaries who introduced religion in many countries many years ago. 
Archbishop Bainomugisha was leading Mass to mark the end of the Archdiocese of Mbarara Development Association (AMDA) Caravan in Greater Butare, Buhweju District on Sunday September 4 at Butare Parish.
The Archbishop equated the AMDA Caravan to missionary work following the guidance of Pope Paul IV of working together to spread the good news of Jesus Christ in our communities.
“For three days, you have been in Buhweju spreading the Good News through the various activities targeting different aspects of life including faith, family unity, health, economic development, among others. Some people came with sick eyes, went back seeing, others came without hope but returned happy and hopeful, many others  are returning to their homes better than they have ever been in many years,” he said. 
His Grace Bainomugisha further commended AMDA for spending days supporting, helping and engaging with the people of Buhweju on different programs including development, leadership, health, caring for the environment and spreading the gospel of transformation through mindset change, which he said would transform families today and the years to come. 
 “I want you to have affirmative action for Buhweju. I am giving this to you as a project. I do not know how, but I give it to you as a project. If we do it, do you think Buhweju can fail to have another St Joseph's? Let us think together and see how to have affirmative action for Buhweju so that everyone should be proud of associating themselves with this area,” the Archbishop added.
The 2022 AMDA caravan took place in Buhweju district under Butare deanery where four parishes of Kashorero, Nyakitoko, Bihanga and Butare benefited from the different caravan activities, all anchored under AMDA’s Seven pillars  of; Unity, Spiritual Development, Leadership Development, Economic Empowerment, Education, Health and Wellness, and Environmental Protection. 
The main deliverable of the caravan, the AMDA Medical camp where free medical services were offered to thousands of people was held at Butare Secondary School on Saturday September 3, 2022. 
During the camp, over 4782 people received treatment for various medical conditions, including eye, dental, cancer screening,  safe delivery of baby girl through C-section, among others. Sixty cataract surgeries including a 15-year-old girl only identified as Prossy a resident of Kabale village who had swelling inside her eye, were conducted while 92 people received specialized dental services including series. 
According to Dr. Criscent Tumuhaise the AMDA Health committee chairperson who commanded the camp, services targeted medical needs that are not easily accessible in Buhweju district.
“Buhweju being one of the hard to reach areas, we thought they would benefit from the services we brought like eye care including surgeries for all eye conditions done by our partners Ruharo and Mulago hospitals, screening and testing for cancers like cervical, breast and prostate cancer including mammography performed by Uganda Cancer Institute,” said Dr Tumuhaise.
This year, the team arrived in Buhweju on Friday September 2 for a weekend-long event and pitched camp at their host parish of Butare. The members were divided into four groups to cover all four parishes of Kashorero, Nyakitoko, Bihanga and Butare.
At these parishes, they carried out empowerment talks with men, women and youth. The teams also comprised lawyers who taught locals about different legal issues like Gender Based Violence and how to write a Will.
Different sets of mindset change talks were given in the areas of career guidance to students, climate change campaigns and tree planting, leadership talks for women, men and youth empowerment talks, economic empowerment, among others. 

Through the Economic Empowerement Council, AMDA, with support from the Microfinance Support Center launched a new programme on HASS ovacado growing aimed at uplifiting households in Buhweju from poverty. For the start, the people of Buhweju District were supported with 1000 seedlings of Hass Avocado, benefiting three Parishes of Butare, Bihanga and Nyakitoko 
AMDA Chairman Chris Gumisiriza noted that if well tended to, hass avocado farming will improve household incomes and create a sustainable future for benefiting communities. Relatedly, in partnership with the National Forestry Authority, AMDA will plant one million trees across the 12 districts under the Archdiocese as part of the environment sustainability programs that aims to protect and reduce environmental degradation. 
Chris appreciated the people of Buhweju - the hosts of the 2022 Caravan and the AMDA team that mobilized recourses and put in their time to ensure success of the caravan. 
“Organizing this visit was difficult, the economic situation in most families has not been glossy but we are very thankful that you all made it here.  Thank you for sacrificing your money, your time and your comfort. My prayer is that this visit has left a remarkable impact on all of you,” he said, while speaking at the High Mass at the closure of the visit. 
“We hope to hear that schools are performing better, that parents are sending more children to school, that men and women are no longer fighting but rather working together for the good and prosperity of their families,” said Chris. 
Furthermore, during the Caravan, the AMDA legal counsel hosted a legal clinic at  which 62 cases were recorded. AMDA will work in collaboration with Uganda Law Society to find Probono lawyers follow up the cases to ensure that the afflicted get  justice through respective courts.

On his part, the AMDA Charplain Fr Darius Magunda said that the purpose of the visit was to share the joy of the gospel quoting John 10:10 – “I came that they may have life abundantly.”

“The reason we came to Buhweju was to share the joy of the gospel. We had the good news and we wanted to share with you, remembering Jesus Christ gospel.  We wanted to share beyond the faith – health, wealth, and in fullness,” he said, adding that Jesus came that we should have life and have it in abundance, so as we share the gospel of joy and love, we want to do the same to the rest of the communities through pulling resources to carry out transformative interventions,” he said.
Fr Magunda urged communities who are better off to reciprocate the love.
“I beseech you to express the same love and give hope to some of the disadvantaged people in your communities, it’s through this support that we can get transformed and express God’s love for mankind,” he said.

On behalf of AMDA, he pledged to continue going back to Buhweju to follow up the programs that the association has started.