Baháʼí Faith in Uganda
The Association of Religion Data Archives (relying on World Christian Encyclopedia) estimated about 78,500;[4] however, National Population & Housing Census, 2014 recorded only 29,601.
[12] On August 3, 1951 Mr. and Mrs. Músá Banání, Mrs. Violette and Mr. Ali Nakhjavani, of Iran, with their baby daughter Bahiyyih, and Mr. Philip Hainsworth arrived in Kampala.
[19] By October 1952 there were 55 members of the religion including Olinga's father, living in 12 different localities and representing 9 different tribes: Ganda, Gishu, Gwero, Kabarasi, Kakamega, Luo, Sega, Teso, Toro.
[23] By April nine more assemblies were elected[2] among a community of over two hundred ninety members of the religion, residing in twenty-five localities, and representative of twenty tribes.
[26] After the conference in February 1953 Bill and Marguerite Sears arrived in September 1953 visiting from Johannesburg for an extended stay into October giving many classes and traveling to many villages.
[31] The other members of the regional assembly over Uganda were Philip Hainsworth, Hassan Sabri, Oloro Epyeruj, Aziz Yazdi, Jalal Nakhjavani, Tito Wanantsusit, Sylvester Okurut, and Max Kenyerezi.
[36] In 1957 a lone Baháʼí, a member of the Tesa, Yokolamu Okello, reached the relatively remote and pagan region of Moroto in Karamoja and in 1958 the first spiritual assembly was formed there.
[37] Conversions to the Baháʼí Faith in Uganda even reached into the prisons where Shoghi Effendi, then head of the religion, responded to letters by encouraging the inmates to use their "stumbled" history not to become "embittered or defeated" but "determined to make it a means of purifying your natures, improving your characters, and enabling you to become better citizens in the future.
At the ceremony of the laying of the foundation stone in 1958 Hands of the Cause Ruhiyyih Khanum and Músá Banání presented material gifts for the building - some soil from the inner-most Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh and the fortress of Maku where the Báb was imprisoned.
All this lends itself to an effect of lightness and airiness which is intensified by the large green and amber glass-filled grilles which stand on either side of the huge mvule doors.
[48] Events on site began on the 13th with a unity feast with Hands of the Cause Musa Banani, John Robarts, Rahmatu'lláh Muhájir and Chairman of the regional assembly Ali Nakhkajvani and vice-chairman O]oro Epyeru giving talks.
Following the public meeting a reception was held for representatives of the Governor and the Kabaka of Buganda, together with the Mayor of Kampala at which Ruhiyyih Khanum shared a story that Shoghi Effendi had traveled through the region in the early 1920s.
[50] Ruhiyyih Khanum anointed most attendees with Attar of rose before being admitted into a viewing of relics of Baháʼu'lláh as well as a reproduction of a painting of him on the first day of the conference.
Kolonerio Oule, chairman of the National Assembly for Uganda and Central Africa, opened the conference on the first day and Hands of the Cause ʻAlí-Akbar Furútan and Enoch Olinga began presentations and discussions about the history of the tablets and the range of who they were made for.
Roger White was a representative of the Canadian national Assembly which made a gift to the Baháʼís of Uganda in the form of an illuminated tablet of the writings of the religion.
[63] As the monthly rate of growth reached into the hundreds, a goal of the Uganda Teaching Committee was of stimulating the individual assemblies and believers to assume increasing responsibility for weekend schools in their own villages so that traveling teachers could focus in other areas.
[69] The 1968 membership of the regional national assembly of Uganda and Central Africa was: Hassan Sabri, Tito Wanantsrusri, Kolonerio Oule, Elizabeth Olinga, George William Ebetu, Moses Senoga, Sospateri Isimai, Alinote Colleque, and Albert Ocnamodek.
Baháʼí history was illustrated in a chart depicting events from the birth of Baháʼu'lláh to the founding of the Universal House of Justice, plus displays of The Dawn-Breakers in three languages.
In town events included: a reception given in her honor and that of two visiting members of the Universal House of Justice, Hushmand Fatheazam and 'Ali Nahkjavani; to deliver a public lecture in the hall of the national theater; to be interviewed for a full half hour on Radio Uganda on the "Guest of the Week" program; and attend a wedding at the temple along with fellow Hands of the Cause Enoch Olinga and Músá Bánaní before going on to Ethiopia and other countries on a four-month tour.
[13] The funeral gathered together three Hands of the Cause: Enoch Olinga, A. Q. Faizi, Ruhiyyih Khanum; a member of The Universal House of Justice, Ali Nakbjavani, Violette Nakhjavani and their daughter, Bahiyyih, whose wedding took place two years ago in Kampala to Paul Adams many other Baháʼí leaders from across Africa as well as six members of the National Spiritual Assembly of Uganda; and many other Baha'is from all over Uganda and other parts of Africa.
Efforts inside the community included noting the importance of Baháʼí elections as part of a worldwide initiative called for by the Universal House of Justice.
In 1972 Baháʼí Dwight W. Allen won an Award of Merit for helping in the establishment of the Tororo Girls' School which was transitioned to administration by the Ugandan government.
[88] Meanwhile, after President Amin fled in April the religion began to re-organize - there was the re-opening of the Baháʼí House of Worship again,[89] and the beginning of reforming the national assembly in August.
[88] The news was conveyed initially by the garden servant to a member of the national committee that had been appointed and then to a 79-year-old pioneer, Claire Gung, who called internationally.
[33] More than 200 Baháʼís and non-Baháʼís gathered in 1983 to celebrate children and a kindergarten multi-racial nursery school established by Claire Gung[91] and Rex Collison died in June 1983.
[80] In 1988 the community held a children's conference and was visible in a number of public events including a preferential trade exhibition at which various governmental leaders visited.
[102] In 1993 the national assembly added a project to develop a middle-level management training program for community level primary health care workers.
[103] Later, the Uganda Baháʼí Institute for Development set up a project introducing use of the latrine, immunization, and nets to fight off malaria-bearing mosquitoes, and people learned the importance of clean water in a Ugandan village.
[86] In 2002 a National Conference in Guyana on "Spiritual Approach to the Challenge of HIV/AIDS" sponsored by the Varqa Foundation, UNICEF, & Baháʼí International Community highlighted experiences in Uganda dealing with the AIDS epidemic by including the role of the spiritual training of children on virtues like humility, reverence, kindliness, respect and courtesy, and unity in diversity so that they would lead moral lives and overcome not only AIDS but alcohol and drug abuse, violence, crime, prejudice, hatred, intolerance and poverty.
[106] In 2004 the Baháʼí-based Uganda Program of Literacy for Transformation helped participants acquire the skills, knowledge, and incentive for a “lifelong self-improvement plan” — coupled with an emphasis on moral education and inter-religious harmony.
