Holy Cross Lake View S.S.S - Wanyange
We Teach Minds, Touch Hearts and Transform Lives
Per Scientiam Ad Serviendum · "Education for Service"
We Teach Minds, Touch Hearts and Transform Lives
On July 11th, 2026, Holy Cross Lake View Senior Secondary School (HCLVS.S.S) hosted the third edition of the Laudato Si’ Green Festival, held under the theme of “Environmental Conservation for Peace and Sustainable Development.”The festival was organised by the Laudato Si’ Club of Holy Cross Lake View S.S.S, (LSiC-HCLV) under the Laudato Youth Initiative (LYI)...
On July 11th, 2026, Holy Cross Lake View Senior Secondary School (HCLVS.S.S) hosted the third edition of the Laudato Si’ Green Festival, held under the theme of “Environmental Conservation for Peace and Sustainable Development.”The festival was organised by the Laudato Si’ Club of Holy Cross Lake View S.S.S, (LSiC-HCLV) under the Laudato Youth Initiative (LYI) in collaboration with the broader school community.
Pre-Festival Activities
In the days leading up to the festival, specifically July 9th and 10th, 2026, students, staff members and leaders from the Laudato Youth Initiative undertook a comprehensive clean-up exercise in Musima Village, Wanyange. The initiative aimed to raise environmental awareness and inspire the local community to embrace environmental protection as a collective responsibility as they prepared for the inaugural National Cleaning Day (NCD) to be held on Saturday, July 25, 2026
The Festival Day
The festival commenced with a symbolic Green March from Holy Cross Catholic Parish, Bugembe, to the school campus in Musima. The Parish Priest of Bugembe Catholic Parish, Rev. Fr. Francis Mukasa, C.S.C., officially flagged off the march, which was attended by distinguished guests, students, staff, and community members. The procession raised public awareness of the importance of collaborative efforts in peace-building, environmental conservation, and sustainable livelihood. Mr. Benard Kahwa, the executive director LYI, told the gathering that “When young people unite for climate action, environmental conservation becomes more than a campaign. It becomes a pathway to peace and sustainable development.”
Care for Creation Mass (Green Mass)
The Care for Creation Mass was presided over by Rev. Fr. Peter Caxton Mayanja, C.S.C., Provincial Superior of the Congregation of Holy Cross, Province of East Africa.
In his homily, Rev. Fr. Mayanja emphasized the centrality of God’s providence in Christian life and highlighted the pressing need for environmental stewardship. He urged participants to renew their dedication to safeguarding God’s creation.
He cited reading New Vision warnings on the anticipated El Niño. He shared a childhood story from poor Kapere to illustrate man’s self-defeating behavior in destroying the environment, warning the congregation to desist from such behavior and reflect on God’s gift of creation and its beauty.
He challenged all present to appreciate both the Creator and His creation by actively adopting responsible environmental practices. In conclusion, he called upon everyone to collaborate in building a better world for current and future generations. Listen to his full Homily
Launch of the Bishop Charles Martin Wamika Memorial and Legacy Program
According to Br. Adolf Mugume, C.S.C., the Laudato Youth Initiative mentor and Director of Communications for the Congregation of Holy Cross while speaking at the launch of the program, said, “This program will commemorate the late Bishop and seek to instill in young people the values of good manners (empiisa enungi) and responsible use of technology and social Media, qualities ardently emphasized by the late Bishop in his 3 June, 2023 Uganda Martyrs Day homily, when he said
“The youth of today, you seem more affected by modern life: smartphone- internet, empiisa enungi (good manners) seem to have been thrown overboard. The majority of the Uganda Martyrs were youth like you. When you grow old, how about creating a website? “WWW.EMPIISA ENUNGI.COM”. Dear pilgrims, look around and take note when you get back home, what is it that you will share about the Martyrs? May the Lord increase your faith so that you get whatever you asked for today.
Nearly a year after his passing, this project will be implemented in his memory and legacy of his pastoral attentiveness to the young people in their time, one that inspired faith, as he famously used to say, “with faith there are no jokes,” promoting the Uganda Martyrs as models of faith in Uganda and the pursuit of scientific innovations, himself having been a scientist, where he desired to see young people engage with technology for the good to solve societal problems.
Several guests attended the event, including our chief guest, Rt. Hon. Justine Kasule Lumumba, the Minister of ICT and National Guidance; Fr. Caxton Peter Mayanja, C.S.C., the Provincial Superior; Hon. Salamu Musumba, our Headteacher; Fr. Prosper Atukwatse, C.S.C., the Laudato Youth Initiative leaders, and other distinguished guests participated in the launch.
Hon Justine appreciated the empiisaenungi.com program, noting that it aligns with her work in national guidance and shaping morals and culture. Saying that beyond technology (Ai), Communication and Innovation, her responsibilities in National Guidance are to deal with concerns, including the good use of digital platforms such as TikTok, which can, at times, undermine cultural and religious values among young people. She therefore encouraged students to use technology responsibly, for humanity’s benefit, and to promote knowledge and positive social values. Read the full story
The Head Teacher, Father Atukwatse Prosper, C.S.C
He welcomed guests to the Laudato Si’ Green Festival hosted at his school, thanking the main celebrant, school community, organizers, participating schools and guests, citing Pope Francis’s call in his encyclical Laudato Si’ for urgent global action to care for our common home, mentioning the school’s priority activities of the year, as raising environmental awareness, promoting recycling, planting and growing trees. Read his full speech
Guest of Honor
Our Guest of Honor was the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Rt. Hon. Justine Kasule Lumumba, accompanied by Hon. Salaam Musumba.
In her address, Rt. Hon. Justine Kasule Lumumba commended the organizers of the Laudato Si’ Green Festival for uniting young people in the pursuit of environmental conservation. She emphasized that environmental protection is a shared obligation and urged that all actions be evaluated by their impact on nature.
Using the day’s color themes as symbols, she explained that Green represents the natural spaces and plants we seek to protect and sustain. White: Represents the light essential for plant growth. Cream/Yellow: Sunlight as a primary source of energy on Earth that drives both photosynthesis in plants to create food and oxygen, and solar power technology to generate clean electricity for sustainable human living. Brown: Reflected in her own attire, symbolizing the soil that nourishes and sustains the green environment.
As the minister responsible for the development and integration of ICT including AI, Hon Lumumba explained to the young people how technology can help reduce human impact on the environment while providing practical solutions for agriculture. She elucidated how AI can assist farmers in identifying crop diseases and pests, recommending appropriate pesticides, advising on optimal quantities, and guiding the timing and methods of application, highlighting several applications of AI in farming:
Pest Detection: Farmers can use smartphones to photograph crops such as maize, allowing AI to identify threats, including pests like the fall armyworm.
Precision Agriculture: AI can recommend the appropriate type and quantity of treatment required for a particular plant, as well as the correct method of application, for example, whether to spray the leaves or apply treatment to the soil.
Livestock Health: AI can analyze photographs of animals, such as goats, to identify potential internal health problems. It can also help verify the quality of veterinary medicines, reducing the risk of counterfeit or ineffective products.
The Minister challenged students to use modern technology meaningfully rather than letting it become a distraction. She encouraged them to value their education and apply their knowledge and technological skills to address challenges facing their communities and the country, emphasizing that Uganda is working to build a safe and inclusive digital environment and that it requires collective effort to achieve. She expressed joy at the eco innovations she witnessed at the Laudato Si Green Festival, which many described as a launchpad for the next generation of environmental leaders in Uganda. Including the application of Auropspace Engineering in environmental conservation, as exhibited by Jdiobe STEM Foundation by Mr. Muwanika Jdiobe, working closely with the Laudato Youth Initiative to advance STEM innovations for environmental sustainability.
Her Message to Students
She emphasized that technology should be embraced as a tool for solving environmental challenges while reducing harm to nature. Addressing the students directly, she reminded them of the privilege of education, which remains inaccessible to many of their peers. She encouraged them to use this opportunity judiciously, make responsible choices, and strive to become productive citizens who contribute meaningfully to Uganda’s future.
She noted that development activities such as mining and construction depend on natural resources and can harm the environment if not managed responsibly. Therefore, environmental issues should always be considered when making development decisions.
Hon Lumumba also emphasized the educational and physical benefits of maintaining a green environment. She noted that trees contribute to higher oxygen levels, supporting healthy brain function and helping students remain better equipped to learn.
She concluded her message by calling on young people to become responsible environmental stewards, combining education, innovation, and technology to build a greener, more sustainable Uganda for future generations. She urged all participants to continue planting trees, protect green spaces, and advocate for environmental stewardship in their communities. She called on young people to become ambassadors for environmental conservation and to leverage knowledge and technology to build a greener, more sustainable future. Read and listen to her full speech
Tree Planting
The guests then presided over a memorial tree-planting and distribution ceremony, emphasizing that climate awareness must go hand in hand with climate action and sending a message of hope for individual conversion, family involvement, community transformation, and unity for climate action, as emphasized by LYI in its motto: United for Climate Action, according to the Club Patron, Ms. Immaculate Kisembo
Eco Exhibitions
Additional activities featured an innovative research model presented by the Laudato Youth Initiative and eco exhibitions by cooperative partners, including:
Presentations by Participating Schools
The festival convened students from various primary and secondary schools, who showcased their dedication to environmental conservation through a broad array of creative and educational presentations, such as speeches, poems, songs, dramas, skits, and project exhibitions. The participating schools and their respective presentations included:
Partners and Supporters
The successful realization of the 2026 Laudato Si’ Green Festival was made possible through the generous support, collaboration, and partnership of numerous institutions and organizations, including: Jdiobe STEM Foundation, Holy Cross Catholic Parish, Bugembe, Kakira Sugar Limited, Wanyange Girls’ Senior Secondary School, Rotary Club of Jinja, Foresters Environmental Consultants, Avail Fruits of Faith Farm, Congregation of Holy Cross, Province of East Africa, Centenary Bank, Holy Cross Family Ministries, Jinja, Holy Cross Family Ministries, Kampala and Bethany Land Institute, Nandere
Growing Impact of the Laudato Si Green Festival
The 2026 Laudato Si’ Green Festival marked a significant milestone in advancing faith-inspired environmental action, Innovations for sustainability, peace and development through the good use of technology, awareness-raising, climate education, storytelling for integral ecology, and uniting with the community and mobilizing schools in the region for collective action.
The festival continues to expand annually, offering young people invaluable opportunities to acquire knowledge, exchange innovative ideas, explore scientific advancements, and engage in practical environmental action within their schools and communities, knowledge they will also transfer to their families.
Participating students returned to their schools and homes with practical ideas on environmental conservation, particularly using technology to solve environmental challenges, how to use Ai for the good as guided by the Minister of ICT and the Launch of empiisaenungi.com, creative eco projects, and managing plastic waste responsibly. The community clean-up also helped prepare residents for the upcoming National Cleaning Day activity and its importance.
Most importantly, the festival highlighted the vital role of young people as agents of environmental change, encouraging them to serve as ambassadors for caring for creation.
Looking Ahead
The Laudato Si’ Green Festival has evolved into a distinguished platform for the integration of faith, environmental education, innovation, community engagement, and youth leadership.
Its message will remain unequivocal: the stewardship of creation is a collective responsibility. Through the synergy of education, technology, faith, and practical action, young people can meaningfully contribute to a greener, more peaceful, and sustainable future.
We express our special gratitude to all participants, partners, distinguished guests, and organizers whose dedication and support ensured the festival’s success and lasting impact.
UNITED FOR CLIMATE ACTION
EDUCATION FOR SERVICE
FOR GOD AND MY COUNTRY
