Bethany Centre

Bethany Centre is a Christian ministry established to cater to the physical, emotional and spiritual well-being of the orphans, youth and HIV patients residing around the village of Jjungo, Uganda. It functions through a school and church for the less fortunate villagers near the home of native, Peter Kiwanuka. Peter attended Louisiana State University in 2001 becaming friends with many students and families in the Baton Rouge area. He regularly attended worship at First Presbyterian Church. After returning to Uganda in 2004, he mobilized community members to help establish Bethany Centre which is now thriving primary school with attendance of over 600 children and a Sunday worship service. The school is a refuge for vulnerable children providing not only education, but food, clothing and health screenings. The campus sits on approximately 

14 acres and includes 4 buildings of classrooms, a kitchen, a boy’s dormitory, a teacher’s house and a girl’s dormitory. There is a soccer field and gardens throughout the property cared for by teachers and children.

Members of the village community have assisted with construction projects and are the caretakers or "guardians" of the many orphans. Construction costs and school expenses are provided by financial support from partners like First Presbyterian. FPC has partnered with Bethany Centre to show compassion to this needy community by giving annual support on several projects that improve their way of living. These include helping fund installation of a water well in 2009, funding construction of a latrine and large cistern in 2012, helping fund a multipurpose building in 2015 and helping fund an older girls' dormitory in 2021. Most recently, a grant from the FPC Building Up Campaign provided funds for additional classroom buildings including two for high school so the children can continue their education beyond the primary level. This has been Peter's vision from the start. 

Peter has these words for FPC, "Your support has repeatedly played a key role in our success. There is no way to fully express our gratitude for your generosity. We at Bethany are continually inspired by First Presbyterian Church and we promise to continue our work in order to make a difference in our community.”

Please visit the Bethany Centre website for more photos and information.