For students at St. Joseph Hill SS in Uganda, the imagery of Isaiah’s Messianic passage, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light….” (Isaiah 9:2) resonated in a new way last Christmas, as they celebrated a great improvement to their quality of life due to the installation of solar power security lights and panels.
Before the lights were installed, the school had been at the mercy of the unpredictable power supply run by Uganda’s largest power distributor. In order to regulate electricity, this energy company often turns off power for stretches of time. Unfortunately for the school, this resulted in safety concerns for staff and students.
Br. Joseph Kaganda, C.S.C., a Head Teacher, told the Holy Cross Mission Center (HCMC), “Whenever power was switched off, the school would be left in complete darkness. Students would find it hard to exit classrooms and to access dormitories. We recorded some injuries among students while trying to find their way during those dark hours. One of those nights, a student stepped on a snake and survived narrowly without being bitten.”
In order to provide a safer environment for students and staff, the school reached out to the HCMC to request $15,000 in funding to install 37 solar lights and panels, estimating a two-month timeline for the installation process. Due to the generosity of donors, the HCMC was able to meet this request, and the project was completed in early December of 2024.
“The solar power security lights make our campus glare in the night thus providing visible walkways and easy access to residences and bathrooms,” Br. Kaganda said afterwards, celebrating the significant benefit of the lights.
Former school prefect (student leader) Katusiime Racheal, who has been a St. Joseph Hill SSS student for six years, told the HCMC at the completion of the project, “I am one of those people who always struggled to find my way in [and] out whenever there was a power outage. With these recent developments, the quality of the life of students has greatly improved.”
“Ours was a humble beginning of a school without much in terms of facilities. I have witnessed the growth and transformation of St. Joseph’s Hill into a great school with better facilities in the years I have spent here,” Racheal continued. “Thank you all who support this school. Sometimes it [was] hard to sit inside [the] classroom while doing revision at night. The new solar security lights are providing an alternative space to read from outside while enjoying some fresh air! They are very bright. Thank you [to] our donors. God bless you abundantly.”
“I am glad to have been part of this ministry at St. Joseph’s Hill,” said Rev. Peter Qorro, C.S.C., the school’s Campus Ministry chaplain at the time. “The school is now getting to look exactly what a Holy Cross school should be: a good study environment, safe and secure. For the students, this is now a second home to be proud of because of excellent facilities. [The] majority of our students do not have much at home but all they need to study hard is now in place.”
“Our gratitude to all those who work hard to raise these funds as well as our generous donors,” Fr. Qorro continued. “It is our duty to remember all of you during Mass celebrated at the school every Sunday and Wednesday and on Feast days.”
“The school motto is: EDUCATION IS LIGHT,” Fr. Qorro shared. “Let this light continue to shine as we prepare the young people for better times than ours, from the encouragement of Blessed Basil Moreau our founder.”
Published by Paula Lent, Holy Cross Mission Center Office Coordinator
July 2025
