By Ouni Jaspher
As Ugandan prepares to gather on February 21st for the family-organized memorial service of the late Cecilia Barbara Atim Ogwal scheduled to take place in Alito town council in Kole district, many are expressing their concerns about the end of her support and benefits she use to offer to the community.
The beloved Cecilia, who passed away on January 18th, 2024 at the age of 77, was known for her dedication to community service and her generosity towards the vulnerable.
Family said that the memorial service will be led by Dr. Stephen Kazimba Mugalu, the archbishop of the Church of Uganda, with a main celebrant from the office of the President of the Republic of Uganda.
Speaking to LBS radio Cecilia’s elder daughter Dr. Rosemary Alwoc Ogwal, shared that her mother used to spend over 600 million annually on community activities in Dokolo district while serving as the women member of Parliament.
”However, since her passing, all the funding has come to a halt.This breakdown of the use of over 600 million is eye-opening. Cecilia Atim Ogwal would generously give 100 million to schools under the education sector, 200 million to the health sector, 200 million towards women empowerment, and another 200 million towards churches. With her passing, all these investments have ceased” she explained.
Dr. Alwoc Ogwal took it upon herself to assure the people of Dokolo that she will do everything in her power to resume the donations her late mother had made in Dokolo district.
”As we honor late Cecilia Atim Ogwal by having the memorial service, we want her legacy of selflessness and dedication to improving the lives of others will not be forgotten” she said.
One of the people voicing their concerns is Parmenas Willy Ogwal, the patron of the “Wii Otem Atat” the association of elder persons located in Te-tugo Ward Agwata town council who remembered late Cecilia Barbra Atim Ogwal for her remarkable support and contributions towards the welfare of the elderly.
According to Ogwal one of her legacies is the support she provided to aged widows of the group.
“She opened a village savings program to help them with their financial needs.Moreover, she made sure that they were not left out of important celebrations such as Women’s Day, Independence Day, and Christmas by providing them with packages” he said.
He said her efforts did not stop there, as she also focused on improving sanitation by initiating projects for latrine construction and providing shelter for the elderly.
Ogwal passionately calls upon the government of Uganda to acknowledge and honor the legacy of the late Cecilia Atim Ogwal by constructing a main office and center for the elderly in Tetugu “Wii Otem Atat”. This will serve as a hub for coordinating and providing support to the older persons in Uganda, in addition to district offices.
Furthermore, Ogwal emphasizes the need for a geriatric hospital in the area.
He explains that older people are often taken to general hospitals, even when they are not sick, and are given unnecessary injections. “With a geriatric hospital, they can receive proper medical care and guidance before being prescribed any medication”.
Rev. Ven. Ronald Paul Eguny, the Archdeacon of Dokolo Archdeaconry Diocese of Lango.
He shares how Cecilia’s impact was felt not just in her own denomination, but in all churches as she generously donated to them all. However, since her passing, these donations have also come to a halt.
Rev. Eguny reminds us all that her actions were not just a result of her position as a leader in Dokolo district, but a reflection of her pure and compassionate heart.”Her generosity was beyond her role as women member of Parliament, and that is what made her so special to the people she served” he said.
According to reports obtained by journalists, it is evident that the late Cecilia Atim Ogwal had a heart of gold.She not only supported the elderly in her group, but also extended her kindness to other families in need.
She constructed houses for Grace Oteng in Iduny village, Acan pii parish, and for the families of the late Saulo Ayile and the late Abudalatif Ogut in Bata Town council among others.
Grace Oteng, one of the beneficiaries of late Cecilia’s generosity, expressed her sorrow at the loss of such a kind and caring soul.
She shared how the passing of Cecilia has affected her, as she now misses the joys of celebrations and tours that she used to be a part of.
She calls upon Dr. Rosemary Alwoc Ogwal to continue with the support that Cecilia used to provide.
Another beneficiary, Francis Atoo from the family of the late Saulo Ayile, recounts the impact of Cecilia Atim Ogwal’s contribution to their family.
“She built a residential house for my father, which has greatly improved their living conditions while on earth. Her selflessness and compassion will always be remembered by those whose lives she touched” he explained.
Cecilia Barbara Atim Ogwal was regarded as a trailblazer, a staunch defender of multipartyism, democracy and human rights hence she came to be known as the “iron lady” in Uganda.
Ogwal was the first girl to participate in a mathematics contest sponsored by the Verona Fathers congregation in the early 1960s.She won a scholarship that allowed her to enrol in the oldest girls’ boarding school in Uganda, Gayaza High School.
She was one of the first Catholics admitted to Gayaza. Even her father was initially against her attending the institution, which had been established by the (Anglican) Church of England.
She became one of four Ugandan women to be admitted on a trial basis by the University of East Africa, the precursor to the University of Nairobi, in Kenya.
There she emerged as the best student in her field, graduating in 1970 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree.
Her extraordinary achievements didn’t end there. After marrying Lameck Ogwal in 1965, she went on to pursue a professional career while also raising her own children and several adopted children.
Her first job in 1979 included the position of liaison officer at the Uganda Embassy in Nairobi, helping Ugandan refugees in Kenya return to Uganda after Idi Amin’s ouster.
In 1980 she assumed the position of operations manager at the Uganda Advisory Board of Trade.
In 1982 she was instrumental in founding the Housing Finance Bank, which is still in existence, and she chaired the board of the Uganda Development Bank from 1981 to 1986.
A warrior for democracy Ogwal first entered political leadership in the early 1980s.
She served as the acting secretary general of the Uganda People’s Congress from 1985 to 1992.
She participated in the constituent assembly that promulgated the 1995 constitution.
Ogwal’s parliamentary journey began in 1996, when she represented Lira Municipality (1996-2005).
She was also Uganda’s representative to the African Union’s Pan African Parliament.
In 2011, she was elected as the women’s representative for Dokolo district under the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party ticket.
