New Covenant Christian Centre gives food relief to 427 drought-hit households in Pader

10 August 2026, 7:27 am

By Geoffrey Okwong and Oello Bonny Mike

New Covenant Christian Centre has distributed food and maize seed to 427 households affected by prolonged drought in Pader District.

The relief was distributed at Pagor Village in Kineni Parish, Pukor Sub-county, with each beneficiary receiving 25 kilogrammes of posho, five kilogrammes of beans and two kilogrammes of maize seed.

Rev. Dr. Francis Nyang of New Covenant Christian Centre said the intervention was aimed at supporting families whose crops and livelihoods had been affected by the prolonged drought, particularly in Dagogwong and surrounding communities.

Nyang said the church considers caring for people’s physical needs alongside their spiritual welfare as part of its Christian ministry.

He said the church spent about 43 million shillings on the relief programme, with resources mobilised from its churches and friends in Uganda and abroad.

Nyang said the church included maize seed in the relief package to enable beneficiaries to prepare for the coming planting season and begin recovering from the effects of the drought.

Rev. Pastor Denis Okot, the overseer of New Covenant churches in Kitgum, Pader, Agago and Lamwo districts, said the drought had severely affected crops in the area, leaving many families in need of assistance.

Okot said he informed the church leadership about the situation, prompting the intervention to support both church members and other vulnerable community members.

He urged beneficiaries to use the maize seed for planting rather than selling it.

Pader District LCV Chairperson Alfred Akena welcomed the intervention, saying he had received a call from the Bishop informing him about plans to support people affected by the drought.

Akena described Nyang as a person with a “clean heart” who is willing to contribute to the development of Pader District.

He also reminded residents about the importance of protecting community security, saying the insurgency that affected the Acholi, Teso and Lango sub-regions was harmful to the population.

Akena urged residents to remain vigilant about their security and called on male youth to take farming seriously instead of spending their time idle in trading centres.

The distribution was attended by Bishop Donato Okumu, overseer of Faith Mission in Pader and Agago districts, George Obwoya, Councillor V for Pukor Sub-county, local leaders and community members.

The relief items included five-kilogramme packs of beans, 25-kilogramme packs of posho and two-kilogramme packs of DKK 77 maize seed.

The church says the food distribution is part of its broader commitment to supporting communities affected by hardship and contributing to their long-term development.