Uganda
The bakery started by spazio + spadoni in Uganda, the Muhabuzi HIC SUM Bakery, celebrates 3 years! 17 youth groups, including refugees; 300 kg of flour processed per day instead of 2 kg; a national seminar with 2,040 participants; 4 women’s groups in refugee settlements and 8 people hired: these are just some of the fruits born from a first gesture of mercy.
Sister Christine Mweteise shares this story with us.
Shared mercy
Mercy does not require wealth; it requires a generous heart and trust in God’s providence. The smallest act of mercy, carried out with love, can open the door to the greatest opportunities.
It is not necessary to become wealthy before we can share with those in need. What matters most is having an open heart, filled with mercy and compassion, placing everything in God’s hands, and trusting in his providence.
When we share even a little with love and compassion, God can use that simple gesture to touch many lives. Mercy does not diminish when given away; on the contrary, it grows, spreads, and inspires others to become merciful.
The inspiration and birth of the project
A wonderful practical example is that of Mr. Luigi Spadoni, an Italian Christian whose mercy, generosity, and love have deeply inspired me. He chose to share his savings with those in need. From this simple act of generosity, the spazio + spadoni foundation was born, touching and uplifting thousands of lives—including those of women’s religious congregations—by supporting them financially and helping them rediscover and live their charisms and missions worldwide.
Among the women’s religious institutes that have experienced this mercy are the Sisters of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Mbarara, Uganda.
We experienced this generosity firsthand through the training and financial support granted to me, Sister Christine Mweteise, to launch the Muhabuzi HIC SUM Bakery.
Achievements after three years of activity
Today, the bakery completes three years of activity, achieving numerous meaningful milestones.
Among them:
- 17 youth groups were formed and trained, bringing together refugees and Ugandan citizens, totaling 357 young people.
- The bakery’s production rose from 2 kg of wheat flour to 300 kg per day.
- A national seminar was held, attended by 2,040 people from various regions across the country. The seminar was a great success, bringing together individuals from diverse backgrounds.
- Four women’s groups were formed and trained, uniting Ugandan citizens and refugees in the Nakivale and Oruchinga refugee settlements.
- Eight employees were hired from among the trainees. Thanks to their newly acquired skills, they secured stable employment, creating further job opportunities for the local community.
The expansion of the Works of Mercy across Uganda
Through its dedication to the Works of Mercy, spazio + spadoni strives to promote and sustain numerous projects around the globe, uniting people to serve others with one heart and one spirit.
Luigi Spadoni’s journey reminds me that even the smallest act of mercy can become the start of something vastly greater.
When we give with love and faith in God, our generosity inspires others to do the same. One person helps another, and that person learns to help someone else in turn.
This reality has led me to reflect on how the Works of Mercy have spread throughout Uganda. Thousands of people have embraced the vision and mission fostered by spazio + spadoni, finding inspiration to practice mercy in diverse ways: through education, accompaniment, family ministry, elder care, youth and women’s empowerment, aid to those in need, and many other forms of service.
Above all, this experience has taught us the value of sharing one mind and one heart:
«I take care of others because others also take care of me».
Many religious communities and parishes across different dioceses have embraced this spirit and are putting the Works of Mercy into practice in genuine, tangible ways. They prove that mercy is not just an abstract idea or a word: it is something to be actively lived.
We may not possess great wealth, but we can always offer a kind heart, a helping hand, a listening ear, an encouraging word, a prayer, or a small sacrifice. What seems small in our eyes can become extraordinary in God’s hands.
The tree planted by one person, Luigi Spadoni, continues to grow steadily, extending its branches across the globe.
Its fruits are visible in the lives of those who found support, reclaimed their dignity, regained hope, and learned to become instruments of mercy for others.
May this spirit of mercy continue to grow and spread from heart to heart, community to community, and generation to generation.
Long live Luigi Spadoni!
Long live the spazio + spadoni foundation!
And above all:
God’s mercy is not merely something we receive; it is something we are called to put into action.
«God’s mercy is always an action».
Photo by Sister Christine Mweteise
