Peter Kiwanuka, born disabled in 1976, experienced the difficulties of growing up as an orphan and without a stable source of income.  His father died from HIV when he was 14 leaving his mother to care for her family of 10.  In 2001 God opened an opportunity for Peter to study at Louisiana State University and he made a lot of friends.  In 2004 he returned to Uganda and shared the his vision of a community-based Christian ministry to help his local village with his family and others, and in 2005 Bethany Centre was born.  Many enthusiastic people banned together and vowed to confront the problems affecting this poor community.  This included his friends from Baton Rouge.

 

The students have experienced the AIDS epidemic first hand. Most have had one or both parents die from the disease.  These children, orphaned by traumatic events, disease and extreme poverty, live in extended families, with friends, relatives, or community members who volunteer to take care of them. These people are very poor and Bethany Centre is dedicated to make sure a difference is made by making it possible for the children to go to school.

 

Bethany Centre Primary School was started by Ugandans, built by Ugandans, employs Ugandans and serves Ugandans. In 2009 a non-profit was started in Baton Rouge to support the ministry and that organization is called Bethany Centre Alliance.