Our Story

Our History

Bethany Miracle Village was founded by Fr. Joseph Kakooza-Nnyanzi, a Catholic priest from the Kasana-Luweero Diocese in Uganda. Growing up in the turbulent times of Idi Amin’s regime, Fr. Joe witnessed the devastating effects of poverty, violence, and disease on the people—particularly the young.

Motivated by his belief in the power of learning, Fr. Joe dedicated himself to providing quality education to the young people of Uganda. However, he soon realized education alone was not enough. He saw the need for a thriving village community to support the young generation and foster a sustainable future for Africa.

Learn More About Our History

Our Inspiration

During a conversation, Fr. Joe and his brother Fr. Emmanuel Katongale found deep resonance in the story of the Resurrection of Lazarus (John 11:1–45). They were moved by Jesus’ love for Lazarus, his triumph over sickness and death, and the role the community played in his restoration.

The priests realized the village communities in Luweero faced similar challenges and needed a miracle to bring them fully into the abundant life God intended. This realization gave birth to Bethany Miracle Village—an educational institution and thriving community that aims to serve as a transformative model.

Our Core Values

Our core values are the compass that guides our actions, shapes our organizational culture, and fuels our drive to create a meaningful impact in Luweero.

God Loving

Integrity

Service

Conservation/Preservation

Respect

Accountability

Perseverance

Be a Hero, Help Change the Life of a Child Today!

Your generosity can change a child's life. Join our cause and help us transform their future!

The Three Pillars

Our organization is guided by three fundamental pillars that are integral to our purpose and values:

Sustainability:

We are committed to ensuring the long-term success and impact of our projects in Luweero, securing a better future for the community.

Stewardship:

We embrace stewardship by caring for our school building, resources, environment, and the lives entrusted to us.

Strive for Excellence:

We strive for excellence in academics, sports, music/choir, and teacher preparedness to provide the best education to our students.

Our Team

Co-Founder Fr. Joseph Kakooza-Nnyanzi

Fr. Joe, as he is known, was born in a modest village in rural Uganda. Through generous donations from a family friend, Fr. Joe was able to complete high school and seminary, eventually becoming a priest in 1984. Fr. Joe studied at the University of Notre Dame from 1990-92 and was stationed at Holy Family Parish, located on the west side of South Bend, Indiana. During his time at Holy Family, he became good friends with the current BMV board President, Carsten Schmidt, along with other current members of the BMV USA board of directors.

Fr. Joe is currently the coordinator of diocesan lands and investments while acting as the Administrator of Bethany Land Institute. Fr. Joe has helped hundreds of students with school fees so they can attend secondary and post secondary schools, by connecting friends from the United States to assist with funding the needs as identified by Fr. Joe.

Co-Founder Fr. Emmanuel Katongole

Father Emmanuel co-found Bethany Miracle Village and eventually went on to become the visionary behind Bethany Land Institute in which he is continuing the work of greater environmental stewardship, as called for by Pope Francis during his 2015 visit and in his recent encyclical, Laudato Si.

Born in rural Uganda, Father Emmanuel is a Professor of Theology and Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana. He is the author of several books concerning the intersection of Africa, the environment, and reconciliation. Prior to founding BLI, Father Emmanuel co-founded Share the Blessings, another nonprofit operating in Uganda, and Duke University’s Center for Reconciliation, home to the Africa Great Lakes Initiative which supports thousands of leaders in the Great Lakes Region of east Africa in their work of peace and reconciliation.

Board of Directors: Bethany Miracle Village USA

President: Carsten Schmidt
Secretary/Treasurer: Paul Witek
Anne Schramm
Chris Sharp
Mark Schaeffer

Our Sponsors

Thank you to the schools and parishes that have assisted with providing food, clean water, and school fees for the children of BMV!

Holy Family Parish: South Bend, Indiana
Sacred Heart Parish: Pinehurst, North Carolina
John Paul II Catholic School: Southern Pines, North Carolina
Light of Christ Catholic Schools of Excellence: Bismarck, North Dakota
Dickinson Catholic Schools: Dickinson, North Dakota
Stanley Clark School: South Bend, Indiana

If you want to make a difference and be a hero in the life of a child, consider joining us in our mission. Your contribution can create lasting change. Become a sponsor today and be a part of something truly miraculous.

Contact Us

Email: [email protected]

Bethany Miracle Village, Inc.
PO Box 6101
South Bend, IN 46660

Board Member: Mark Schaeffer

Mark joined the board in 2022. Mark retired from Express Press where he worked for over 40 years. Mark was responsible for coordinating all sales and marketing activities across the 5 field offices. Mark continues to provide consulting services as a sales training executive. Mark has been a long-time member of Holy Family Parish, located in South Bend, Indiana and has served as a member of the Finance Council for many years.

Board Member: Chris Sharp

Chris joined the board in 2022. Chris is the co-founder of Sharp Wilkinson, a data-driven marketing and sales organization. Prior to starting Sharp Wilkinson, Chris was a Principal and VP of Sales and Marketing at TruPay, a payroll processing company. Chris has been a board member of several non-profit organizations and is a member of Holy Family Parish, South Bend, Indiana for over 20 years.

Board Member: Anne Schramm

Anne joined the board in the fall of 2022. Anne was a teacher at Holy Family School, South Bend, Indiana from 1983 to 2003. In 2003, Anne moved to California and became the Director of the Sylvan Learning Center in Napa Valley until her recent retirement. Anne is a past president of her Kiwanis Club of Napa Valley and remains an active member.

Board Secretary/Treasurer: Paul Witek

Paul joined the Board in 2022 after retiring as a financial executive. He spent most of his career as CFO and President of Koontz-Wagner, a privately held multi-state electrical services provider and manufacturer headquartered in South Bend, Indiana. Paul was previously a member of Holy Family Church in South Bend for 35 years. Paul was chair of the Parish Finance Council and was an active member of the St. Vincent DePaul Society. Paul and his wife Ann Marie currently reside in Belleair, FL where they are active members of St. Cecelia Church in Clearwater.

Board President: Carsten Schmidt

Carsten has worked at the Healy Group, Inc. for the past 14 years, and currently leads the Healthcare Division. Prior to joining the Healy Group, Carsten worked as a commercial lender at a community bank for 20 years. Carsten formed BMV in 2017 with the help of members from the original board of directors. Carsten has been a member of the South Bend Rotary Club since 1998, serving as Club President in 2015/16. He is currently the International Service Chair for the South Bend Rotary Club. Carsten is a long time member of Holy Family Parish where he has been involved in the Parish Council and Finance Council.

Bethany Miracle Village

Our History

Fr. Joseph Kakooza-Nnyanzi (Fr. Joe) was born and raised in the Luweero Triangle of Uganda and grew up under the brutal regime of Idi Amin. He saw a number of people in his village killed. He lived through fighting in the 1980’s and witnessed the destruction of his village including the home he grew up in.

As a newly ordained priest he ministered to many young people sickened with HIV/AIDS --and buried many more. As a priest in this mostly rural diocese of Kasana-Luweero, he witnessed first-hand the abject poverty of the people – a situation that makes them not only susceptible to despair, but also an easy target for militias that recruit them into thuggery, tribal violence, and other forms of desperate living. The young are most vulnerable ---when they are deprived of a stable upbringing and a good education, they waste their lives through drinking, promiscuity, etc.

In 2010, Fr. Joe was on retreat in the Holy Land of Israel with his brother and fellow priest Fr. Emmanuel Katongole. The retreat was hosted in the town of Bethany, which has biblical significance (John 11:1-44) as the town where Lazarus, brother to Mary and Martha, was miraculously raised from the dead.

Fr. Joe, who was celebrating 25 years of priesthood, and his brother found themselves lamenting over the lack of progress being made in Uganda to provide a better way of life for the people--government leadership has been in control since 1986 and economic advancements have been slow to manifest. Fr. Joe commented that it would indeed take a “miracle” to raise Uganda from the “dead”.

Upon Fr. Joe’s return home from the retreat in Bethany, he created a concrete plan to promote servant leadership as a path to eradicate poverty in Uganda.

Educating young people and villagers alike with an integrated vision for servant leadership in a thriving village community is the answer to bringing Uganda back to life.

He presented the plan to the Bishop of Kasana-Luweero Diocese. They agreed that Kikube, one of the poorest communities in the Luwero District and one in which the Diocese of Kasana-Luweero owned 22 acres and a dilapidated school, St. Mary’s Primary School, would be home to this developing project.

Fr. Joe accepted the challenge of transforming St. Mary’s Primary School into a model school that is guided by these three pillars:

  • Stewardship
  • Sustainability
  • Strive for Excellence

Fr. Joe prays that building a vibrant community in Kikube will cultivate hope in other villages across the diocese.

With 22 acres of land, a school, and a vision, Bethany Miracle Village was born.

And just like Martha and Mary called Jesus to help a dying Lazarus, we, too, are called to support our brothers and sisters in Bethany “Miracle” Village.