Ford Program honors Rose Busingye, president of Meeting Point International | News | Notre Dame News | University of Notre Dame Skip To Content Skip To Navigation Skip To Search University of Notre Dame Notre Dame News Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Home Contact Search Menu Home › News › Ford Program honors Rose Busingye, president of Meeting Point International Ford Program honors Rose Busingye, president of Meeting Point International Published: September 16, 2019 Author: Ashley Rowland Rose Busingye Rose Busingye, a Ugandan nurse who founded an organization for impoverished women and children with HIV/AIDS, is the recipient of the 2019 Ford Family Notre Dame Award for International Development and Solidarity. The award is given annually by the Ford Program in Human Development Studies and Solidarity in recognition of substantial contributions to human development through research, practice, public service or philanthropy. The Ford Program is part of the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Busingye is president of Meeting Point International, a Kampala, Uganda-based nongovernmental organization that provides medical care, schooling and other services that help patients increase their self-sufficiency and develop social networks. She received the award at a Sept. 12 ceremony at the Hesburgh Center that was followed by a moderated armchair discussion on “The Value of a Life: AIDS, Outcasts, and the Search for Dignity in Uganda.” Busingye helps patients recognize their inherent dignity and worth in a society where they are often shunned because of their medical diagnosis. “They are not defined by their sickness or by their poverty,” she said. “They are defined by their value ... it is something that originally was there, that they were created with.” Previous Ford Family award recipients have been well-known within the field of international development, such as last year’s winner, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus. By comparison, Busingye’s efforts have received relatively little attention. “In giving this award to her, we’re trying to raise the awareness of important work that often goes unrecognized,” said Ford Program director Rev. Robert Dowd, C.S.C. “Some of the best work going on in the world is where it’s not being recognized, where there’s not a lot of PR for it, where it’s not being backed by millions of dollars, and we want to highlight that work.” Today, Meeting Point International supports more than 1,000 people and provides indirect services for thousands more affected by disease, poverty and war. In addition to offering counseling, health and hygiene courses, adult literacy classes, and microcredit loans, the organization runs an orphanage and operates a bead-making enterprise that helps women earn money to support their families. According to Dowd, Busingye embodies the Ford Program’s research and teaching focus on integral human development, a holistic model of human flourishing rooted in Catholic social thought that emphasizes the importance of being connected to others. “Rose is doing the kind of work that promotes integral human development, and those of us seeking to do the same have much to learn from her efforts,” he said. “She accompanies women in ways that free them up and helps them to make the most of their God-given potential.” The Ford Family Award is named in honor of University Trustee Emeritus Doug Ford ’66 and his wife, Kathy, whose generosity helped establish the Ford Program. Posted In: International Faith Home Experts ND in the News Subscribe About Us Related September 14, 2022 Apostolic nuncio to Great Britain to deliver the 2022 Keeley Vatican Lecture July 14, 2022 Law School hosts second annual Notre Dame Religious Liberty Summit in Rome July 13, 2022 Catholic peacebuilders bring hope amid the world’s crises June 01, 2022 University of Notre Dame to establish consortium of Catholic universities to study Muslim-Christian relations January 31, 2022 New book explores the role of Catholic peacebuilders in addressing global mining issues For the Media Contact Office of Public Affairs and Communications Notre Dame News 500 Grace Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556 USA Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Pinterest © 2022 University of Notre Dame Search Mobile App News Events Visit Accessibility Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn