Bukedea; (UG):- A sum of 900 million shillings has been accumulated by the 128 women SACCO groups in Bukedea district under the support of Anita foundation initiated by Hon. Speaker Anita Annet Among aka Mama Bukedea, the district woman member of parliament.
Hon Among gave a seed capital of shs640 million in 2023 to women who took her guidance and formed SACCOs.
Ms Ziporrah Akol Ocom the principal political assistant to Speaker Among revealed in a Sunday press briefing at Bukedea Town Council how the women Saccos through Anita Foundation, were handed Shs 5 million each amounting to Shs 650 million after the training of all beneficiaries on the guidelines of management and developing a saving culture.
Ms Akol noted that most of the women in these SACCO groups are engaged in small-scale manageable enterprises within their means such as selling edibles like tomatoes,mukene, bananas, second-hand clothes, shoes, poultry, piggery and others ventured into cultivation.
“As Anita Foundation, we cover a lot of social economic activities geared towards exiting people from poverty that has been sustained in them for over 40 since insurgency ravaged Teso.”, Akol said.
She said that President Museveni advocates to have empowered leaders who can monitor, guide and encourage the communities. Hon. Among distributed bicycles, to all LCs, pastors, lay readers and catechists and also bought for them hand hoes.
“The speaker in her wisdom wants the people of Bukedea to have a fair living characterised by hard work rather than being dependants on their husbands which has declined the presence of domestic violence. President Museveni advocates for creating wealth at household levels and it’s the way to go now”, Akol said.
In a message Akol delivered to women from Speaker Among, she warned them from extravagantly spending their savings in the forthcoming festive Christmas season but being aware of ees for your children and remembering the guidelines of the SACCOs.
“This does not stop you from scooping something for dressing and having nice meals but should avoid lavish expenditures,” Ms Akol read the message verbatim.
Speaker Among encouraged women to utilize PDM and also borrow the GROW money that the government of Uganda has put aside for women under the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development and in most banks including the post bank we have in Bukedea district given the experience they have gained in enterprises management.
“This GROW loan project is an initiative aimed at generating growth opportunities and productivity for women enterprises in Uganda. The project is designed to support the country’s efforts to provide increased economic opportunities for women so go ahead and get loans ranging from 4 million to 200 million but my guidance is to borrow what you need for manageable enterprises,” Hon Among’s message highlighted.
“Government has brought this fund to empower women entrepreneurs through access to finance, training, and mentorship, Improve productivity and competitiveness of women-led businesses and enhance economic growth and job creation in Uganda”, she added.
Peter Okello Opus a local artist and Anita Among mobilizer said that the bitter truth is that these women SACCOs have drastically handled a number of domestic relations challenges as women no longer depend on their husbands for the family basics.
“Here Sundays which are meant for prayers were gazetted by LCs for attending to cases and complaints of which 80% were related to failure to fulfil family basic requirements,” Okello said.
Hon Grace Akiror, the Minister of Culture and Housing in the Iteso Cultural Union said formerly before the intervention of the Anita Foundation people used to save money purposely for Christmas. Akiror said 15 people could form a group and save shs.150,000 weekly then buy two bulls for slaughter on Christmas day.
“It was a wastage of savings because one member goes home with 40 kgs of meat valued at shs 420,000, some meat is taken to in-laws who equally have almost the same weight of meat then interestingly begin making calls to other people when children are to report to school for help”, Akiror said.
However, Merab Iisa one of the members of Kasera women’s SACCO whose pigs died said they needed close supervision from extension workers. “I started a piggery project with 8 piglets I bought at shs.400,000 and the target was in their first litter I would earn shs.10 million even if each gave birth to six piglets but they died and the quack veterinarians who used to deworm had no better explanation”, Lisa said.
The LC5 Chairperson Bukedea District, Ms Mary Akol said the issue of extension workers is going to be dealt with because low production results from the non-guidance of communities in what is expected out of the enterprises they are doing.
“I am also aware of extension workers whom the community don’t know. I would like sub-county accounting officers to have good schedules for their staff, it’s not good for us politicians to run around with trained technical staff,” Akol said.
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