Elderly people in Arua are not sure of getting the money promised monthly to them by the government, as the district leaders who are supposed to screen and register beneficiaries have also expressed lack of knowledge about the money.
The district community development officer, Franco Tolea through whose office the elderly people were supposed to have got the money, expressed lack of knowledge about the matter. He said when the issue of registering elders to benefit from the money comes, he will let them know because he will also make follow up on how the money is supposed to be obtained.
On September 2nd, government started paying a monthly subsistence of 23,000 shillings to elderly and vulnerable people from 14 districts. Kaberamaido, Kyenjojo and Kyankwanzi became the first three districts to receive the free cash under the Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) programme. The other districts expected to benefit include Apac, Kole, Nebbi, Zombo, Katakwi, Moroto, Napak, Amudat, Nakapiripirit, and Kyegegwa.
The 40 million pound pilot project is a contribution from DFID, Irish Aid, UNICEF and government of Uganda and it will target the older people most of whom are disabled, chronically ill, orphans and widows.
But in Arua, where the elders were supposed to receive their money on Thursday, a cross section of elders in the district say they don’t know when and how the money will be sent to them.
Haruna Ndema, the secretary of Arua district elders association, says nobody has consulted them and they even don’t know how they are supposed to access the money. According to him if government wanted to start caring for the elderly they should have first consulted so as to establish ways in which the money can be accessed.
But for Constantine Buga, another elderly person in Arua the money promised by the government is very small and can not help them to get any better. Buga fears that when they start earning the money, the people who have been taking care of them will run away thinking that the elders are now ok.
Buga suggests that instead of government paying the so-called living allowance to them they should instead work to address the issue of high prices of commodities and other essential goods.
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John Godo, another elder who subscribes to UPC party says the money proposed for the elderly clearly indicates that Ugandans are headed for doom. He wondered how somebody can survive on 23,000 shillings in the economic hardships now, adding that government should have thought of better ways of addressing the crisis the country is in before going for such petty appeasements.
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