Elders and the leaders in Moroto district have embraced the newly introduced Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment - SAGE, a direct income programme that is set to benefit over 600,000 disadvantaged Ugandans.
The project which is co-funded by DFID, Irish Aid and UNICEF, targets labour-constrained Ugandans, including the elderly, orphans, chronically-ill and the disabled among others.
The beneficiaries will receive a monthly payment of 23,000 shillings. Those in Moroto district are optimistic that this will greatly transform their livelihoods.
John Longora Kamaripus, a 68-year-old resident of Rupa Sub County in Moroto, who could not hide his joy upon hearing that he will be getting free money monthly until he dies, says his family will not starve anymore.
He says he will use part of the money to buy food for the family and pay school fees for his 10 grandchildren then use some to buy “Kutukutu”, a local brew he says he enjoys.
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Jennifer Layoo, a 65-year-old local of Kata Mukono is not sure of the possibility of such a program in Uganda. She wonders how somebody could be given free money in Uganda which she says is embedded with corruption.
Layoo who also doubts the success and sustainability of the program says she cannot yet be happy about the program until she receives the money.
She, however, says if it succeeds the money can do a lot in the lives of the beneficiaries some of who she says last handled such amount of money many years ago.
Christine Akot, Moroto district SAGE technical officer says the programme in Karamoja is aimed at improving the dignity and well-being of the locals.
She notes that Karamoja has relied on donations for a very long time and that the new development plan is especially aimed at developing productive livelihoods as one of the sustainable ways for the region to transform.
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She explained that SAGE is a pilot programme whose success will be assessed at the end of 2015 and that it will first be piloted in 14 districts at a cost of 32 billion shillings. Of this 12.5 billion shillings will be allocated to the Karamoja districts of Moroto, Amudat, Nakapiripirit and Kotido.
She said while government is considering people above 65 years in other regions, 60 years will be the minimum in Karamoja in recognition of the alarming poverty rates and lower life expectancy in the region.
79, 000 elders in Karamoja are set to benefit from the 5-year-program.
Records indicate that poverty in Karamoja stands at a whopping 75%; most of the households cannot afford a single meal a day and illiteracy levels are still high.
