Laurence Songa Biyika, the Ora county member of parliament in Zombo district has started supporting Village Women Saving Groups (VLSA) within his constituency through his “Songa Community Foundation” (SCF). In an exclusive interview with a URN over the weekend Biyika disclosed that he has registered 1200 Women Savings groups to benefit from a seed capital of Shillings 300 million.
Each group is set to receive Shillings 200,000, and the foundation will provide financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills training to enable the women to effectively manage their finances. “I promised these mothers during the campaign period that I would support them and that they should form village saving groups. At first, I provided them with UGX 100,000, and now I am offering each group UGX 200,000 to empower their small income-generating activities,” MP Songa explained during his interactions with the groups.
He also used this opportunity to educate the community about various programs, including Emyooga, the Parish Development Model (PDM), road and water projects, and more. Across different parishes such as Lendu, Ndara, Kango, Ugusi, and Angol, numerous Women Saving Groups have already benefited from the funds.
Jesca Angoya, who is the chairperson of the “Amurupii Village Women Saving Group” in Amurupii Village, Angol Parish, Atiak Sub-county, expressed optimism that the MP’s support will bolster her Silver-Fish and cassava flour business.
Agness Nyakidi, a member of the “Awara Village Women Saving Group” in Angol Parish, Atyak Sub-county, emphasized how MP Songa’s generosity is empowering women and alleviating them from the grip of poverty.
By Alex Pithua
