Hoima Catholic diocese receives Shs 388m for girl child protection

HOIMA – The Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs, Sarah Nyirabashitsi Mateke has condemned the increasing number child abuse cases.

Mateke said, COVID-19 has caused serious impact on children globally and Uganda was not spared as many children were emotionally and sexually abused.

The Minister made the remakes while launching a one-year project implemented by Hoima Catholic Diocese education department in partnership with World Vision with funding from Manos UNIDAS, a Spanish organization.

The project worth Shs388 million dubbed “Protection of the girl child in the face of COVID–19” will focus on sensitizing communities on the need to protect the girl child and the need to promote her education.

Under the project, 10,000 girls will be empowered with life skills and the girl child protection systems in the diocese will be strengthened.

Psycho-social support will be provided to at least 5000 victims of abuses, existing government structures for the protection of the Girl child will be strengthened and structures through which the rights of the Girl child is detected, reported and handled.

According to Nyirabashitsi by June 2021, the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development, through the children helplines registered 14,230 cases of defilement of which 14,080 were girls.

She further indicates that 1,280 were children in the ages of one to eight years, 2,980 were children aged between 9 to 14 years and 9,954 were children aged between 15 to 17 years. Statistics show that 120 were defiled by their parents and 52 defiled by teachers while 301 were defiled by HIV/AIDS positive persons.

She added that apart from the cases that were registered by the Ministry, police registered 40,000 case of child abuse. She notes that with such statistics, there is need to ensure the protection and safety of the girl child. She notes that there is need to sensitize parents on the issues of child protection since education and protection of children starts at home.

She commended the diocese for initiating the project aimed at protecting children adding that Ministry has come up with parenting guidelines and promised to provide the diocese with the guideline information to help as they empower the parents.

She also challenged parents and caregivers to equip the children in the adolescent age with appropriate information about sexual reproductive health and rights so that they can make informed decisions.

Grace Mary Mugasa, the State Minister for Public Service has called on the child rights advocates to embark on the empowerment of a boy child. She noted the emphasis is always put on girls leaving out boys, yet they are the ones abusing these empowered girls.

She noted that digital education is also spoiling the children in that during the COVID-19 pandemic, several parents acquired phones for their children for learning purposes, but they ended up using these phones to watch things that spoil their lives.

She noted that there is a need for parents to monitor what the children watch on televisions and on how they use the phones which were provided to them.

Mugasa attributed the increasing case of child abuse on poor parenting adding that nowadays parents have no time for children as many have left their children to house maids and televisions.

According to the Minister, the Covid-19 Pandemic has exposed parents and the communities’ weakness in looking after their children.

The Bishop of Hoima Catholic Diocese, Rt. Rev Vicente Kirabo explained that the project will help to ensure a holistic education and protection of the girl child.

He expressed concern over the increasing cases of child neglect and abuse especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that there is need for parents, religious leaders, and teachers to advocate for the love and protection of children.

“No society will continue existing without children. If we want our country to develop, we must love the children, care for them, and educate them and above all establish systems to ensure their protection from all forms of abuse. The project we have launched today focuses on the protection of the girl child since they are more vulnerable than boys,” he said.

The State Minister for Bunyoro Affairs Jenipher Kacha Namuyangu commended the Bishop and the entire diocese for promoting social service delivery instead of focusing only on preaching the Evangelism.

She noted that Bunyoro is at a take-off stage in terms of development, adding that there is a need for different stakeholders to mobilize the local people to engage in productive activities.

https://thecooperator.news/microfinance-support-centre-msc-to-establish-an-office-in-masindi/

Buy your copy of thecooperator magazine from one of our country- wide vending points or an e-copy on emag.thecooperator.news

The post Hoima Catholic diocese receives Shs 388m for girl child protection appeared first on The Cooperator News.

Ker Kwaro Acholi moves to re-align the agricultural and business sector to cooperative societies

ACHOLI – Ker Kwaro Acholi, the Acholi Cultural Institution is in the final stages of rolling out a new cooperative society which seeks to organize and re-align the agricultural and business sector in Acholi sub-region.

In the proposal dubbed “Ker Kwaro Acholi Cooperative Society,” the cultural institution will bring together all the other smaller cooperative societies especially farming groups and other businesses in Acholi sub-region.

David Amone, the Minister for Production and Investment at Ker Kwaro Acholi says, the major focus of the new society is to unite, strategize and give focus and direction to the farmers and business communities in order to eliminate conflicts in business as well as boost bargaining capacities of the farmers.

Amone says, whereas Acholi sub-region is blessed with vast fertile land, almost 90% of the people are practicing agriculture. Less than 50% have grown to succeed in the sector majorly due to lack of focus and market knowledge and strategy.

“In this cooperative society, we will bring together all the farmers in their various smaller societies, train them, provide them with market knowledge and instill the spirit of unity and farming as a business, which should be able to change production,” Amone said.

Amone observed that most businesses in the Acholi sub-region seem to be competing and fighting amongst themselves instead of uniting and supporting each other in order to grow as a region like other areas have grown.

“When we see the current businesses in Acholi sub-region, there’s a lot of unnecessary competition, fighting among our own children who are actually brothers and sisters. We want to bring them together, help them have a holistic approach to the various business opportunities the region has,” said Amone.

“This cooperative society will give a big boost to the socio-economic transformation that the region has been undergoing though at a slow pace,” Amone notes.

Rwot Otinga Otto, the Deputy Paramount Chief of Acholi Cultural Institution says, they want to bridge the gap between private sector led and lower local economic development which has seen disparities in growth.

Otinga, who is also the clan Chief of Lamogi says, the major reason why the Acholi sub-region was recently ranked the poorest despite the availability of vast fertile land is that Acholi farmers are not focused and seemingly don’t know what they want and where they want to go.

“You can have your land or business but what do you want or where do you want to be? You find that most times our people upon starting business and breaking even, they get relaxed and now start to only sustain their business and not continue to further their growth. How then can we develop if we have such mentalities among the business community?” Otinga wondered.

Anthony Akol, the Chairperson of the Acholi Parliamentary Group (APG) agrees with the concept but worries that there are too many cooperative societies coming up and this might affect their focus.

“Because now, we have the Parish Development Model (PDM), and several other cooperative societies in the region, having another one will likely jeopardize the focus and development intended beneficiaries,” Akol worries.

“We need to instead organize our already existing cooperative societies in order to achieve the main focus and vision of the new cooperative society that the cultural institution wants to rollout,”Akol proposes.

Denis Onguti, a businessman in Gulu City says, the already established and functional societies like that of the business community should instead be retooled on withering the threat being brought about by the foreign investors in the region.

“We have very many foreign businesses cropping up in the region and for us as business people, we need to be supported to compete so that we can as well develop our region,” Onguti appeals.

Acholi sub-region currently has hundreds of cooperative societies which are functional and these include;the Acholi East and West Cooperative Union, Kilak Cooperative Society, among others. Most of the societies majorly focus on agricultural production.

https://thecooperator.news/microfinance-support-centre-msc-to-establish-an-office-in-masindi/

Buy your copy of thecooperator magazine from one of our country- wide vending points or an e-copy on emag.thecooperator.news

The post Ker Kwaro Acholi moves to re-align the agricultural and business sector to cooperative societies appeared first on The Cooperator News.

Microfinance Support Centre (MSC) to establish an office in Masindi

MASINDI – As one way of bringing services closer to the people, Microfinance Support Centre (MSC) has decided to put an office in Masindi district to cater for the three districts of Masindi, Kiryandongo and Buliisa.

This was revealed by Hellen Masika, the deputy Executive Director of MSC on Wednesday while meeting Masindi district leaders, technocrats, and the religious leaders at Masindi district headquarters.

“Residents from the three districts have been finding it hard to access our services. I want the district leaders to identify for us space. We shall beautify it and equip it. Make sure that the people in that office are residents of this area who are well versed with the local language,” said Masika.

She warned the district leaders to desist from any form of corruption while recruiting the two officers who will be working in the office.

She explained that the regional office which is in Hoima is not enough for the whole region to provide adequate services.

The regional office caters for 10 districts and a city, eight from Bunyoro sub-region and two from Buganda region.

Those from Bunyoro include; Masindi, Hoima, Buliisa, Kiryandongo, Kibaale, Kakumiro, Kikuube, Kagadi and Hoima city while Kiboga and Kyakwanzi are from Buganda.

A team from MSC led by Emmanuel Kiiza Aliba, the Chairperson board had come to Masindi to explain to the leaders the opportunities available if they partner with MSC.

“There are very many opportunities if you partner with us. I am imploring organized SACCOs, Cooperatives and groups to partner with us such that we can support you financially and fight poverty. MSC was put in place to support organized and active groups as well as one way of changing social and economic status of Ugandans,” noted Kiiza.

He added that he doesn’t want to leave office when the people of Bunyoro are poor and yet Bunyoro is home, adding that he came to Masindi with the whole team to open the doors wide for the residents to benefit.

Rev. Can. Francis Kajura, the Archdeacon Masindi Archdeaconry asked the Deputy Executive Director MSC to ensure that religious leaders are also supported, explaining that they are also organized in a SACCO but benefiting from government is a hurdle to them.

“We formed our SACCO about seven years ago. We thought we would benefit from Emyooga program but all was in vain. As religious leaders, we also need to be supported because apart from the ministry, we also do other economic activities,” he explained.

In her response, Masika noted that they couldn’t benefit from Emyooga because they were not among the categories, adding that since they are organized, they can benefit from other programs which are supported by the MSC.

She added that even the Muslims are going to be supported under the Islamic financing where they’ll not be required to put interest on the money given to them.

“There has been an information gap, but all this is going to be bridged when we establish our office here,” Masika added.

Pamela Nyakato, the Secretary for Finance at Masindi District Local Government promised to expeditiously work on the issue of identifying the office space to enable people access the services which will enable them to move out of poverty.

Abdallah Serunkuma, the Chairperson Masindi business community commended the team from MSC for coming to them to explain various opportunities which are available noting that they have been in total darkness but now their eyes are opened.

Ronald Businge Kyomuhendo, the Mayor Masindi Municipality asked for intensified sensitization and monitoring of different government programs, explaining that the government is injecting a lot of money through different programs but with no impact on ground.

“We need to find out why there’s not much impact on ground and yet government is investing in a lot of money. We need to move out of offices and understand where the problem is,” he added.

https://thecooperator.news/gulu-city-allocates-new-site-for-the-industrial-area-with-housing-taking-over-40-of-the-land/

Buy your copy of thecooperator magazine from one of our country- wide vending points or an e-copy on emag.thecooperator.news

The post Microfinance Support Centre (MSC) to establish an office in Masindi appeared first on The Cooperator News.