SAGE: We’ll Reach 358, 420 Older Persons Across The Country – Gender’s Frank Tumwebaze

By Francis Otucu

In November 2018, Government of Uganda announced the national roll out of the Senior Citizens Grant covering persons who are 80 years and above in all the 135 districts, as long as they are registered with NIRA and have a valid national ID.

This, with thanks to Development Partners – UKAID and Irish Aid, for the support extended to the Ministry of Gender, Labor and Social Development and the country as a whole since the Programme started in 2011.

Frank K. Tumwebaze, MP and line minister, was in Lira Thursday for the region’s rollout.

A good number of districts (7) in Lango are already on the Programme and a few that had not been reached are finally coming on board under the national rollout plan (i.e. Lira & Oyam).

Currently, a total of 22,042persons from Lango Sub-region arebenefiting from the programme with an additional7,264expected to be enrolled from the districts ofLira & Oyam. This will bring the total number to 29,306(representing 11% of the total number of beneficiaries countrywide).

This Senior Citizens Grant is in line with Government’s commitment to ensure that no Ugandan is left behind.  The grant started at 22,000 shillings per month and now we have since increased it to 25,000.

“When resources allow in future, consideration will be made for an increment,” he said.

He added, “In Lira district where we are launching the program today, older persons will be getting funds for the last 6 months (150,000) January to June 2020. This is no mean achievement ladies and Gentlemen.”

To this, he commended President Yoweri Museveni for all the support he has given to this Programme.

“The last financial year (2019/20), all the allocated budget of Shs.62.88billion has been released by Ministry of Finance. For next Financial Year (2020/21), Government has already allocated Shs.107 billion for the SAGE Programme. As a Ministry, we will work towards ensuring that all this money is released timely by the Ministry of Finance, Planning & Economic Development, so that we are able to continue to deliver this grant to older persons,” he said, emphasizing, “I am glad that the NRM government is delivering on this promise as laid down in the 2016 – 20 Manifesto. When the rollout is completed, we will in total reach 358,420 older persons across the country.”

Tumwebaze, a very good student of Public Health graced this meeting amidst strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), a culture he asked the region and the country to embrace.

“I would like to remind ourselves of the SOPs and National Guidelines on COVID-19 and urge you to ensure that they are strictly observed in the delivery of this Programme. Our older persons are most vulnerable, given their advanced age. Let us wash hands with soap regularly (or use a recommended sanitizer); always wear a mask in public; observe social distance by staying at least 2 metres from the nearest person; avoid physical contact with people or non-decontaminated equipment, gadgets or surfaces and avoid crowded places. With combined efforts, we will collectively fight the spread of the pandemic, to the very end. I now have the honour to officially launch delivery of the Social Assistance Grants in Lira District,” he said.

REGISTERED IMPACT

• Improved welfare of the older people and their families through increased Food security; frequency, quantity and quality of meals; access and uptake of health services, uptake of education services among children living with older people, improved ability to deal with economic shocks among older persons and their households.

• Increased productivity of beneficiary households through utilization of grants by older persons to hire labour to open up their hitherto idle land; purchase of livestock for rearing and procurement of farm inputs; establishment of small businesses that make a return on investment;

• Increased savings and investment: Beneficiaries have formed savings and loan groups. These savings are used to cover emergencies, to support productive investments, cultivation and meeting the education and scholastic needs of their children/grandchildren.
• Boosted local economic activity: Increased purchasing power among SAGE beneficiary households has increased demand for local goods and services. This has resulted in the establishment of new businesses and markets to supply essential commodities in SAGE benefiting locations.

• Increased social inclusion and empowerment: Beneficiaries, especially women, consistently report improved participation in community affairs, sense of self-esteem and empowerment. Older people report feeling less discriminated against in their communities and more valued by their families on account of their ability to make social contributions to community-based social support mechanisms which are based on reciprocity (funerals, weddings etc.).

• Multiplier effect: the increased purchasing power in the community means that the local shopkeepers have market for their goods, and actually report stock out during payments; local people who have labour are employed to work for beneficiaries for example the local boda boda (motor cycle taxis) benefit from hire by older persons. In short, everyone in the community benefits.

• Access to credit: Studies show that in SAGE districts both access and the cost of credit is easier and cheaper compared to non-SAGE districts. This is because in SAGE district beneficiaries have formed local savings groups that lend money both to members (fellow beneficiaries) and to community members (who are not necessarily direct beneficiaries of SAGE) for an interest. It is therefore, easier to access credit in SAGE districts. The cost of credit is also lower than in non-SAGE districts.