It is to develop the elderly of Africa, Uganda financially.
Secondly, it is to assist the needy and disabled.
Third, it is to humanely visit the sick and stressed.
Fourth it is to create financial projects for the needy to generate income for the elderly and young.
This organization has carried out such activities as:
Cake and bread baking.
Members have been involved in rural building construction and road making and repairs.
Members have been involved in decoration on functions.
Members have been involved in all means of assistance in burial ceremonies in the communities.
Ugandan workers are less educated and poorly paid:
Publish Date: 22 September, 2014
By Samuel Sanya
MOST working Ugandans are only educated up to secondary level, work for 10 years, six days a week and earn at least shillings 403/- per hour according to a wages survey.
In the wage indicator survey, released recently, 1,306 Ugandans from all administrative regions were interviewed by the Federation of Uganda Employers (FUE) in conjunction with Dutch and Tanzanian researchers.
Conservative estimates place Uganda’s working population at 17 million. The average working week of respondents is almost 60 hours and they work six days per week.
Slightly over half (51%) work evenings, seven of 10 workers report working on Saturdays, while four of 10 work on Sundays.
Nearly half of the workers in the sample were managers. Only two of 10 workers had a permanent contract, three of 10 were on fixed term contract while four of 10 workers said they are entitled to social security.
Despite the low numbers entitled to pensions, respondents indicated having four dependants on average. The analysis showed that 77% of the workers were paid on or above the poverty line of sh403 per hour or $1.25 (about sh3,000) per day.
Five percent of workers had no formal education, 14% studied to primary education 48% had secondary education certificates, 16% had a college education and 17% a university degree. Only 62% of informal workers are paid above the poverty line compared to 97% of the most formal workers.
Workers in trade, transport and hospitality are most at risk of poverty with 30% paid less than a dollar a day. Public servants are best paid. At least 92% earned above the poverty line.
Labour State minister Rukutana Mwesigwa recently revealed that Cabinet is considering creation of a wage board and a minimum wage.
The Government last set a minimum wage of sh6,000 in 1984. In 1975, the Minimum Wage Advisory Council recommended a sh75,000 minimum monthly wage. It remains on paper.
Why are the poor citizens of Uganda receiving money that is accounted for as a national pension for the elderly of this country?
By Joseph Kato
Posted Tuesday, July 5 2016
The Senior Citizens Grant in Uganda is given to the elderly aged 65 and above to help them live decent livelihoods; however, in some districts, it is the young, energetic poor that are being given the money.
Over 110,000 persons aged 65 and above in 141 sub-counties, towns and 6,028 villages in 15 districts are beneficiaries of the Senior Citizens Grant (SCG) that was started in 2010. SCG is one of the essential modules of the Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE), financed by government and development partners such as DFID and Irish Aid.
SCG is aimed at enhancing access to basic needs such as food security, better nutrition, health care and improving housing among others which is legal onus of the state to provide wellbeing and upkeep for the elderly.
David Lambert Tumwesigye, advocacy advisor at Expanding Social Protection (ESP) at the Ministry Gender, Labour and Social Development (MGLSD) calls upon the new MPs to join the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Social Protection (UPFSP) so that they can advocate care for the elderly.
What do MPs say?
Agnes Taka, Bugiri Woman MP, appreciates the services that have been offered to the elderly through SAGE. However, she calls upon the government to be open and involve grassroots leaders when selecting beneficiaries saying it will help to avoid issues of segregation.
“We need to know what criterion is followed when choosing SAGE beneficiaries. It is perturbing to learn about activities being done in your constituency from locals. Leaders need to be involved,” argues Taka.
She wonders why majority of the 15 districts where SAGE has been enrolled and the next 20 districts targeted to benefit from the programme are not from poverty stricken areas.
She asks her colleagues to push the government hard so that there can be transparency in the enrollment.
Rtd Lt Cyrus Amodoi, MP Tonoma County, Katakwi district, marvels at why the programme in some districts has been shifted from the elderly to the poorest people.
“What I have seen is that there is political interference in some parts where SAGE has been enrolled. In some places they target the poorest people instead of senior citizens,” says Amodoi.
In response to MPs queries, Drake Rukundo, Policy and Monitoring and Evaluation, UPFSP, says they have on ground people who gather information for the befitting citizens. He encourages the MPs to advocate countrywide enrollment for the elderly.
Rukundo says they want government to commit resources as a priority towards social protection to help the elderly live decent livelihoods because they are the bridge between the past and the future.
He applauds the 9th Parliament for being instrumental in ensuring the survival of the SAGE programme and extending it from 15 districts to additional 40 districts in the next five years.
In the FY 2015/16 Budget process, Parliament made a resolution where the SAGE programme was to be rolled out to the whole country covering 100 oldest persons in every sub-county.
Tumwesigye says the 10th parliament and the government did their work and it remains critical that all districts get covered for fairness and equitable development. The new MPs are expected to enlist to become members so that advocacy on social protection is boosted.
The forum undertakes to provide information and create spaces for engagement on issues touching social protection.
The cabinet passed the social protection policy which proposes a myriad of progressive interventions that if implemented will significantly contribute to the journey from third world to middle income status as envisaged in the Vision 2040.
However, even with the current roll-out plan, only a total of 55 districts will be reached leaving out 57 districts. To maximise pressure on government, the Forum has conducted regional consultative meetings that bring together Members of Parliament, District Chairpersons, District Community Development Officers and the civil society.
Reports from the Ministry
Reports from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development indicate that the senior citizens grant is increasing productive investment where 32 per cent of the beneficiaries use the money to buy livestock or engage in petty trading while 27 per cent of the beneficiaries invest their money in hiring additional labour to work in their gardens.
“At least 16 per cent of the beneficiaries save their month’s payment purposely to cover emergencies, 17 per cent use the gratuities to support productive investments, cultivation (15 per cent and meeting the educational needs of children and/or grandchildren taking 14 per cent,” reads the report on expanding social protection programme for senior citizens grant.
According to the report, majority of the senior citizens grant beneficiaries spend the large part of their transfers on food leading to increased frequency, quantity and quality of meals eaten by beneficiary households.
The report further shows that SCG 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 like contributing to funerals and weddings.
About SAGE
SAGE is a financial support programme for people aged 65 years and above. Currently, the programme is covering 15 districts. A total of 40 more districts have been lined up to benefit from SAGE by 2020.
In the 2015/16 budget, over Shs30b was expected for the national rollout where 100 persons per sub-county were to benefit but government committed Shs9 billion only.
jkato@ug.
nationmedia.com
Muha-kanizi on spot over Shillings 90b farmers' cash:
By Yasiin Mugerwa
Posted 29 September, 2014
The Secretary to the Treasury, Mr Keith Muhakanizi who kept calling himself “ born again Christian” was today pushed on the wall and forced to apologise for the “inefficiencies” in the running of a Shs 90 billion facility meant for helping the poor farmers access cheap credit.
The Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee noted “gross inefficiencies, conflict of interest and lack of supervision of the funds” on the part of Bank of Uganda and Ministry of Finance. Because of lack of supervision, PAC Chairperson Ms Alice Alaso said, the money has gone to the well-off farmers at the expense of the poor farmers and written off more than Shs499 million in bad debts.
On December 3 2009, the Governor Bank of Uganda Prof Emmanuel Mutebile wrote to Ministry of Finance, saying that Bank of Uganda could not monitor the implementation and evaluation of the facility, citing conflict of interest however to date, Mr Muhakanizi had not taken action. The ST apologised for “inefficiency” saying “he is also human”.
The committee expressed concerns about the possible risk to the funds and ordered Muhakanizi to streamline the monitoring of the scheme within one month. Officials from BoU told the committee that they signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Ministry of Finance and clearly STATED that monitoring of the agriculture
credit facility will not be their mandate.
Mr Muhakanizi returns to PAC next week.
But The suffering goes on without any social welfare in this poor African country:
Nakasango nga asindika kitawe bagende okusabiriza ssente.
Taata Omusoga ava e Iganga ate nga mulema oluusi antuma okumugulira bamalaaya wano mu Kampala:
By Lawrence Kitatta
Added 21st September 2016
Nakasango anyumya bw’ati:
Nzuukuka ku makya ng’obudde tebunnakya ne tutegula ebikunta oluvannyuma taata bw’aba yeetewuulizzaako mu kaveera nkakwata ne nkasuula mu kipipa kya Kcca ekiri e busukkakkubo. kyokka oluguudo ndusala mmagamaga emmotoka zireme kunkoona.
Bwe tuba twasuze n’amazzi tunaabako mu maaso era tunywako oluusi ne njolekera Kiswa gye nsoma mu P1.
Taata eyandibadde ampa ssente za bodaboda okuntwala ku ssomero ate nze mba nnina okumusindika ku kagaali nga tuva e Lugogo we tusula ku mulyango gwa GTZ.
Olumu ku ssomero anzigyayo ssaawa 4:00 ne tugenda ku kkubo gye tusabiriza. Olumu nsoma naye olulala nnemererwa.
Olusoma oluwedde nakola ebibuuzo era okuva olwo saaddayo kusoma. Buli lunaku tuzunga ekibuga kumpi okukimalako ne mpulira nga n’obugere bunfuuyirira.
Kasango ng’azingako akaveera akakola nga bulangiti e Lugogo okumpi ne siteegi ya New Vision, we basula ate Nakasango nga yeetereza batandike olugendo lw’okubuna ekibuga nga basabiriza.
Naye taata bw’atuuka ku kaserengeto olwo ng’anteeka mu maaso ng’akagaali kayiringita. Taata yangamba nti maama wange ye Nasim Namulondo abeera Iganga era gye yanzigya okundeeta e Kampala okutandika okusabiriza ku luguudo.
Enkuba bw’etonnya mu budde obw’ekiro olwo ne tuyimirira ku lubalaza we tusula olumu n’okutukuba etukuba naddala ng’erimu kibuyaga.
Obudde buli lwe buziba mba mu kweraliikirira. Taata oyo talina nsonyi antuma okumuyitira bamalaaya ekiro!
Omanyi bwe tuba twebase nsula ku ludda kw’assa ebigere wabula olumu ngenda okusisimuka nga mpulira anninnya mu maaso, ngenda okulaba nga mukazi.
Olumu mpulira n’amaloboozi ekiro naye nga sirina kyakukola. Bw’aleeta bamalaaya nga sinneebaka olwo nsituka busitusi ne ntuula ku kkubo mu kayumba ka siteegi ya New Vision okutuusa lwe bamaliriza naye ate olumu nneekanga nsuze awo. Olumu antuma e Nakawa ngule sooda.
Wano nga beetegeka okugenda.
TAATA YANZIBA AWAKA
Bwe yali yaakandeeta okunzigya mu kyalo ng’annyambaza nnyo engoye z’abalenzi nga tayagala bamulaba kumanya nti ndi muwala naye kati nange nnyambala ngoye z’abawala.
Nzijukira nali mbeera ne maama wange ne jjajja, twali tuzannya ne baganda bange be twabeeranga nabo awaka, abakulu tebaaliwo kw’olwo taata yajja awaka n’anzibawo n’antwala ewa jjajja omulala.
Ono kirabika ye maama we amuzaala wabula nga naye saamwetegereza bulungi era simumanyi. Taata bwe yawulira nti gye yanzigya baali batandise okunnoonya kwe kunzigyayo n’andeeta e Kampala.
Kye nzijukira twatuuka kiro era ekkubo eryatuleeta sirimanyi naye angamba nti ewaffe Iganga we wali ekyalo kyaffe.
Wabula okuva lwe natandika okubeera ne taata embeera tebeerangako nnyangu kuba ennaku ezisinga tusiibirira capati n’amazzi emmere tugirya lumu na lumu ate tugirya Kataza Bugoloobi kuba we wali eya layisi gy’asobola okugula.
Eno ku 1500/- tufuna ebijanjaalo n’akawunga ate ennyama ya 3,000/- naye ennyama emirundi gye nnaakagiryako mbala mibale ate essowaani tugigabana.
This is the clinic alongside the Clinic Road that leads to the government hospital at Komamboga
THE BROCHURE
ABOUT US
JENGA MTOTO FOUNDATION is a non profitable organization registered to offer comprehensive rehabilitation services to children with disabilities.
THE CHILDREN
SOME OF THE CHILDREN
Home building
The first place of contact in Uganda
The new place of contact in Uganda
THEMOTTO
SEE THE ABLE NOT THE LABEL
We greatly believe that every child is born and lives with individual potential to perform despite the labeled disability. We therefore emphasize maximum focus on each child’s individual potentials and strengths to engage in productive activities and this is looked at as the basic foundation for skills training and talent exploration and development
MISSION
To provide quality comprehensive rehabilitation services to children living with physical and/or mental challenges limiting their levels of functional performance
VISION
To promote quality independent functional performance in lives of children living with physical and/or mental difficulties in Uganda
CORE VALUES
Unending passion for children
Quality and professionalism
Transparency and accountability
Unity and togetherness
FOUNDATION STRATEGY
Jenga Mtoto Foundation mainly focuses on providing quality independent lives to children living with physical and mental difficulties through appropriate therapy intervention support, capacity building, talent exploration and development and skills training programs.
The founding members of the organization
Ring the bell on the left of the Gate for assistance
ENROLMENT PROGRAM
We welcome all children living with physical and/or mental difficulties all ages between 0 to 18 years.
We run a boarding program for boys ranging from 4 to 18 years whereas other children are dropped and picked daily by parents/guardians
Children undergo detailed assessment by professional therapists from all departments and this is intended to determine the children’s individual strengths and therapy needs
INTERVENTION PROGRAM
When enrolled, the children undergo a series of therapy intervention program from all therapy departments including occupational, physio, behavioral and speech and language therapists to establish the child’s therapy needs. The departments then develop an individualized therapy support plan basing on the child’s abilities and therapy needs
Children are also trained academic skills by special needs educators and this is also supplemented by talent exploration and development as well as skills training which include handmade craft skills, cooking skills and productive agriculture
PHYSIOTHERAPY
The physiotherapists mainly asses for children’s impairments and disabilities for promotion of mobility, functional abilities, quality of lives and movements potentials for all children at the foundation center The goal of our physiotherapists is to restore hope for limb function and assist each child reach his/her full physical potentials.
SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION
Our special education program targets learners with special needs and aims at providing individualized and modified strategies to help each child acquire academic skills. This is implemented by special needs instructors who apply differentiated learning approaches to suit each child’s individual learning abilities as established by the therapists
SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPY
This is a mode of treatment that focuses on the production and use of speech, difficulty in understanding and use of language, communication, feeding, chewing and swallowing. Speech and language therapists aim to assess and treat to improve speech, language and communication problems for children to communicate to their highest abilities
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY – OT
OT is a client-centered health profession concerned with promoting health and wellbeing through occupations. This mode of treatment applies purposeful activities of self care, work and play/leisure to improve functional independence and enhance meaningful development.
Occupational therapists work closely with children to assist them become proficient in activities of daily living including self care (bathing, dressing, feeding, grooming, toileting), productive activities (house chores, learning) and leisure (play, social and communication skills).
The Group of Seven on this sad planet is an informal club of wealthy "liberal democracies" consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The heads of government of the member states, as well as the representatives of the European Union, meet at the annual G7 Summit:
The members of the G7 on one of their summits
11June, 2021
By the World Media
As of now this is an appeal(very small indeed) to this wealthy club for the sake of these children below on the continent of Africa. It just makes one want to cry.
A very interesting Ugandan child Josha screaming to get out of educated poverty
The World Bank estimates that the number of people in extreme poverty (those living on less than $1.90 per day) grew by 88 to 93 million in 2020, and projects further increases during 2021, according to the report. Matters are made worse that the children earn little money to make basic ends meet.
“In Uganda, most of the children were paid less than Shs 7,000 per day ($2) even though nearly half worked at least 10 hours a day,” the report noted.
The report quoted 13-year-old Saphina who spent nine hours a day crushing stones at a stone quarry but was paid only Shs 4,000 ($1.11) per week. She said: “The money that I earn is too little compared to the work that I do.”
Those who received such money, it later turned out, were the lucky ones. Many others were ripped off, and went home with nothing, the report found out.
“More than a quarter of the 81 children interviewed said that their employer sometimes refused to pay them or cheated them of their wages. Some said their employers arbitrarily made deductions from their salaries if they were not satisfied with the child’s work,” the report noted.
The report has recommended a number of measures to ensure that the children are safe from the harsh realities of the lockdown. The authors of the report have asked government to ensure that children enjoy adequate standards of living by, among other things, providing allowances to targeted families.
Muwanguzi the determined social care worker for his sick father's sake
They have also recommended to government to ensure adequate social protection budgets to provide a minimum social protection package for households with children.
They also want government to “ensure that social protection programs are financed via progressive revenue generation. In the wake of Covid-19, avoid austerity measures and budget cuts to essential public services like education and social protection.”
Uganda provides free primary and secondary education, but the continued closure of schools means that many children will not return as they are absorbed into the labour market.
This is a young crippled boy who was vaccinated when he was only 3 years:
Unfortunately enough, the Uganda polio vaccination in Kibaale during the 2011 polio programme, did not work out properly and his leg was cut off:
World Media
29 April, 2020
He says that he does not get any Uganda government or UNICEF help for his parents to help him. Mum makes a living washing people's clothing at Ssekanyonyi, only 6 miles from the city of Kampala, on Gayaza Road, so that she can then pay his school fees. The most reliable phone contact for this boy is Mr Mugerwa at +256782656519 so that the parents can then be accessed. This young boy is very active and plays football and goes fishing and deserves at least an artificial leg to make a better life for himself.
This is a real sincere partnership with UNICEF
An African kid suffering its life out in these modern times
The African kid having a nap in the dust of Planet Earth that is full of water and oxygen to breath.
Even during the colonial rule, there were professional school inspectors that used to put fear and efficiency in the administration and teaching of these primary education schools!
Now that this African rule is the order of the day, it is all about making money and every body for himself!
Consider this that if these kids can suffer thus when they are in school, what is happening to them when they are locked down over COVID19 for now one year?
The single mother in Uganda has 38 children and struggles to educate them
Miriam Nabatanzi lives in Mukono and narrates her story with faminine courage
The slow human death from starvation coming along on the Proud African Continent due mainly to Climate Change:
The African infants suffering and crying out loudly for help and support for dear life
Side Information
Poliisi y'e Nansana etubidde n'abaana abaabula:
By Musasi wa Bukedde, Peter Ssaava
Added 8th January 2019
POLIISI y'e Nansana etubidde n’abaana bana abaabula mu biseera by’ennaku enkulu okuva mu maka ga bazadde baabwe.
Police ya Uganda nabaana abamu abaabuze ku Christmas
Abaana kuliko; Jacskon Happy 12 nga yava Mityana, Nicholas Kalyango 13 nga yabula okuva e Masaka, Winnie Babirye 11 eyava e Busunju mu Mityana n’omulala eyatageerekeseeko erya Nalukwago 10 nga yabula okuva e Katooke.
Omu ku baana; Winnie Babirye yategezezza nti kitaawe yasuulawo nnyina n'awasa omukazi omulala ng’ono yali amutulugunya okutuusa lwe yeekyawa n'adduka ewaka n'atambula okutuusa lwe yatuuka e Nansana wabula nga talina n’omu gw’amanyi.
Atwala ofiisi ekola ku nsonga z’abaana n’amaka ku poliisi ye Nansana, ASP Amelia Tumwehe ategezezza nti omuwendo gw’abaana ababula mu Nansana gweyongedde nga kiva ku bazadde obutaba na buvunanyizibwa eri abaana babwe.
Ategeezezza nti singa abazadde b’abaana bano banaabula, bagenda kubakwasa ofiisi ekola ku nsonga z’abaana (probation office) ku disitulikiti y'e Wakiso ebafunire we bayinza okubeera.
The country of Uganda is failing to develop properly the children’s potential:
This is a World Bank Report:
How come then can this country embroiled in so much debt be able to pay back its massive international debts:
Exams. Buwidi Primary School P7 candidates sit for a test ahead of their final Primary Leaving Examinations. The World Bank says one can only attain 100 per cent of their potential if they enjoy complete education. Photo by Ronald Sebe
In Summary
Findings. The HCI study reveals that a child born in Uganda today will only achieve 38 per cent of his productive potential in life.
27 October, 2018By Stephen Kafeero
A new study by the World Bank says Uganda is underinvesting in the potential of her population, placing it in position 137 out of 157 countries examined.
The study concludes that countries like Uganda on the bottom of the Human Capital Index (HCI) are failing to provide millions of their children with basic things such as a proper diet, education, and healthcare in their formative years. This, the study notes, makes the children to lag behind for a lifetime.
HCI seeks to measure the amount of human capital that a child born today can expect to attain by age 18. The index values the productivity of the next generation of workers, compared to a benchmark of complete standard education and full health.
It has three components – survival, expected years of quality-adjusted school, and health environment.
For example, the HCI study reveals that a child born in Uganda today will only achieve 38 per cent of his/her productive potential in life because of the limited investments that the country makes in developing children.
One can only attain 100 per cent of their potential if they enjoy complete education and full health during their childhood, the study notes.
This means that children born in Uganda today will lose more than 60 per cent of their potential lifetime earnings because government is currently not making effective investments to ensure they are healthy, educated and ready for the workplace of the future.
Human capital consists of the knowledge, skills, and health that people accumulate throughout their lives, enabling them to realise their potential as productive members of society.
The solution, the World Bank Group says, is in ending extreme poverty and creating more inclusive societies through developing human capital. This, the bank adds, requires investing in people through nutrition, healthcare, quality education, jobs and skills.
“The cost of inaction on human capital development is going up. Without human capital, countries cannot sustain economic growth, will not have a workforce that is prepared for the more highly-skilled jobs of the future, and will not compete effectively in the global economy,” the bank said.
It added: “The Human Capital Project is expected to help create the political space for national leaders to prioritise transformational human capital investments.
The objective is rapid progress towards a world in which all children arrive in school well-nourished and ready to learn, can expect to attain real learning in the classroom, and are able to enter the job market as healthy, skilled, and productive adults.”
Other indicators
In Uganda, the probability of surviving the first five years after birth is 95 out of 100. However, 29 out of 100 children are stunted, and so at risk of cognitive and physical limitations that can last a lifetime.
When it comes to the expected years of school, a child who starts school at age four can expect to complete seven years of school by her 18th birthday. Factoring in what children actually learn, the study concludes, that the expected years of school is only 4.5 years.
Meanwhile, students in Uganda score 397 on a scale where 625 represents advanced attainment and 300 represents minimum attainment in harmonised test scores.
Across Uganda, 70 per cent of 15-year-olds will survive until age 60. This statistic is a proxy for the range of fatal and non-fatal health outcomes that a child born today would experience as an adult under current conditions.
Globally, Asian countries topped with Singapore, South Korea, Japan and Hong Kong being in the top four while Nigeria, Liberia, Mali and Niger lead from bottom.
Summary for Uganda
Human Capital Index: A child born in Uganda today will be 38 per cent as productive when she grows up as she could be if she enjoyed complete education and full health.
Probability of Survival to Age 5: 95 out of 100 children born in Uganda survive to age 5.
Expected Years of School: In Uganda, a child who starts school at age 4 can expect to complete 7 years of school by the 18th birthday.
Harmonised Test Scores: Students in Uganda score 397 on a scale where 625 represents advanced attainment and 300 represents minimum attainment.
Learning-adjusted Years of School: Factoring in what children actually learn, expected years of school is only 4.5 years.
Adult Survival Rate: Across Uganda, 70 per cent of 15-year olds will survive until age 60. This statistic is a proxy for the range of fatal and non-fatal health outcomes that a child born today would experience as an adult under current conditions.
Healthy Growth (Not Stunted Rate): 71 out of 100 children are not stunted. 29 out of 100 children are stunted, and so at risk of cognitive and physical limitations that can last a lifetime.
The Government of Uganda and the national and international partners are coming out all the way to try and help the young African refugees, running away from their various African countries of civil wars, to access education in this country:
Ms Lucy Ayego (Right) tends to her vegetable garden in Palabek Ogili refugee camp, Lamwo District, last week. FILE PHOTO
16 September, 2018By Patience Ahimbisibwe
IN UGANDA, Kampala- Hindiyo Abdulkadir, 18, and her family fled Somalia for Uganda nearly 11 years ago, following political instability back home.
Her brother had been abducted and her mother, Ms Sofia Mire Jimale, was constantly receiving death threats.
Traumatised, the family of eight decided in December 2007 to leave what they had called home since birth without informing anyone.
On arrival, they did not know what to expect and for one year, Abdulkadir was out of school for fear of the unknown.
But her mother encouraged her to carry on and she later joined school even when she did not know a word in English.
“We left Somalia for Uganda because of terror. I could only speak Arabic and feared going out in our new country. I stayed home for a year. My mother insisted I needed to start taking risks. I am glad I did. Uganda is where I have felt I can become someone. My country doesn’t recognise a girl child. Thank you Uganda for helping us refugees pursue our dreams,” a teary Abdulkadir said as she recollected her journey to Uganda.
It is for children such as Abdulkadir that government, together with development partners, including UN agencies and civil society organisations on Friday launched an Education Response Plan (ERP).
The plan targets refugees who left their countries because of instability to enable them access quality education together with the host communities.
First of its kind
ERP is the first of its kind, presenting a policy for refugee education globally. If funded, it will address refugee crisis in Uganda where about 353,000 refugee children and another 171,000 host children are out of school.
Uganda is host to 1.4 million refugees, with more continuing to arrive daily from South Sudan, DR Congo, and other conflict-affected countries.
The Save the Children Fund country director, Ms Brechtje Van Lith, urged donors to support Uganda with funds to enable them implement the plan.
Save the Children says more than 130,000 refugees arrived this year alone, and of these six in every 10 of them are children under 18 years.
Mr David Lawrence Dumba, a South Sudanese refugee, who is now head teacher at Alaba Primary School in Bidibidi settlement camp, reported that they are overwhelmed with learners now at 4,129 with only 36 teachers. Of these pupils, 132 are Ugandans.
Education and Sports minister Janet Museveni said the refugee influx is stressing already limited school resources in local communities. She appealed for funds to enable government continue giving services to the distressed communities.
pahimbisibwe@ug.nationmedia.com
The Social media tax the government of Uganda introduced is too expensive and an inconvenience especially for the deaf and people with disabilities on the continent of Africa:
27 September, 2018
Written by Yudaya Nangonzi
The people of Uganda with disabilities are marching to make their points to the government of Uganda at the city of Mbale, Bugisu, Eastern Province of Uganda.
Deaf people in Uganda have asked government to exempt them from the current social media tax. They argue that the tax complicates their communication problems and access to essential services such as education, health, justice, worship, news and information.
Under the auspices of the Uganda National Association of the Deaf (UNAD), they said that they are ready to compile and share a list of an estimated 1,083,649 deaf persons in Uganda as enshrined in the 2014 Uganda National Housing and Population Census report. UNAD executive director Joseph Mbulamwana said the new social media tax is hurting most deaf people because they cannot afford it.
“Most of the deaf people are really poor. Before introducing OTT [Over The Top] tax, we were communicating well but with the new taxes, our phones are off. We want to communicate but we cannot. It is like government is closing our mouth and does not want us to communicate,” Mbulamwana said, insisting that government should subsidize the tax.
He added: “This is not fair. Does government want us to resort to local communications in which we used to ride bicycles and look for each other to communicate?”
On July 1, 2018, government started imposing the Shs 200 daily tax for social media users despite protests in a bid to widen the country’s tax base. The OTT tax has forced a sizeable number of people to evade it by using virtual private network (VPN) applications.
Mbulamwana said the deaf continually get misinformed of the risk to their lives because of communication gaps.
“While government promotes ABC as a method of fighting HIV/AIDS, some deaf people confuse it for ABC Dent toothpaste. We also had a case of a deaf person who almost died because the doctor was not able to explain to him how to take the drugs. They gave him tablets with instructions to take 2x3 tablets, which meant taking two tabs for three times a day at equal intervals. He instead took six tablets at once!”
As such, he said adoption of technologies to ease information flow is timely and will likely reverse the communication gap. Mbulamwana revealed this at the week-long International Deaf Awareness campaign held in Mbale district under the theme, “Sign Language Rights for All.”
It entailed a series of activities aimed at creating awareness about issues that concern deaf people from September 17 to 22, 2018. They included Uganda Sign Language Symposium, sensitization meetings and visits to community schools, the deaf awareness debate, a football match between deaf men and women against hearing counterparts and cleaning public service centers such as markets and hospitals.
Speaking during the closure of the activities at Maluku grounds in Mbale, the state minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi, said government is developing the inclusive education policy to improve accessibility, retention and completion rates of children and youth with disabilities in education.
She also revealed that government has established training and rehabilitation centres in places such as Lweza and Kireka in Wakiso district, Ruti in Mbarara district and Mpumudde in Jinja district where youths with disabilities get employable skills in tailoring, metal work, carpentry and cosmetology, among others.
Nakiwala reechoed government commitment to address stigma and discrimination, strengthen economic empowerment, and promote inclusive education and harness technology and innovations. Meanwhile, the deaf have also embarked on a campaign to teach and promote sign language digitally in a bid to increase the usage and understanding of sign language.
Under the digital content for learning of sign language, learners will be able to access content through enhanced videos aided with graphical illustrations and all content can be stored in one place and accessed online. Learners will also be able to interact with each other and team up to improve their communication skills.
Various stakeholders welcomed the digital sign language for the deaf campaign.
“Many times teachers get stuck in class. Sometimes you have a scientific word for which you don’t know the sign; so, having content on digital platform allows you to cross-check and see the sign,” Hellen Ikitot, a teacher at Mbale Secondary School for the Deaf, said.
Dr Edgar Napoleon Asiimwe, the programme manager, Research at the Swedish Program for ICT in Developing Regions (SPIDER), the funding organisation for the project, said: “Digitalizing will help everyone to know to communicate. For instance, if a deaf girl is raped and she goes to report to police, the police officer shouldn’t look at her as though she is not important just because the two cannot communicate.”
He said the deaf are a community of people with a language of their own that need everyone’s support.
Nalongo Nana fears for her life after storming that Acode meeting:
September 25, 2018
Written by Justus Lyatuu
Nalongo Nana stormed the Acode meeting against too much tax in Uganda without social services for all
Nalongo Annette Nana Namata Mwafrika Mbarikiwa became an overnight celebrity on social media when she stormed a meeting organized by Acode a couple of weeks ago, snatched a microphone and dramatically told off the delegates.
Quick Talk caught up with her at her lawyer’s office in Wandegeya where they were organizing to record a statement at police; she has reportedly been receiving threatening SMSes, calls and WhatsApp messages after the incident.
The interview starts in Wandegeya and continues to Kampala Central police station (CPS).
Nalongo is wearing a dress this time, and keeps her sunglasses on throughout the interview. She wears her hair in dreadlocks and far from the agitated woman in green shorts who went viral on social media, Nalongo now looks composed – even worried. Quick Talk is struck by her beauty…
Hi! This is Quick Talk from The Observer!
Hi! We talked on phone; sorry I could not recognize you, my phone has been buzzing all day and night. I receive a lot of calls and SMSes, I’m not sure who I’m talking to; anyway we can do the interview.
Okay Madam Celeb! Have you watched the video clip?
Yeah! Oh my! That was crazy! I feared myself. I think I was very annoyed. [Laughs out loud.]
Some people say it was stage-managed.
[Looks pissed and throws her hands in the air to stress the point!] No! Uganda has reached a point where [people] cannot talk about what is hurting them!
We are hustlers and I can say I completely got pissed off and on that day I expressed myself.
Tell me about what was going though your head…
It was a normal day. I arrived at work – at work I have a small TV; so, I tuned in to watch NBS TV’s recorded version of Frontline [a popular political talk show] but it was not there.
On the screen was a man I did not know at that time, but was later told is [Mukono RDC] Fred Bamwine. He was talking about how it was the citizens’ obligation to pay taxes and take care of their leaders.
On the screen, the topic was something to do with widening the tax base. I found that man very unrealistic and he was talking with impunity.
And you snapped?
[She talks with such pain and anger, Quick Talk notices she is silently crying behind the sunglasses.] We have children and I pay school fees for them. It’s not a shame to say that I’m a single mother, because their father doesn’t support them.
I have been at URA conferences; so, at least I know something about taxes, so I was talking about what I know.
[Throws her hands up in disgust] Taxes everywhere! On top of the many taxes, recently KCCA was asking for taxes for even our signposts. [As we are settling that, then OTT; everywhere taxes, taxes! But we don’t see their relevance.
Eh, Nalongo, but that ka-short…
[Laughs, but Quick Talk can still see the brimming tears] In fact I was wearing flip-flops. Why put on suits? We don’t go to parliament, we are hustlers … suits don’t matter; it’s the head.
Even my children asked me where I was going with those flip-flops and shorts but I told them I was going to town and they wondered… Any injustice to [anybody], I take it personal.
You are friends with Stella Nyanzi…[The renowned university researcher is infamous for her expletive-laden language and unconventional means of protest.]
[Stella] is my good friend, an inspiration, single mother and a nalongo like me! There are times when I’m stressed - nga ebintu binsobedde - I call for a chat. There was a time she was in Masaka and I called her, she almost came [to Kampala]. She is always available for me.
There was a time I was following up with the father of my children, Stella Nyanzi helped me a lot.
These nalongo things she says…
No! She is a woman who speaks her mind, so do I. I take injustice personal.
Can I say the Stella Nyanzi friendship inspires this militant side of you?
I’m an aggressive type from childhood; you can see my friends…I like Stella. I’m not very diplomatic! That’s why when I see injustice, I go for it fast and I take on that person. [Yeah, by the time the person trying to calm you down is Miria Matembe – the militant one before the militant ones of this generation arrived!]
By the way, has government got in touch since?
No! But what I’m seeing is scary and I fear for my life. People have been trailing me, calling me and telling me to shut up for the sake of my children. Sometimes they come to my place.
Sometimes I have to change my routine or cancel my appointments because of these people who are following me. Even the children, I had to take them somewhere else.I think the SMS and calls are a caution from government.
Is this the first time you are clashing with government?
No. There was a time Makerere University was closed, I put a placard on my vehicle. I remember police dragged me on the ground in the process of arresting me.
Hmmm… so, what is your day job?
I’m a businesswoman.
As in…?
I deal in books, clothes, shoes – Crocs… I do various things, I also have a restaurant … everything! [No wonder tax talk irks you, Nalongo.]
Are you this tough on the children too? [She is a mother of five, including a set of twins. Her eldest son is in medical school.]
[Laughs and appears more relaxed] They are used to me... They have seen me in action especially when they are being bullied at school. I storm the school and fight for their rights.
If I were to date you…man, you look tough! But what is your ideal man?
[Gives Quick Talk that you-are-such-a-ka-boy look] I want a man with brains and humanity. I told you I’m a single mother; no man would go for me. I don’t like lousy men.
You feminists, it is believed, encourage single motherhood.
Feminist? I’m an independent activist. I’m not employed by anyone or any organization. Whenever I see injustice, I go for it. Anything else I will not comment.
Given a chance, would you do it all again?
[Smiling] Yes! I would do it again.
No matter how much Quick Talk prods, she is cagey about her background and age, but she was born in Kampala, Nsambya hospital. She says her mother is from western Uganda and going by one of her names, her father is a Muganda. She refuses to say the schools she attended.
justuslyatuu08@gmail.com
Sometimes children can be difficult. This puts the African parents to breaking the law:
If the children are taught to be aware of such misfortunes that can happen to the family they do love, one hopes they can try to behave themselves properly:
Unfortunately the police in Kenya is looking for this parent who seems to have disappeared from the home.
Omwaana omugezi asanyusa kitawe ne nyina!
“Emirundi mingi abazadde banona abayizi ku masomero nga babuzaayo ekigezo nga kimu ne batuuka ewaka ne bafunirayo ebizibu omuli n’obubenje n’abamu ne batuuka okufiirwa obulamu. Abazadde n’abayizi mbabasaba tubeere n’obugumiikiriza okutuuka ng’omuyizi amaliddeyo ddala ebigezo olwo alyoke anonebwe okuddayo ewaka,” Were bwe yategeezezza.
Mummy wont allow it at any cost
In Uganda, the African Baby, born with four legs needs International expensive medical surgery:
By Tom Gwebayanga
Added 21th November 2018
Since she delivered the baby in Kidera Health Centre III, a fortnight ago, Namaganda, a resident of Kisaikye village, Kidera sub-county in Buyende district, has never smiled.
The baby who it would have been hoped had a twin sister that never managed to develop in Mummy's womb. That is why in Ancient African culture twins and their Mums are a human Mystery or Legend up to present days.
WITH MODERN TECHNOLOGY IN MEDICINE AND CHRISTIAN LOVE(HUMAN RELIGIOUS LOVE) THERE IS HOPE FOR THIS AFRICAN CHILD TO GROW UP AND LIVE A VERY NORMAL LIFE:
The baby girl born in Buyende district who was born with two false legs has thrown her parents into frustration, as millions of money is needed for surgery to operate and remove them.
Hadija Namaganda, 32, the mother of four, gave birth to the baby who has two normal legs and two false ones, the spectacle which has sent tongues wagging.
To add an insult to injury, her husband denied fathering the child and vanished, saying that such deformed births have never occurred in his clan and, therefore, the child is a taboo.
Since she delivered the baby in Kidera Health Centre III, a fortnight ago, Namaganda, a resident of Kisaikye village, Kidera sub-county in Buyende district, has never smiled.
“In fact, I have sleepless nights, thinking of how to overcome the burden, where to get the cash worth millions for the surgery,” she said, during an interview with the New Vision, on Friday.
With tears visible in her eyes, Namaganda explained that the baby suckles well, inhales and exhales normally; the digestive system is also normal because she passes the stool and urinates, but the only challenge is the legs.
The additional “legs,” which ruin the baby’s general appearance originate from the left side of the hip, with the third leg, which is the developed having two toes with tiny fingernails.
This foot has the femur (thigh bone), a false foot, but the lower part of it (the knee, the fibla and tibia bones) are missing, while the fourth foot is a protruding muscle.
A small protruding muscle, to the size of a man’s thumb also developed between the third and the fourth deformities.
Sharif Mangaraine, the resident of Kasongoire in Nkondo sub-county, who is championing the soliciting of funds for the surgery says the task is tedious.
“We’re in the initial mobilization, tracing the doctors who can examine, make recommendations and perhaps operate, but all needs cash which isn’t readily available,” Mangaraine, said, adding that sh500,000/- is needed to start off, before the surgery whose cost is yet established.
Namaganda’s home is more of a tourist site, as hundreds of residents from far and near trek to awe at the rare spectacle, shake head in disbelief before offering assistance in form of money.
The LC3 chairman, William Kiiza Wagumaare, has also joined the campaign, rallying politicians, including MPs and local leaders to give a hand.
The District Health Officer for Buyende, Dr. Moses Baganzi said he’s unaware of the birth, but promised to visit the family and give technical advice.
Namaganda is appealing to well-wishers for assistance by calling on 0758202723 (Sharif Mangaraine) for details.
THE INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS OF THE ORGANIZATION OF UNICEF FOR THE SURVIVAL OF THE GLOBAL CHILD IS WELL RECOGNIZED BY THE JENGA MTOTO FOUNDATION OF UGANDA
Kids in Crisis Panorama Britain is in the grip of a child mental health crisis. Nearly half a million children are either waiting for treatment or receiving it. The government has promised more money for child mental health but in the meantime getting help is a postcode lottery. Some children are waiting up to two years to be seen and others are being sent hundreds of miles away from home for treatment. It is a Panorama programme good to see made by the BBC TV programme.
SOME OF THE CHILDREN
The new place of contact in Uganda
Ring the bell on the left of the Gate for assistance
The African kid having a nap in the dust of Planet Earth that is full of water and oxygen to breath.
