Sironko older persons urged to form enterprise groups
SIRONKO – The Minister of State for Elderly Affairs, Dominic Gidudu Mafabi has urged the older persons in Sironko district to form enterprises groups so that they benefit from the special enterprise grant to have a sustainable life.
In September last year, government announced a Shs 5 billion grant for elderly persons aged 60 to 79 years who are not beneficiaries of the ongoing Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment [SAGE] programme.
Gidudu made the call while addressing hundreds of elderly persons in Sironko district over the weekend. Government is expected to roll out the programme this month.
He urged the elderly to embrace government programmes such as SAGE, and the Parish Development Model [PDM] among others.
The Minister said enterprise groups will enable older persons to earn a better living as they will be working together.
“Government has set PDM for the first in Uganda and the elder persons have been given 10 percent to support them,” Gidudu said.
The chairperson of the elderly persons in Uganda, Charles Isabirye said most of the elderly in the communities are widows and widowers and cannot provide food for themselves as individuals and therefore need to work in groups.
John Wamulugwa, the chairperson older persons in Sironko district called out the older persons to embrace government programmes mostly the PDM and SAGE to fight poverty among themselves.
He said besides generating income, the groups will enable the elderly to network and support each other.
According to the implementers of the programme, the older persons can access the grant in groups of 5 to 10 people and each group will be given Shs 5mln which they can invest in projects like, poultry, piggery and others.
Officials from the Ministry of Labour, Gender and Social Development together with the community development officers will be monitoring the groups to make sure that the funds are properly put to use.
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