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Kabarole, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | At least 4,212 elderly persons from Kabarole district have so far been shortlisted to benefit from the Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment, a government initiative that extends financial support to senior citizens.
The Social Assistance Grants for Empowerment (SAGE) was introduced as a pilot project in 2010 under the Expanding Social Protection (ESP) programme, specifically targeting labour-constrained individuals and households. Each beneficiary receives a monthly stipend of 25,000 Shillings.
Kabarole was not on the list of initial districts where the project was implemented. However, the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development Frank Tumwebaze says that the district has since been added to the list of beneficiaries and the process to identify persons who qualify for the grant is underway.
Tumwebaze was speaking at the official launch of the programme at the district headquarters in Kitumba on Thursday. Tumwebaze added that 107 billion Shillings has been budgeted for the SAGE programme in the next financial year.
However, the Kabarole district chairperson Richard Rwabuhinga requested for transport facilitation for the Community Development Officers – CDOs who will be in charge of the programme in order to ensure that all persons who qualify for the grant are able to access it in time.
The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Gender, James Ebitu said that they are going to provide motorcycles to every district to enable the CDOs to perform their duties.
In 2010, the government started the SAGE programme that supports older persons above the age of 80 to enable them to meet some basic needs. The programme was being implemented in 47 districts countrywide and in Rwenzori sub-region, it was only implemented in Kasese, Kyegegwa and Kyenjojo districts.
According to the Social Development Sector review report, the SAGE programme has since its inception benefited 178,984 out of the targeted 194,808 older persons by the end of the last financial year.
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