ChildFund Uganda, with support from the Coca-Cola Foundation, has launched the “Women and Youth Economic Empowerment (WYEE)” project aimed at empowering women and youth with sustainable skills.
Dr Charles Luwaga, the ChildFund Uganda Programs and Sponsorship Director, said Friday that they have received $150,000 (about Shs560m) from the Coca-Cola Foundation to implement the 15-month project.
The project aims at empowering 400 women and youths in the areas of Amuria, Katakwi, Serere, and Dokolo districts.
According to Dr Luwaga, it will be focused on improving the well-being of women and youth through sustainable livelihoods and opportunities for wealth creation.
“Child Fund Uganda being an NGO that deals with children believes empowering women will improve the well-being of the children of this beautiful nation. The Women and Youth Empowerment project is a tailor-made intervention premised on skills development, environmental sustainability best practices, and economic diversification for the participants,” he noted, adding:
“This program is anticipated to improve the economic livelihood and lifestyle of their families and communities.”
While announcing the programme, ChildFund Country Director, Mr Moses Otai, thanked the Coca-Cola Foundation for responding to their cry in helping the teenage mothers of this nation.
“ChildFund looks forward to working with more corporate sector partners to reach more communities and families in a sustainable way,” he said.
“ChildFund understands that the families in these districts have limited economic resources and opportunities, with average monthly household income in the targeted districts being below the national average of UGX 443,000,” he noted.
He said to ensure the successful implementation of the project, ChildFund will collaborate with various partners and stakeholders at different levels.
“These include the local implementing partners such as Lango Child and Community Development Federation and partners for children worldwide based within the districts of operation. I really believe it’s every Ugandan responsibility to ensure that we fight teenage pregnancy in this beautiful nation.”
According to Otai, ChildFund intends to ensure that there is no lost generation by way of adolescent pregnancies and that these girls must be supported because “educating a girl is educating the nation”.
As such, the fund will fundraise about $40m dollars in the next five years to support over 4.1 million children and keep girls in school.
Otai called Coca-Cola Foundation’s support timely from a socially responsible and responsive corporate partner, noting that this project addresses the pertinent needs of vulnerable groups of people by giving them the knowledge and resources they need.
Speaking on the project, The Coca-Cola Foundation President, Saadia Madsbjerg, said: “We are proud to support initiatives that build community resilience, especially with a focus on women and youth. We look forward to hearing inspiring stories of success and hope.”
Why Teso and Lango sub-regions?
According to ChildFund, the Districts of North Eastern Uganda have some of the lowest human development indicators with high poverty levels above the national average.
These districts include Dokolo in the Lango sub-region and Amuria, Katakwi and Serere in the Teso sub-region.
The average monthly household income for the Lango sub-region is 370,000. Uganda shillings ($97) while that for the Teso sub-region is 357,000 Uganda shillings ($94).
The Serere District Development plan II (2019/2020) presents an alarming 60% of its population living in abject poverty, attributing this scenario to food insecurity, counterfeit agricultural inputs, climate change, pests and diseases.
Out of more than 100,000 farmers living in Soroti District, the district local government only provided for 720 (Soroti District development plan 2019/2020).
The State of Uganda’s population report (2018) indicates that ‘agriculture is the core sector of Uganda’s economy. It presents a great opportunity for poverty eradication because it employs over 80% of Uganda’s labour force.
For instance, in the Lango sub-region, only 1% of the community accessed extension services and in the Teso subregion only 12% had access. (UNHS Report 2018).
Why youth?
According to the UBOS statistical abstract 2019, the youth (18-30 years) represent almost one quarter (23%) of the total population in Uganda.
Most of the youths in rural districts have dropped out of school and do not have the appropriate skills to engage in productive employment initiatives.
The Education monograph report 2017 reveals that primary school completion rates in Lango and Teso sub-regions are 49 and 51%, respectively.
The youths leave school with no skills to engage in productive non-exploitative employment including agricultural production/farming as a business or an employment venture.
ChildFund noted that in Teso and Lango subregions experienced a regrettable teenage pregnancy rate among children and youth in her program, with the youngest being 13 years old from Dokolo district.
