PHOTO: Rt Hon Speaker of Parliament Anita Among arrives at Ngariam County in Katakwi District accompanied by ministers and MPs.
NEWS EDITOR MEDIA
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ON SATURDAY January 28, 2023, Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among, the Speaker of Parliament was joined by senior cabinet ministers and over 100 Members of Parliament on the invitation of State Minister for Sports Peter Egwang to spearhead a fundraising drive for women saving groups in Ngariam, Katakwi district.
At a clourful function attended by Government Chiefwhip Hon. Hamson Obua, Health Minister Ruth Jane Acheng and others, Speaker Anita Among contributed UGX 120M for the Ngariam women SACCOs.
“I want to thank the people of Ngariam for the love, gifts and solidarity. I urge all the Leaders from Teso to unite and use the opportunities available to push for the development of the region.” Said 11th Parliament Speaker Anita Among.
Addressing hundreds of people who gathered to welcome her in Katakwi district, Speaker Anita said there is need to extend financial literacy to saving groups and Saccos before funds are injected.
This, she argues, increases the capacity of such groups to innovate ways through which they can increase return on investment.
Madam Speaker said it is absurd that a lot of money has been lost in the hands of savings groups because beneficiaries lack capacity and skills to start and successfully operate income generating activities.
“We need to furnish these savings groups with financial literacy, business and life skills first. With this knowledge, our women will be able to borrow from pooled savings and start income generating activities,” she said, urging leaders to join hands and work together to address community challenges, especially those related to women and children to improve livelihoods.
Thanking Speaker Anita for her generocity, Ms. Mary Akol, one of the beneficiaries, said the initiative, “will enable me to get a small loan to start up a business”, given that accessing loans from big institutions is prohibitively expensive for the poor.
Eteru Otai Julius tweeted that, “Oh thanks for that volatile,rare and productive move you did today. It passed a strong message about the beauty and the weight of the NRM Govt. For us we came with the Serere team to show solidarity with the sister District.”
President Museveni has variously challenged Ugandans to use Saccos as a pillar through which they can pool resources as well as using them as channels to accelerate government programmes such Parish Development Model.
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