The Third Deputy Prime Minister of Uganda and Minister without Portfolio, Rt. Hon Nakadama Rukia Isanga has applauded the Women Initiatives in Poverty Eradication (WIPE–UGANDA), a nonprofit organization working towards women empowerment, education and livelihood promotion, Health and Nutrition, Water and Sanitation(WASH), Gender and Protection , for transforming communities in Busoga sub-region.
Nakadama was the Chief Guest at the WIPE – UGANDA’s Women’s Parliament held at Buwera Church of Uganda Primary School in Buwenge Town Council, Jinja District on Tuesday as the organization ended activities for the year 2023.
‘’As Government, we indeed appreciate the great work done by WIPE – Uganda; 7 years down the road in transforming the Community’s perception of the socio-economic and political role of the female gender in transforming the society’s well being hence contributing to National Development. Busoga region has indeed felt this impact.You may all be aware that today as WIPE-Uganda is celebrating its 7yrs battle against gender based Violence, the vice is still common in this region of Busoga especially against the Girl-Child, Women and PWD’s. Cases of early pregnancies are also on the rise to the tune of 3,819 girls per year’’, Nakadama said in a message delivered to the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Jinja District, Mr Richard Gulume.
Nakadama noted that the districts of Kamuli, Iganga and Mayuge have been reported taking a lead for parents not providing the basic school requirements hence forcing young girls to accept favors from the lustful men and thereby escalating the menace.
‘’ Cognizant of the prevailing challenge, I therefore with to recommend the following remedies;I call upon WIPE – Uganda to integrate into your program of supporting the teenage mothers; the item of sensitizing young girls who are falling victims of this crime on how to defend and guard against this vice; Teach them to use the advantage of the current digital era to record evidences of all the related cases for ease of police and court investigations; I call upon our police to always speed up their investigations to minimize on the cases that perish in their files before being presented to courts of law; and Parents should also desist from using younger girls as properties to accumulate wealthy’’, added Nakadama.
She added that the Government of the Republic of Uganda, under the visionary leadership of H.E Y.K Museveni is rolling out different development programs as promised in our NRM Manifesto, such as PDM and Emyooga. She urged the young people in Busoga to enroll in these programs, get capital to generate income instead of wasting time and life with useless Sugar Daddies.
Speaking at the event, Owek. Rtn. Mutesi Deborah Christine Magezi , the Executive Director WIPE – UGANDA said organization has associated with the community and invested in various projects including; Skilling where women are shriving, working and they are no longer dependents on men after acquiring practical skills which have changed the taste of family hood.
Mutesi said financial literacy through Savings and follow ups where Women have started making tangible profits in business projects like making Soap, Making Shampoo, Baking Bread and many others and acquired knowledge on sustaining business and saving for the future, has transformed lives through Sensitization using programs like Men Engage, Women Parliament, Budgetary Committee, and Cinema Show.
‘’Under sensitization we have a couple of projects including Men Engage, Women Parliament, Budgetary Committees and Cinema Shows to engage the communities in getting feedback. Men Engage is an activity organized thrice in a year to involve men in the fight against Gender Based Violence. In addition to this we organize the Women Parliament, a platform for the women to share ideas and get solutions on challenging issues that is organized thrice a year. The Budgetary committee and Cinema shows are organized weekly in our daily visits to the women groups. These have bridged the communication gap between the communities and the implementers of policies’’, said Mutesi.
She added that the organization has managed to maintain the daily Activities in the community including Financial Literacy, Follow-ups, kept the promise to impact the community on Mindset change and development programs , and also managed to grow together with the community and supported those in need.
‘’As the close of 2023, we have a lot pending completion and we have set ourselves targets in 2024 to complete all our pending tasks and improve on the mode of operation in our projects including ; Men Gather, The Parent I Need, Gomesi Project, Monitoring Gov’t Programs In Partnership With Baba Tv and the Ongoing Projects will be Continued’’, added Mutesi.
She asked the government of Uganda to work with a civil society organization working with the local communities in implementing these programs because they are drivers of development in the community especially Parish Development Model (PDM).
‘’ We are also asking the government to sieve out officials who are conniving with criminals to conceal cases related to gender based Violence. Because we have found that a people especially the women who report cases related to gender based violence fail to get justice due to corruption and connivance of the concerned organs .Lastly to the men and women, we should know that a strong family is strong society that builds a strong community and that’s the country we live and we shall live in. Let’s desist from petty issues that break up your family, whenever you break up with the partner you have the most affected are the children to be affected and we carry off a spoilt society yet we as parents contributed more in it’’.
Seven years back an idea became reality when WIPE UGANDA was formed with a cardinal task to empower women socially and economically, promoting self-reliance and self-sustainability.
The event was also attended by Dr. Rev. Abel Wankuuma Kibedi, Members of Parliament, Security and Political officials , members of Civil Society Organizations , Women activist , local leaders and Women leaders.