Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE) programme is a government of Uganda program supported by UK Aid and Irish Aid. The programme is intended to extend financial support to senior citizens above 65 years in a bid to minimize vulnerability, poverty, and inequality. Each beneficiary receives 25,000 shillings, so far the programme covers about 150,000 people in 40 districts up from pilot 15 districts in 2013. Over 150 billion has been given out since the Program’s inception.
Some of the beneficiaries in Napak district registered life touching stories. The money has improved access to basic necessities like food, shelter, education, scholastic materials for their children, investment in their livestock and land in addition to improved hygiene. Despite the increasing demand from the program, plans to roll out the entire programme to the entire country were curtailed by limited funding by the government which acted as a matching ground for donor funds. The government is expected to contribute 149 billion compared to over 273 billion by donors in the next Financial Year. Dignitaries from the Irish Aid Secretariat led by Irish Ambassador to Uganda Donal Cronin were in the country to assess the impact of the SAGE Programme in transforming people’s lives.
The team visited beneficiaries in Nawaikoreti village, Nawaikoreti parish, Ngorarwayeti sub-county in Napak district. Impressed with the testimonies of the beneficiaries, the Irish government pledged to continue with the support towards the expansion of the programme. “...the payment is set at 25,000 shillings and we are trying to ensure that as many people are captured in the system as possible. By capturing, by registering, by getting people into the system we will be now able to see how the programme can roll and can expand.” Said, Donal Cronin. “This is a very important opportunity for me to see how that money has been spent on the ground and to see the impact it makes on people’s lives here. And was particularly important to come to Karamoja because so much of our funding is spent here Karamoja.” 74.2% of the Karamojongs live below the poverty line far above 19.7% National average. The Deputy Head Expanding Social Security Protection Unit Beatrice Okila said the government had to increase funding for the programme. This however will be expanded in phases depending on the availability of resources. 55 districts were expected to be covered next.
