Coca-Cola Foundation Contributes Shs560 Million to ChildFund to Empower Women and Youth in Lango and Teso
ChildFund Uganda, with assistance from the Coca-Cola Foundation, has developed the "Women and Youth Economic Empowerment" (WYEE) project, which aims to provide women and youth with sustainable skills.
ChildFund Uganda, with assistance from the Coca-Cola Foundation, has developed the “Women and Youth Economic Empowerment” (WYEE) project, which aims to provide women and youth with sustainable skills.
ChildFund Uganda’s Director of Programs and Sponsorship, Dr. Charles Luwaga, said on Friday that they had received $150,000 (about Shs560m) from the Coca-Cola Foundation to fund the 15-month programme.
The goal of the initiative is to empower 400 women and youths in the districts of America, Katakwi, Serere, and Dokolo.
According to Dr. Luwaga, the focus would be on enhancing the well-being of women and youth through sustainable livelihoods and wealth development possibilities.
ChildFund Uganda Programs and Sponsorship Director Dr. Charles Luwaga
“Child Fund Uganda, a non-governmental organization that focuses on children, thinks that empowering women would improve the well-being of the children in this lovely country. “The Women and Youth Empowerment initiative is a customized intervention based on skill development, best practices for environmental sustainability, and economic diversification for the participants,” he stated, adding:
This initiative is projected to improve their families’ and communities’ economic well-being and quality of life.
Mr. Moses Otai, ChildFund’s country director, commended the Coca-Cola Foundation for heeding their call to aid teen moms in this nation as he announced the program.
“ChildFund looks forward to collaborating with more corporate sector partners to sustainably serve more communities and families,” he said.
The average monthly household income in the targeted districts is below the national average of UGX 443,000, he observed.
Moses Otai
ChildFund will cooperate with many partners and stakeholders at all levels to guarantee the successful implementation of the project, he stated.
“These include local implementing partners, such as the Lango Child and Community Development Federation, and partners for children worldwide situated in operation districts. I truly believe it is the responsibility of every Ugandan to combat teen pregnancy in this lovely nation.”
According to Otai, ChildFund aims to ensure that no generation is lost due to adolescent pregnancies and that these girls are supported since “educating a girl is educating a nation.”
Consequently, the fund will raise over $40 million over the next five years to assist over 4,1 million children and keep girls in school.
Otai termed Coca-Cola Foundation’s contribution as timely coming from a socially responsible and responsive business partner, stating that this project meets the important requirements of disadvantaged populations by providing them with the necessary knowledge and resources.
Saadia Madsbjerg, president of The Coca-Cola Foundation, stated, “We are happy to support initiatives that strengthen community resilience, with a particular emphasis on women and youth.” We look forward to hearing remarkable success and optimism stories.”
Why are there Teso and Lango subregions?
According to ChildFund, the districts of north-eastern Uganda have some of the lowest human development indicators and poverty rates.
Included in these districts are Dokolo in the Lango subregion and Amuria, Katakwi, and Serere in the Teso subregion.
The average monthly household income in the subregion of Lango is 370 thousand dollars. 97 Uganda shillings ($97), while the Teso sub-is region’s 94 Uganda shillings ($357,000).
According to the Serere District Development plan II (2019/2020), an alarming sixty percent of the district’s population is living in abject poverty, with food insecurity, counterfeit agricultural inputs, climate change, pests and diseases to blame.
The district local government only provided for 720 of the more than 100,000 farmers living in Soroti District (Soroti District development plan 2019/2020).
According to the State of Uganda’s population report (2018), agriculture is the foundation of Uganda’s economy. Because it employs over 80% of Uganda’s labor force, it gives a huge opportunity for eradicating poverty.
In the Lango subregion, only 1% of the population had access to extension services, while in the Teso subregion, only 12% did. (2018 UNHS Report)
Why young people?
According to the 2019 UBOS statistics abstract, over one-quarter (23%) of Uganda’s total population consists of individuals aged 18 to 30.
The majority of rural youth have dropped out of school and lack the skills necessary to engage in effective employment projects.
According to the 2017 Education monograph report, the primary school graduation rates for the Lango and Teso sub-regions are 49 and 51%, respectively.
Youths leave school without the skills necessary to engage in non-exploitative, constructive jobs, including agricultural production/farming as a business or employment initiative.
ChildFund observed that the Teso and Lango subregions had a lamentable rate of adolescent pregnancy among the children and teenagers in her program, with the youngest being 13 years old and residing in the Dokolo district.
