Frank Mugabi
24 July 2007
Kampala — THE Ministry of Gender has received sh5b from the United States Agency for International Development for orphans and vulnerable children. The Minister of State for Youth and Children Affairs, James Kinobe, said the money would be used to improve the welfare of the beneficiaries.
He noted that the number of orphans would increase to two million, half of whom are a result of HIV/Aids. The minister expressed concern that more elderly people were likely to take care of orphans because of the high population growth rate and life expectancy.
"Statistics indicate that we shall have more old people because our life expectancy is now at 51.4years. This is why we need a special policy to assist the elderly who look after orphans," he said on Thursday.
This was at the commissioning of Trans Psychosocial Organisation, a technical support organisation which received sh545m to guide districts in the West Nile region on how to help orphans and vulnerable children.
Other support organisations include the World Vision partnering with Pathfinder, Africare, Save the Children and Accord.
They will operate in the north, central, western and south-western zones.
The Uganda Women's Effort to Save Orphans will operate in the east, while the Uganda Programme Implementation Management and Counsel Centre will work in the east-central region.
Each organisation received sh500m to ensure that the lives of orphans and vulnerable children are improved.
Kinobe cautioned the support organisations against extorting money from children as a precondition for them to benefit from the project.
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