President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and First Lady Janet Museveni have criticized parents who fail to provide lunch for their children in government-aided schools while complaining about school-arranged meals.
The President and First Lady stressed that such neglect harms students' performance and causes significant setbacks in their education.
Their remarks came during the closing of the Buganda Mother's Union's annual four-day conference at Timnah International Schools in Luwero Diocese.
The event, which began on August 29, brought together women from six dioceses: Luwero, Namirembe, Central Buganda, Kampala, Mukono, West Buganda, and Mityana.
Bishop Wilson Kisekka of Luwero Diocese urged the government to create more opportunities for women and ensure equitable service delivery to combat persistent poverty in the region.
Josephine Kasaato, President of the Mother's Union Buganda, updated President Museveni and his wife on the conference's themes, which centered on promoting farming practices aligned with Christian values and enhancing the value of agricultural products to improve livelihoods.
She also highlighted challenges in implementing poverty eradication strategies and appealed for government support of at least Shs 500 million.
"We plan to acquire various machines necessary to enhance the value of different agricultural products, including briquettes-making machines, grain milling machines, and sandal-making machines. We kindly request your support," Kasaato stated.
In response, President Museveni urged mothers to engage actively in government development programs like Emyooga and the Parish Development Model, emphasizing that these initiatives offer financial resources to improve livelihoods and support their children.
He also pledged Shs. 500 million to assist the Mother's Union in its poverty eradication efforts and promised to provide a coaster to enhance the organization's mobility.
Museveni emphasized the importance of setting a positive example through agriculture, advocating for the adoption of the 4-acre model of farming, which supports both subsistence and commercial farming to boost food security and economic opportunities.
"You cannot be a shining light in your village when you are poor and sickly. This should be a mission of Christians; you should be an example in everything, including the welfare of your families. The government has already put programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga in place--use them," Museveni said.
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First Lady Janet Museveni, who also serves as the Minister for Education and Sports, appealed to mothers to maintain a prayerful attitude and create a supportive environment for their children. She highlighted the importance of teaching integrity and honesty to develop strong character in the next generation.
Janet Museveni also addressed the issue of hunger in government-aided primary schools, urging mothers to prepare simple lunches to help mitigate its impact on students' academic performance.
"Many of those children drop out of school, and that is why I am directly appealing to the mothers: every mother who has a child going to a universal education school must take responsibility to ensure that their child will pack lunch to take to school. You can pack just two eggs and a bottle of milk," Janet Museveni said.
She commended the Mother's Union for its achievements, particularly its role in saving many marriages, but voiced concern over rising teenage pregnancies and called on mothers to take active roles in addressing this issue.
The theme of the conference, "Let us thrive to work so that we don't become problems to the community," reflects the organization's commitment to self-reliance and community improvement.
