Bushenyi women petition government over funds

By Chris Mugasha

A cross section of women leaders in Bushenyi district has petitioned government to expedite the process of allocating money towards women’s associations/groups.

The women said it’s high time for government to start boosting women’s efforts as they try to uplift their standards of living through self-help projects. 

“We are the backbone of the country,” said Nightie Kampororo the chairperson of Bushenyi Development Finance Trust SACCO an initiative of Bushenyi women.

She said efforts by women especially in rural areas to access credit from the financial institutions including SACCOs have remained an uphill task because of lack of things to present as sureties/security.

“Women do not possess land titles which have become a prerequisite for one to access credit,” Kampororo said.

Kampororo was addressing members of the above institution during their annual general meeting at Katungu Mothers’ Union center in Bushenyi town.

Grace Busingye the institution’s manager said that women own accounts but they (accounts) are dormant.  “We are stuck with such accounts,” Busingye said.

The Kakanju and Nyabubare sub counties’ district councilor Peace Tibakuna said if the government releases the fund that was recently announced by President Yoweri Museveni, it would help more women to access credit at a low interest rate. 

While presiding over this year’s international women’s day celebrations in Kabale district, Museveni announced a special fund to enable women access credit.

Tibakuna said due to tough conditions that the financial institutions have put in place, majority of women have resorted to village box saving groups where their money is not secure.

Tibakuna said in some families where a man is expected to provide each and everything, cases of domestic violence has become order of the day.

The institution’s patron who is the minister for security and the Bushenyi district woman MP Mary Karooro Okurut explained that with the president’s pledge, it will empower women to get some capital to invest in some small scale income generating projects based at the home level. 

Karooro said in some families where a woman is able to provide herself some of the basic necessities, there is always peace. She appealed to women to be patient as government puts in place the modalities of implementing the program (women fund).