Gov't developing social protection policy

By John Agaba           

The ministry of gender labour and social development is developing a framework — a social protection policy — which, upon completion, will provide an outline for extending aid to the largely marginalized and vulnerable lot in society.

James Ssembatya Kaboggoza, the assistant commissioner for children affairs, addressing social workers at the World Social Work Day celebrations at Hotel Africana in Kampala Tuesday, said the policy (in its final stages) will target addressing concerns of the elderly, persons with disabilities, little people, among other vulnerable groups, to “streamline social protection in Uganda”.

He said “we want to bridge all the gaps: provide the youth with job opportunities; women with avenues they can utilize to better themselves; and persons with disabilities help so they can live a normal life.”

“We want a formal policy of addressing challenges of the elderly, the albinos and teenage girls,” the assistant commissioner said at the function organized by the Uganda Social Workers Association.

Mondo Kyateka, the commissioner for children and youth affairs, also mentioned that the ministry was through mapping a child protection strategy that will aim at strengthening child protection systems and the family to better provide for the children.

At the meeting, attended by majority youth and social workers, USWA’s president, Charles Draecabo, called for professionalization of social work in Uganda and ensuring a code of conduct for all social workers.

Charles Tuhaise, a principal research officer (Uganda Parliament), called for a legal framework in social work practice.

He said: “We need to have the profession (social work) protected. And just like lawyers have a bar course to introduce them to the practice, professionals of social work need to have an extra viable training introducing them to the sets of skills and competencies that define who a social worker is.”

Justus Katwesigye decried the lack of enough qualified social work tutors and lecturers in Ugandan Universities, which he said was lugging behind the profession (of social work).

The state minister for the elderly and persons with disabilities, Sulaiman Madada, welcomed the social workers plea to have their profession streamlined. He admitted that professionalization of the sector would close some “wide” gaps in the role of social work in social development. 

“We are entering into a new national development agenda (2015/2016). And we need to generate information to address these gaps. We need to know the do’s and don’ts of social workers,” he said.