Rights body tracks Gov't poverty interventions

Dec 15, 2016

The action follows FHRI’s thematic report titled; “Human Rights and Poverty in Uganda” launched in December 2015.

President Yoweri  Museveni   and Rosemary Nakale in her coffee and bean plantation during the  national poverty alleviation door to door program in Luweero recently. Photo by Richard Sanya

 

By Eddie Ssemakula

Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI), a Kampala based civil society organization, has heightened efforts in tracking poverty alleviation programs executed by Government.

Speaking at the validation meeting in Kampala in response to a baseline survey carried out in Namutumba and Bugiri districts, concerning the effectiveness of the  Youth livelihood program (YLP), FHRI Deputy executive Director, Sheila Muwanga, highlighted the organization's human rights based approach as the basis for the survey.

"The human rights approach is the best way to overcome poverty," she said.

Emphasizing the human rights based approach to fighting poverty, Roselyn Karugonjo, a penal reform international activist and lawyer, also delivered the justification for the same approach. 

"The implementation of Human Rights represents standards. We need to be treated with dignity; a good government has to provide basic needs to its people. Poverty is the biggest violation of human rights," she noted.

Between August 22 and 26, 2016, FHRI, with support from Democratic Governance Facility (DGF) embarked on a baseline survey in the districts of Bugiri and Namutumba, with a goal of proposing policy actions for integrating a human rights based approach (in line with international human rights standards.) in government programmes that eradicate extreme poverty.

The action follows FHRI's thematic report titled; "Human Rights and Poverty in Uganda" launched in December 2015.

For the survey, the Youth livelihood program (YLP) was chosen as a programme of focus. The programme intends to respond to the youth unemployment problem that currently stands at 65%.

According to a state of Uganda population report, Namutumba and Bugiri are situated in the second poorest region in Uganda in the Eastern region.   

Among others, FHRI recommended training of beneficiaries, re-strategizing the recovery process, combating corruption, evaluation of area group sizes, and sufficient facilitation of Community development officers, as a way forward.

The participants requested FHRI to carry out empowerment sessions to enable the rights holders and duty bearers maximize the development programmes.

On a whole, FHRI also applauded YLP's adherence to Human rights based approaches to development highlighting, participation, accountability, inclusion levels, provision of capital, among others called upon the responsible stakeholders  to address gaps especially in the monitoring and evaluation process so that the programme achieves its aims and in turn leads to respect of human rights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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