Arua RDC uses NGOs to fight poverty
Oct 16, 2008
BEING a war-affected area, the north is awash with NGOs, some of which have been criticised for doing little to help the needy, given their huge budgets.
By Frank Mugabi
BEING a war-affected area, the north is awash with NGOs, some of which have been criticised for doing little to help the needy, given their huge budgets.
In Arua, the resident district commissioner, Maj. Ibrahim Abiriga, is taking advantage of the NGOs to run a special drive to “pro-actively†eradicate poverty among Arua municipality settlers.
The project, code-named “Poverty Eradication in the RDC’s officeâ€, is being funded by NGOs operating in the northern district.
“Many people are living in abject poverty yet we have so many NGOs,†Abiriga pointed out.
“I decided to invite the NGOs for a meeting and requested them to support me pro-actively fight poverty, which they agreed to,†Abiriga said.
With funds raised in just one month, the RDC on Tuesday handed over 20 sewing machines to women from various divisions in the municipality.
Some of the machines were donated to Arua modern tailoring school, which trains teenage girls.
Asina Drileba, an instructor at the school, said with the donation, they would be able to enroll more students.
This was the second time sewing machines were being distributed under the RDC’s initiative.
He said they were bought with sh11m from the German Development Agency.
“I am expecting more donations from The Netherlands Development Organisation, the British Embassy and CEFORD, who promised me carpentry and wielding machines,†Abiriga said.
BEING a war-affected area, the north is awash with NGOs, some of which have been criticised for doing little to help the needy, given their huge budgets.
In Arua, the resident district commissioner, Maj. Ibrahim Abiriga, is taking advantage of the NGOs to run a special drive to “pro-actively†eradicate poverty among Arua municipality settlers.
The project, code-named “Poverty Eradication in the RDC’s officeâ€, is being funded by NGOs operating in the northern district.
“Many people are living in abject poverty yet we have so many NGOs,†Abiriga pointed out.
“I decided to invite the NGOs for a meeting and requested them to support me pro-actively fight poverty, which they agreed to,†Abiriga said.
With funds raised in just one month, the RDC on Tuesday handed over 20 sewing machines to women from various divisions in the municipality.
Some of the machines were donated to Arua modern tailoring school, which trains teenage girls.
Asina Drileba, an instructor at the school, said with the donation, they would be able to enroll more students.
This was the second time sewing machines were being distributed under the RDC’s initiative.
He said they were bought with sh11m from the German Development Agency.
“I am expecting more donations from The Netherlands Development Organisation, the British Embassy and CEFORD, who promised me carpentry and wielding machines,†Abiriga said.