Nsubuga is Katanga's hope for the jobless

Aug 29, 2012

KATANGA, one of Kampala’s biggest and oldest slums houses the poorest of the poor. There is poverty and then there is Katanga.

KATANGA, one of Kampala’s biggest and oldest slums houses the poorest of the poor. There is poverty and then there is Katanga. 
 
The mud-and-wattle houses are probably closer to each other than the furniture in your house.  Although located next to the city centre, renting a single room costs sh20,000 a month. Orphans, street children, the destitute, and all epitome of poverty live here.
 
Like many slums in Uganda, it is characterised by filth, congestion, unplanned shanty structures, poor sanitation and lack of basic social services. Stretching about 1.5 kilometres from Wandegeya, Katanga’s approximately 16,000 dwellers are part of two million slum dwellers in Uganda. Out of this total only 13.9% slum dwellers have access to piped water and toilet facilities.
 
The majority of inhabitants are uneducated, unemployed and poor. Odd and casual jobs are their major sources of income. This includes sweeping roads, food vending, hawking and prostitution.
 
A single spring provides water for the whole community. Mwana Mboka, one of the residents who was born and still lives in Katanga says water is not available and if it were, it would be far too expensive. 
 
A few months ago there were two springs but the other, according to Mboka was contaminated with human waste.  “Sometimes you can see water come out with human waste,” he says. 
 
Since the slum is in a valley, all gutter flow from Mulago, Makerere, Nakasero ends in Katanga springs.  There is hardly any money for food, which makes boiling water uncommon.
 
Edward Nsubuga has lived here all his life. The needs of people in the community compelled him to start Mulago Hospital Youth 
 
Development Organisation (MHYDO), a project meant to develop youth in the slum areas around Mulago. “I have grown up around Mulago and Katanga and have witnessed what the people in my community go through every day,” he says.
 
He adds that there are many orphans living with their grandparents. In 2002, Nsubuga and fellow slum dwellers did not have any land or capital to start their business, but had a plan to make a change. 
 
Since they were living near Mulago Hospital, they asked its management to allocate them vacant land so they could start activities that would provide employment for the uneducated youth. 
 
Ten years later, there are over 1,000 residents, who have been involved in the different income-generating projects under MHYDO.
 
There are five boda boda stages, a car wash bay and restaurants. Some people sell plant while others sell coffins. MHYDO has sewing machines, which a few of the women use to make school uniforms.
 
“Boys who start by washing cars pick interest in driving and end up becoming professional drivers. While women who work in restaurants start their own food businesses,” he explains.
 
Initiatives 
 
Rhino Boxing Club is another MHYDO project. The club has leisure activities like boxing to keep its members busy. Mude Ntambi is one of its managers. 
 
The club also caters for women and children. It has existed since 2008. 
 
Challenges 
 
MHYDO has not gone on without enough shares of challenges. Water and electricity are still expensive.  There also land issues with Mulago management seeing that the land belongs to the hospital. 
 
Since then management has changed and it is hard for the new comers to handle issues the same way as the predecessors did. MHYDO does not have any support from organisations or institutions. 
 
The only support comes from a former resident  of Katanga living in Sweden.  “We need better structures, restaurants, bars, washing bays so that more people can get jobs,” Ntambi says.
 
Beneficiaries speak out
 
This project has helped a number of people earn a living. These include Dan Ssengendo, Justine Tendo and Ibra Kasango. Ssengendo, who has been running a phone accessories shop has MHYDO to acknowledge  for sustaining his family of nine children.
 
“I have a source of income, my children have what to eat and can go to school,” Ssengendo says. Justine Tendo, a single mother of says: “I sell water, register cars being washed and collect money from public toilets.”
 
Kasango, who retired from the army, is one of those who washes cars for a living. “I can support my wife and three children thanks to MHYDO,” he says.
 
Leaders speak out
 
Katanga’s LC 1 chairperson, Kassim Musoke says the Government should give slum Dwellers soft loans to start income generating projects. 
 
He adds that only the Government’s interventions can change conditions in slums and not just NGOs. Mubarak Munyagwa, the Kawempe division mayor says they have plans to improve the livelihood of slum dwellers.  This involves starting income-generating activities.

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