First Lady urges UWESO to support refugees

The First Lady and founder of Uganda Women's Efforts to Save Orphans (UWESO), Janet Kataaha Museveni has launched a new project funded by the UAE with the aim of advancing rights and opportunities for children in Uganda.

The two-year project will serve in Isingiro and Mbarara focusing on the children in the refugee camps and host communities. This was during the UWESO General Assembly that convened at Masuliita children's village.

"I am happy to note that this project will go to refugees because the day we got this funding, is the day Uganda was trying to consolidate support for the refugees. I am happy to be here to launch this project that will support the refugees, we wish it to make a difference in the life of life these communities"," she said.

The First Lady urged the leaders of UWESO to think of extending support to the refugee communities, adding that this would help to make a difference in the country and would also attract funding for to UWESO because of their good methods of work..

"When I watch the refugee community especially in Africa, I wish UWESO had taken the decision to support refugees because there was a time when Ugandans were refugees. My family and I were once refugees and we were taken care of very well by our host country," she said.

Mrs Museveni also called upon the UWESO leaders to create a skills development area in Masuliita that would help skill the unemployed youths in the region and create for them jobs.

She further encouraged the women to keep serving vulnerable children, adding that they were a vessel that the Lord was using to reach out to the helpless. "The blessings that you give to others, God gives them back to you in Africa, not so many people want to serve other people. There are people who are able to help, but they don't think of helping, so the poor remain poor and the rich remain rich which has created a gap that we must fill","she said.

The Founder and Patron of UWESO also thanked NAADS for offering to partner with them and hoped that with their help, they would be able to multiply and increase their service to the vulnerable groups.