GOVERNMENT TO ROLL OUT INTEGRATED SOCIAL PROTECTION PROGRAM (ISPP) TO REPLACE NUTRICASH

Operations officer expanding social protection programme at Ministry of gender labour and social development Francis Tahinduka speaking at the closure of Nutricash in Arua. Photo by Morish Dramadri

By Morish Dramadri

Arua city

Government of Uganda through the ministry of gender labour and social development is planning to roll out a new program aimed at substituting the two year malnutrition fighting Nutricash program that has come to an end in West Nile.

The program that was launched in 2021 targeted children under the age of two, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in West Nile and has seen over 1000 women in Arua city and district empowered with financial literacy, nutrition among others giving them about 48,000 shillings monthly.

Speaking at the official closing ceremony of the Nutricash program in Arua district on Monday November 11, 2024, Francis Tahinduka the operations officer of expanding social protection program at ministry of gender labour and social development revealed that though the Nutricash funding from World Food Programme (WFP) and the government of Sweden has come to an end, government is set to roll out a new program in January 2025 to replace Nutricash.

“As this program funding is ending, we are still working with partners on another successor program, Integrated Social Protection Program (ISPP) building on this program that has successfully been implemented, the donors realized that people who represented Uganda did a very good job and said we are committing some money to scale up, and so we are in the design of that program we hope next year 2025 that program will be rolled out to different districts in the country,” Tahinduka disclosed.

According to the 2021 Food and Nutrition Assessment, nearly 3 out of every 10 children in West Nile are stunted, 50% children and a quarter of women suffering anemia. This was mainly attributed to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and influence of the refugees in the region.

Francis however warned the beneficiaries of the Nutricash program to utilize the knowledge instilled in them to benefit from other programs.

“We who have been in this program when your savings are transferred into your accounts do not just pick the money and use it in other things, make sure that money remains, start from there and grow that money, lend it to yourselves, make some profits so that when you are also applying for the GROW program, they say you already have experience in lending and borrowing, the financial literacy you have got should not go to waste,” Francis cautioned.
 
 

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