BY MICHAEL THEMBO MUHAYIRWA
The Assistant Resident District Commissioner for Kasese, Mr. Tien Tsongo has called for the proper use of funds given to people by government to help them eradicate poverty from their families.
Mr. Tsongo says much as government through the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga programmes has given money to a section of citizens in form of a loan, the funds should be used for the purpose for which they were meant but not becoming a major cause of domestic violence in some families.
He sounded the remarks yesterday while officially closing a one – day community dialogue meeting for the religious, cultural and political leaders from Kitswamba Town Council, Busongora County North in Kasese district, a function that was held at Confidential Gardens.
The dialogue on Gender Based Violence was organized by the Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu Ministry of Gender, Rehabilitation and Disability Affairs with funding from the Ugandan Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development with an objective of mobilizing clan leaders, chiefs and religious leaders among other stakeholders to discuss the negative social norms that affect the uptake of Social Reproductive Health and prevent violence against women and girls in communities.
But in his remarks, the Assistant RDC explained that money for the Parish Development Model and Emyooga Programmes was meant to help the people come out of absolute poverty, adding that it should not be used to marry other wives.
He also used the same platform to appeal to the religious leaders to use their different platforms to encourage the population embrace hard work and development.
Hon. Juliet Best Bakoko, the Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu Minister for Gender, Rehabilitation and Disability Affairs, revealed that the cultural institution’s relationship with government was moving on well as manifested by the funding from government to sensitize the residents about the need to fight against Gender Based Violence.
She also courted the parents to educate their children and nurture them well with the required discipline.
She was optimistic that through Embaali Ya’Nyabaghole, one of the programmes of Rwenzururu Nyabaghole Foundation for Development (RWENFOD), the youth would be invited together so that they are trained the good cultural values and norms as well as the good methods of preparing food.
Ms Anifa Kabugho, the Chairperson for the Women Council in Kitswamba Town Council, who was among the participants, attributed the low levels of education in the urban centre to men, arguing that they were no longer minding about their children’s education.
ENDS