The Chief Administrative Officer Kasese District Local Government, Mr. Byamungu Elias convened a meeting with Kahokya widows yesterday 22nd February 2023 at St. Johns COU, Kahokya.
According to Mr. Byamungu Elias, his agenda of meeting with widows who lost their husbands to armed conflicts, poaching and other effects of the war was to see how their livelihoods can be supported under programs of Government.
Mr. Byamungu said that he was overwhelmed by the report he received from the community leaders indicating such a big number of 90 widows in just a Subcounty and even got more surprised to meet over 150 widows in the meeting.
He asked the Ag. Subcounty Chief , Mr. Muke Selevano to work with office of the District Community Development Officer to organize the widows in groups through which they can be supported under different programs of Government.
He committed to submit their groups to the Office of the Prime Minister for support under Rwenzori Luwero Development Program and asked them to also positively utilize other government initiatives like Parish development model to improve their livelihoods.
The over 150 widows who attended the meeting cried out for support from government to improve their income to support raise their Children who need school fees.
Biira Yodesi a widow of 38 years who lost her husband in 2010 said that her husband’s family chased her from her land with her 7 children. she added that she is struggling to raise the young children from her parents home and she is facing the biggest challenge of school fees. She appealed to government for support to buy some goats which she can be grazing and raise some funds to support her children.
According to the life stories of the widows shared in the meeting , a big number of them have additionally undergone gender Based Violence after the death of their husbands and have either been displaced from their land to their parents homes with their children.
The Chief Administrative Officer committed gave a word of comfort and assured them of his commitment to lobby for support from the Office of the Prime Minister under the Luwero Rwenzori Micro Development Program.
The end .
