Elderly persons benefiting from the Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE) programme in Yumbe District have petitioned government to increase the money given to them from the Shs25,000 to Shs100,000 to cater for the increasing cost of living.

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Speaking during the visit of the State Minister for the Elderly Affairs, Mr Mafaabi Gidudu, in Midigo Town Council on Wednesday, Mr Ahumed Aliga Ujhoku, the chairperson for the elderly in the district, said: “We are experiencing high prices of commodities in the country. The Shs25,000 can’t do anything tangible in this season where prices of all the commodities have gone very high.”

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Mr Mursali Adronga, a beneficiary of the programme, said money has lost its value.
“I have been using the SAGE money to pay school fees for my children but prices of commodities have gone high. Schools have also hiked school fees. We request the government to increase the money to at least Shs50,000 or Shs100,000 per month,’’ he said.

Ms Neisha Drabo, another beneficiary, said: “Through this money, I have bought some animals and I use part of it to buy things like sugar, soap, food items and medication since I don’t have any other means of earning money. If it is increased, this will make our lives better.”
The district chairperson, Mr Abdulmutwalib Asiku, said about 7,000 elders have benefited from the programme in the district in the last nine years now. 
He said Shs18 billion has been injected into this programme and the money has improved the livelihood of the elders in the district to some extent.

“Since this money is paid after every three months, there is need for the elders to plan to not only use the money for consumptive expenditure but also to see what specific investments they can put up,” he said.
Ms Catherine Mavenjina, the Member of Parliament representing Elders in Northern Region, said they have formulated a Bill appealing to government to reduce the SAGE beneficiary age from 80 years and increase the amount of money for the elders.
“In northern Uganda, many people die before reaching the age of 80 years, so for that matter, we are saying the age be reduced to at least 70 years. We also want the money to be increased from Shs25,000 to either Shs 100,000 or Shs50, 000.”

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Mr Gidudu told the elders to be innovative and plan well for the money well.
“When you lower the age, you must have the money and lowering the age creates a big number of people and it depends on the budget. For us to increase the money, we need to be more productive to get the money to give the people,” he said.
The minister revealed that the development partners, who have been helping them under the programme, are expected to withdraw in June but said it doesn’t mean that the programme will end.
BACKGROUND
Government introduced the SAGE programme in Yumbe in 2013 and targeted older persons above 65 years.
The beneficiary age was later changed to 80 when the programme was rolled out to other districts in the country.