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. 

“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.” By Robert Elema, Daily Monitor