KAMPALA, UGANDA – President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and First Lady Janet Museveni have pledged financial and logistical support to the Teso Widows Development Initiative, an organization dedicated to empowering 36,000 widows in the Teso Region.
The President, who serves as the initiative’s patron, hosted members at his country home in Irenga, Ntungamo District.2 The group presented a memorandum requesting support for the establishment of a technical institute to provide essential skills to disadvantaged children.
In response, President Museveni committed 600 million Ugandan shillings to establish the institute. The funding will cover books, laboratory instruments, and operational costs for the first two years. He also pledged 100 million shillings to help the group create a Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO) to provide soft loans for its members.
To further assist the initiative, Museveni promised to donate a pickup truck and a bus for transportation.
The First Lady, who is also the Minister of Education and Sports, praised the group’s efforts and encouraged them to focus on a culture of saving.
Citing an example of a successful women’s group in Bangladesh, she urged the widows to prioritize saving a portion of their earnings each week or month, with the goal of one day establishing their own bank.
Members of the initiative expressed gratitude to the President for his support, stating, “You have changed our name from the mothers of problems to mothers of blessings.” They also thanked the First Lady for her contributions to entrepreneurship training for marginalized groups.
