Northern Uganda Social Action Fund launches phase IV to tackle poverty
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The Ugandan government launched the fourth phase of the Northern Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF IV) in the Lango Sub-region to support 481,200 people living below the poverty line.
The initiative aims to increase household incomes and protect vulnerable families from economic shocks through a variety of livelihood interventions.
Beatrice Akello Akori, the Minister of State for Northern Uganda, explained that the program will provide livelihood grants to rural enterprise groups, with members receiving approximately Shs1 million each to start or expand businesses. For residents in urban areas like Lira City, the program offers entrepreneurship training and business grants of about Shs1.8 million to support the informal sector.
Additionally, the government will provide temporary employment to extremely poor households through climate-smart public works, such as building roads and water facilities. Participants in these works will earn Shs6,500 per day for 46 days. The program also includes specific measures to protect against environmental risks and ensure fair distribution of resources.
In districts like Alebtong and Otuke, which are vulnerable to drought, the government plans to use early warning indicators to start public works before families are forced to sell productive assets. To improve the accuracy of aid, the government will establish a National Social Registry to identify poor households. Officials warned local leaders that they must not demand fees or favors from applicants, as any such requests will be reported to the Inspectorate of Government.
The World Bank provided a $250 million credit for the initiative, which is part of a $276 million total funding package including a $26 million grant. James Ebitu of the World Bank noted that the broader program is designed to reach 2.9 million beneficiaries across its target areas by December 2031. To prevent corruption, Charles Enyuk of the Inspectorate of Government stated that the agency will use community volunteers and social accountability monitoring to oversee the implementation of the project.
