MALAYSIA: Ugandan grandmother sentenced to death

GEORGE TOWN, Penang / The Star / News / Courts / December 21, 2011

Death penalty for Ugandan
By Christopher Tan

A Ugandan grandmother was sentenced to death after she was found guilty of trafficking in 2,329gm of methamphetamine at the Penang International Airport.

Nabweteme Hadija, 56, was seen wiping away tears after the High Court interpreter explained the decision to her.

Judicial Commissioner Mohd Amin Firdaus Abdullah in his decision said the defence had failed to raise a reasonable doubt against the prosecution’s case, and therefore, he had no choice but to impose the mandatory death sentence.

To the gallows: Nabweteme being led by the police after the High Court passed the death sentence.

Nabweteme, a handicraft trader, was found guilty of trafficking in the drugs at the airport in Bayan Lepas on Sept 9, last year.

She was convicted of the offence under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

Mohd Amin Firdaus said it defied common sense that Nabweteme did not know or was not suspicious about the hard compartment at the base of the luggage.

“She was going on a long journey and had packed her own clothes. How did she not suspect something wrong with the luggage?” he questioned.

He also said that arresting officer Chief Insp Balber Singh and two police corporals who were on their rounds at the airport, had noticed Nabweteme behaving in a suspicious manner at the airport’s arrival hall at about 11.30pm on Sept 9 last year.

“The accused was seen pulling the luggage and behaving suspiciously. She was asked to go through a luggage scan.

“The Customs officers found something suspicious at the base of the luggage and when Chief Insp Balber cut it out, he found the packages (containing the drugs) which were cellophane-taped,” he said.

Defence counsel S. Yagoo appeared for Nabweteme while Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Amril Johari prosecuted.

Yagoo told reporters outside the courtroom that he would file an appeal.

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UGANDA: Growing Old in Uganda

. LONDON, England / The Guardian / The Katine Project / April 16, 2010 Latest from the Guardian's Ugandan development project The Guardian is tracking Amref's three-year development project, in partnership with Barclays, to improve the lives of the 25,000 people in Katine sub-county in Uganda. Despite the talk, little action seems to have been taken to support older people in Uganda, says the latest report. By Liz Ford HelpAge say more needs to be done to support older people around the world. Photograph: Dan Chung On paper, things do not look too bad for older people in Uganda. The government has a dedicated department for the elderly (along with disability), which lives within the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, and it has drafted a national policy for older people. The country's constitution makes special mention of making "reasonable provision for the welfare and maintenance of the aged", an act of parliament allows for the election of older people into local government and issues affecting older people have been included in the Poverty Eradication Action Plan and strategic plans on agriculture, health and Aids. Uganda is also a signatory to the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, which calls for the poverty of older people to be halved in line with the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) to halve world poverty by 2015. The plan was agreed in 2002. But, of course, the reality is much different. At an event hosted by HelpAge International last night, Linda Nakakande, the NGO's country coordinator for Uganda, told me that issues related to old age get very little attention in her country and very few older people have a voice. The Ugandan media, she says, satirises older people and does little to champion their rights. Meanwhile, young people believe the retirement age should be lowered, from 55 to 45, to create more jobs for them. "Old age is not made public, it's not talked about properly in the media," says Nakakande. "There is a negative attitude about old people. The issues they face are not being highlighted." One of those "issues" could become apparent during presidential elections next February. "I used to work for a women's organisation and we used to monitor elections. I found out that many elderly people were facing harsh conditions during the elections. When you vote you have to line up for a long time. No one cared for them, so elderly people [not fit enough to wait] usually go back home before voting. Many of them don't vote and no one is bothered." According to the NGO The Aged Family Uganda (TAFU), around 1.3 million people in Uganda are over 60, which, admittedly, is a small percentage in a country where population stands at around 32 million, and is projected to grow to 38 million over the next five years, and where, according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, a large proportion of the population is below the age of 15. But many of these older people have lost family to HIV/Aids, meaning they can't rely on traditional family support as they get older and will often be required to look after grandchildren following the death of parents. Around half of Ugandan orphans are looked after by grandparents. An ageing population In its report, Unreported lives: the truth about older people's work, HelpAge notes that "we are living in an increasingly ageing world". And 66% of that ageing population now live in low and middle-income countries, a figure that is predicted to rise to 80% by 2050. Poverty and family commitments ensure that many older people around the world are forced to keep working well into their old age. According to UN figures, more than 80% of men aged 65 and over are still working for a living in parts of Africa, including Uganda. The figure for women stands at 70%. The majority of them work in the informal sector (more than 90%), which means few older people are entitled to state pensions. Uganda's efforts to support its older population seems to come down to the usual suspects - lack of financial resources and the political will to implement change. Five years on from the Madrid agreement, in 2007 a review of the progress being made to implement the action plan in Uganda, conducted by HelpAge, acknowledged that the government had developed a range of programmes "which have the potential to include older people", such as including older people in its poverty eradication policies. But it concluded that these programmes did not reach the majority of older people. The review noted that the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development had plans to prioritise a policy for older people, a social protection policy and a social pensions programme by 2012. While a national policy on older people has been drafted, no concrete moves have been made to offer them greater protection. The Ministry of Finance has ruled out a non-contributory pension as too costly and open to abuse. Many people do not have birth certificates so verifying age will be problematic. Madena Mbabazi's husband and father of her four children left her after selling off her family's land. She has written a will to make sure her remaining property goes to her children. Kateholt Madena BBC photo Nakakande believes what's needed is a bigger push by the international community on the rights of older people to be recognised, and to ensure agreements like those signed in Madrid are implemented. "Then we can put pressure on [Uganda's] government. We will have back up," she says. But will there be an appetite to prioritise the needs of older people when there is pressure to cut the rates of maternal and child mortality, reduce HIV/Aids and malaria cases and ensure universal primary education by 2015? Perhaps September's UN summit to discuss progress of the MDGs would be an opportune moment to find out.[rc] © Guardian News and Media Limited 2010

UGANDA: Former nurse's aide in US becomes Ugandan king

. KAMPALA, Uganda / The New Vision / October 20, 2009 President Yoweri Museveni and the newly-crowned King Mumbere of the Rwenzururu during the ceremony in Kasese on October 19. During a ritual at a palace, the President laid his hands on Mumbere’s left shoulder and then addressed the kingdom’s parliament. He said the people of Kasese had shown love for their monarchy in line with Article 246 of the Constitution, which allows the restoration of old kingdoms and creation of new ones. He had proof the people of Kasese wanted Obusinga, in form of a resolution passed by Kasese district council, elders and other people. Abridged news report © Copyright The New Vision 2000-2009 Seniors World Chronicle adds Huffington Post, New York carried this report on October 16, 2009 Charles Wesley Mumbere, Nurse's Aide In U.S., To Be Crowned African King HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania — An African man who worked for years as a nurse's aide in the United States, caring for the elderly and sick, is back in his homeland to be crowned king of his people in the mountains of western Uganda. Charles Wesley Mumbere's coronation is scheduled Monday, October 19, in the Kasese district. He will rule over Rwenzururu, a kingdom of about 300,000 people – roughly the size of Pittsburgh – that is now recognized by the national government. Mumbere, who is in his 50s, lived in the United States for 25 years. He kept his royal roots secret until July, when he granted an interview to The Patriot-News of Harrisburg as he was preparing to return to Uganda. "I find it was very good interacting with the people I was taking care of," he told the newspaper at the time. "It was very lovely and friendly." In the 1960s, Mumbere's father, Isaya Mukirane, led a secessionist movement by an ethnic group known as the Bakonjo, and they recognized him as their king. Mumbere inherited the title at 13 and took charge of the kingdom when he turned 18. "I grew up in the mountains, fighting in the war," he said. When he was 30, the Bakonjo and the government negotiated an agreement that provided for Mumbere to be sent to the United States for an education. Mumbere arrived in 1984 and attended a business school until his government stipend was stopped amid political upheaval in Uganda. In 1987, he gained political asylum, trained as a nurse's aide and took a job in a suburban Washington nursing home to pay his bills, the newspaper said. In 1999, he moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's capital, where he worked for at least two health care facilities. He was "very loyal, a very hard worker, a very private person," said Johnna Marx, executive director of the Golden Living Center-Blue Ridge Mountain on the outskirts of Harrisburg. [rc] Copyright © 2009 HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. Charles Wesley Mumbere, 56, shows the coat of arms of his kingdom during an interview at his house in Kasese, hours before he was crowned king of the ethnic group the Bakonjo people in the Rwenzururu district of western Uganda. An African man who worked for years as a nurse's aide in the United States, caring for the elderly and sick, is back in his homeland after he was crowned king of his people in the mountains of western Uganda. AP Photo

UGANDA: Boost your bone bank to fight osteoperosis

. KAMPALA, Uganda / The Daily Monitor / Health & Living / August 27, 2009 The major challenge with osteoporosis is that it presents no symptons and progresses without pain until the person gets a fracture, writes Agnes K. Namaganda. Osteoporosis may seem like a disease of the old but its prevention starts before old age strikes. Knowledge about it and measures taken before the disease reaches a dangerous stage can go a long way in lessening its effects. Of the elderly patients admitted at Mulago’s orthopaedic department, about half are osteoporosis patients. Florence Kyomuhendo (not real name) had never heard of the disease until she was diagnosed with it at Mulago Hospital. “It was such a simple fall on the steps as I was getting out of the house; I can’t believe it got my hip fractured,” remarked the 58-year-old dressed in a cast and speaking from her hospital bed. Dr Tito Beyeza the head of the Orthopaedics Department at Mulago Hospital explains that osteoporosis is a condition characterised by loss of normal bone density. Bone density refers to the combination of the thickness of the bones and their mass. “The bones become soft and fragile and in the end, this can result in fractures,” the doctor explains. He says it commonly occurs among elderly females who are past their menopause and elderly men. But the major challenge with osteoporosis is that it presents no symptoms and progresses without pain until the person gets a fracture. Dr Beyeza says that these fractures (medically referred to as pathological fractures) are caused by minor violence and he explains: “A normal activity that is not much exerting such as turning in bed can cause a fracture for someone suffering from osteoporosis.” He gives another illustration of just a bit of stumbling or someone stepping out of the car and getting a fracture in the ankle. “When such a movement causes bone breakage, then it means the bones are too weak and the person has osteoporosis.” Sometimes, the person may not even know they have gotten a fracture, but constant pain from that area will be the pointer to the problem says the doctor. On an interesting note, Dr Beyeza says that orthopaedic surgeons are usually called upon to give expert advice in court cases where say, a simple push or shove resulted in a fall causing a bone fracture. “For some complainants, the fractures are usually as a result of osteoporosis with the bones too weak.” But when exactly does this condition start to develop? Normally, bone density accumulates during childhood and reaches a peak at around age 25 according to www.medicinenet.com. Bone density is then maintained for about 10 years. After age 35, both men and women will normally lose 0.3 per cent to 0.5 per cent of their bone density per year as part of the aging process. Risk factors Certain situations increase the risk of suffering from osteoporosis and these include; Post-menopausal women: Menopause brings on a lot of uncomfortable conditions like mood swings, hot flushes and loss of skin suppleness. Osteoporosis also develops right about this time. Dr Beyeza attributes this to the reduction of the estrogen hormone- a byproduct of ovulation, that is important in preserving bone density. “Because there is no more ovulation after menopause, estrogen levels drop and this causes a rapid loss of bone density.” Old age: The surgeon says that osteoporosis should also be highly anticipated in elderly women-above the age of 70, and elderly men-above the age of 80 Lack of exercise: Patients who suffer chronic illnesses that keep them bedridden for long periods of time are at risk of developing osteoporosis in spite of their age according to Dr Beyeza. “Even a normal person can do it as an experiment. Just stay in bed for six months and see if you will not become osteoporotic,” says Dr Beyeza who attributes the strength of bones to activity. Smoking, doing drugs and alcoholism: Excessive involvement in any of these interferes with processes in the body that ensure the metabolism of the compounds necessary to maintain bone structure according to Dr Beyeza. He says that bone tissue is made of proteins, salts and water but that cigarettes, drugs and alcohol can inhibit their absorption. Poor nutrition: Feeding on diets low on minerals like calcium which is responsible for bone strength can also cause osteoporosis. Because Vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium, its deficiency means that the body cannot absorb adequate amounts of calcium to prevent osteoporosis. Other risk factors, according to the medicine.net website include; thin and small body structures, family history of the disease in parents and chemotherapy which can cause early menopause due to its toxic effects on the ovaries. When amenorrhea (loss of the menstrual period) happens in a young woman for one reason or another, osteoporosis can result. Women like athletes. who undergo vigorous training, usually suffer from amenorrhea thus being predisposed to the disease. Medicinal drugs: Long term use of some drugs like prednisone and those used to treat seizures can also cause osteoporosis. Dr Beyeza says that osteoporosis cannot occur in children. “The condition that causes the softening of bones in children has a different cause and a different name.” He says children’s legs may become soft and bend due lack of Vitamin D, a condition called Rickets. Prevention According to Dr Beyeza, old age, the major predisposition to osteoporosis, cannot be prevented but onset of the disease can be delayed by, “Eating a balanced diet rich in calcium and phosphates.” Foods that are a good source of calcium and other minerals include green leafy vegtables, eggs, fish, soya beans, milk and other dairy products, cod-liver oil, nuts like almond, sardines Keep physically active by walking and jogging if you are the kind that spends an entire day seated, advises Dr Beyeza. Other exercises that are exertive on the bones like rope-skipping, also help to strengthen the bones. Dr Beyeza says that Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) that is used by some women to alleviate some of the side effects of menopause also prevents the development of osteoporosis. Intake of calcium supplements, but only as prescribed by a doctor, could be an option although Dr Beyeza has some reservations about this. “The body requires only a certain amount of calcium.” If this calcium is obtained from the appropriate food sources, then taking more by way of supplements is not necessary as the excess will only be passed out. Because the lack of Vitamin D in the body inhibits the absorption of calcium, it is important that people are adequately exposed to the sun which is the major source of the vitamin. As stated above, osteoporosis has no symptoms but the expert surgeon says that diagnosis can be carried out at any of the major laboratories in hospitals around the country. Early diagnosis can help a patient take the necessary treatment and precautions to avoid fractures. [rc] © 2009 Monitor Publications Ltd

UGANDA: Japanese honour for Anglican priest

. TOKYO, Japan / The Japan Times / Kyodo News / May 8, 2009 Ugandan priest wins Niwano Prize Gideon Byamugisha, an Anglican priest in Uganda who in 1992 became the first African religious leader to publicly announce he was HIV positive, received the 26th Niwano Peace Prize on Thursday in recognition of his work to uphold the dignity and human rights of people living with AIDS. Makoto Uematsu, primate of Nippon Sei Ko Kai, received the prize on behalf of the Anglican priest, who was advised, along with Norway's Gunnar Stalsett, chairman of the Niwano Peace Prize Committee, to avoid traveling to Japan due to the H1N1 flu alert. Reverend Canon Gideon Byamugisha, now aged 50. 2006 File Photo by Peter Williams, Courtesy Positive Nation, UK (C) The Japan Times

UGANDA: Government to Pay Monthly Allowances to Elderly

. KAMPALA, Uganda / New Vision / March 20, 2009 By Conan Businge The Government is planning a monthly facilitation to the elderly persons who are not catered for under the pension scheme and NSSF. "The automatic cash transfer scheme will target people of 70 years and above throughout the country. These elders will receive about sh20,000 per month, the labour state minister Emmanuel Otaala said. "There are old people that have greatly contributed to this country's development through taxes and other areas, but are not getting pension or other benefits (like in informal private sector workers under NSSF)," Otaala said, adding "Government will make sure that those without any such support are facilitated monthly." Otaala explained that the scheme was initially supposed to cover six districts, but has of late been revised to cut across the whole country. But it is still in its preliminary stages of being drafted, he said, and will be tabled to Cabinet soon. The Government is 'picking a leaf' from Lesotho and South Africa. The three ministers Syda Bbumba (finance minister), Otaala, and the deceased Omwony Ojok; were in these countries to study the scheme, last year. Otaala said it has yielded in these countries, and "can easily work out here (in Uganda)." Uganda has around 1.5 million elderly people with 4.6% above the age of 60, according to the 2006 report on the last census. These have no special law to protect and provide for them in spite of the fact that they started paying taxes to the Government five decades ago. However, state minister for the elderly and the disabled, Sulaiman Madada, says although there is no special law for them as of now, Government takes great attention and recognition of the aged people. Herbert Baryayebwa, the commissioner for disability and the elderly in the gender ministry, says the Government realised that, unlike other vulnerable groups like orphans, women and disabled persons, the elderly have not benefited from government programmes. He says with financial support from the Department For International Development, the ministry conducted a research to find out the specific needs of the elderly. The findings are now being used to design interventions, taking into account the gender dimensions. The research showed that older people are disgruntled, saying they have been excluded from government programmes, isolated by members of their families, denied access to medical care and lack income. Media reports show that many elderly are neglected, abused, discriminated upon and ill-treated in the hospitals, taxis, buses and villages. Many have lost their children to war and AIDS and cannot rely on traditional family support which collapsed with increased market economy. Instead, many of them are caring for orphaned grandchildren. They lack opportunities for any active participation and their minds deteriorate as a result. They can not access essential drugs and free medical services. About 50% of Ugandan orphans, according to the 2005 Chronic Poverty Report, are under the care of grandparents. Copyright © 2009 New Vision.

UGANDA: European Union gives elderly sh750m for livelihood

. KAMPALA, Uganda / The New Vision / February 17, 2009 By John B. Thawite THE European Union has disbursed 300,000 Euros (about she750m) for a three-year programme to improve local government services for vulnerable older persons in Kasese and Bundibugyo districts. Madaada speaks at the launch The state minister for disabilities, Sulaiman Madaada, launched the programme at Virina Garden Hotel in Kasese on Tuesday. He said it would be implemented by Help Age International and the Uganda Reach the Aged Association. Madaada said the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development was finalising a policy to protect older persons. “It has delayed because many MPs are interested in older persons and are candidates of old age, so they want an action plan attached to the policy before it can be passed,” he said. Madaada disclosed that more younger people were abandoning the elderly in rural areas. He said the elderly and disabled persons were becoming more vulnerable to HIV because they too, are sexually active and increasingly taking care of children orphaned by AIDS. He urged the elderly to form Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations to benefit from the Prosperity-for-All programme. “When an old person goes for a loan, they call you a loan-risky person and disqualify you,” he added. “We have agreed with the Minister of Finance that once the older persons are organised, we should give them loans,” Madaada said. Kasese deputy RDC Wilson Isingoma asked stakeholders to establish data banks on the elderly. The deputy chief administrative officer, Willy Bataringaya, said the district would provide an enabling environment for the programme. © Copyright The New Vision 2000-2009

UGANDA: 106 years old and still in good health

. KAMPALA, Uganda / The Daily Monitor / February 2, 2009 By Antony Otushabire She could be the oldest woman in Ankole region. Her grandchildren call her ‘Wacha Manene’. “The love of God has kept me alive all this time,” Juleina Kyetuuza Nyamushungwa who clocked 106 years says. On December 28, 2008, a party was held in her honour but she was not able to attend due to her advanced age and she opted to stay at home. She couldn’t even attend the church service. Born to Martha Bateta and Augustine Ishebakuru in Nyakahanga Village in 1902, Kyetuuza has lived to see her life change from primitive to modern living, from using traditional to modern medicine, from living in grass-thatched huts to storied houses. Her parents were among the first folks of Ankole to embrace the Anglican religion, something that shaped her early life. She lived honestly and eventually served as an evangelist along with her husband Anania Nyamushungwa, a catechist in the Anglican Church of Mujumo in Itojo Sub-county, Rwampara. They were married in 1929 and had eight children, four boys and four girls. Only two are still alive including her third born Jairesi Kitungwa who is 75 years old. Survivors: Top, Juleina Nyamushungwa (right) with her brother Misairi Barungira (middle) and sister Elina Kembabi on December 28, 2008. Despite her old age, she suffers no major diseases except loss of hearing. She is still able to see and recognise her relatives. To talk to her, one needs to shout in her right ear. Once she has identified the voice, then you can have a conversation with a lot of shouting though. Asked how she has been able to live this long, she says she put her trust in God, has always lived positively and that longevity also runs in their family. “I have always been looking to achieving better things in life and I always put trust in God after learning how to read the Bible,” she says. Her name seems to suggest it all. Her parents could have predicted that she would live this long. Kyetuuza means one that survives for long. It is not surprising that her two siblings, an 83-year-old brother, Misairi Barungira and her sister Elina Kembabi, aged 81 are alive and still strong. “We might have survived this long maybe because of the food we eat. Karo, unpeeled potatoes and beans have been our core foods. Besides, we rarely fall sick like our sister. We do not suffer from malaria and related illnesses,” Kembabi says. Despite her age, she has not lost her sense of humour and love for her grandchildren. “Iwe Dan, okaburira nkahi, mbwenu wampikire kanyije nkushune rero omanye ngu mukaaka akihurire,” (Dan you have been lost for long. Now that you have come, let me pinch you and you feel me so that you know I am still alive and strong.) she said as she greeted her grandson. She teased and asked him to buy her glasses to regain her sight. “Dan buy me glasses so that I can identify your children properly,” she said with a chuckle at the time I was visiting. Achievements Nyamushungwa evangelised her community with her husband and they founded three churches in Rwampara County, including Kikunyu, Karambiro and Ijumo Church of Uganda and promoted education. Each of the churches has a primary school attached to it. This has had an impact on the level of development in the region. Her siblings and grandchildren still go to the same churches and schools and all are doing well. One of her grandchildren, Daniel Babonereirwe is a banker and currently a senior commercial officer in the Trade and Industry ministry. She was also a traditional birth attendant and a herbalist and saved women’s lives in the years when modern medicine was still scarce with poor road networks in the region. Despite her limited education, she embraced adult literacy and was able to read and write, promoted knitting of sweaters and pottery which earned her some income. What her family thinks of her Daniel Babonereirwe Grandson: She was a strict disciplinarian and did not believe in ‘Spare the rod and spoil the child’. She never pampered her grand and great grandchildren. Instead, she would make us work hard. Some of us are where we are because of her. For that, matter we nicknamed her ‘Wacha Maneno’ because she tolerated no nonsense. In her hey days, she was a dedicated woman with self-esteem, a high sense of morality and very hard working. Jairesi Kitungwa, daughter: My mother has lived positively, full of hope that everyday, something good will come out and when things fail to go her way, she does not lose hope. She used to walk me to school in those tough days when there were still wild animals. She would escort me to Bweranyangi Girls Secondary School about 80km from home on foot. Misairi Barungira, brother: She has been a generous lady to us, liked gardening and has always been a good preacher. She brought us up as her own children and has always been inspirational in church matters. I am proud of my sister and happy that she has lived this long. Rev Canon Keith Katakanya: She has been a committed lady, worked very hard to spread the gospel with her husband and they mentored me into joining the church service. She continued to preach the good news even after the death of her husband in the 90s. It is only age that has halted her from her work. © 2009 Monitor Publications Ltd

UGANDA: Old and Neglected

There are 1.3 million people in Uganda aged over 60, many of whom lack food, money, clean water and health care, according to The Aged Family Uganda (TAFU), based in Nsambya, Kampala. KAMPALA, Uganda (The Daily Monitor), August 20, 2008: By Kakaire A. Kirunda “I can spend up to two days without talking to or seeing a person. Radio Maria is now my husband and companion. I fear that when I die, it is only the terrible smell that will alert the community,” says Imelda Nampiima of Mityana, of her situation that is synonymous with many older persons aged 80 and above, according to a newly published study on the elderly persons of Uganda by Mr Fredrick Nyanzi of the NGO, The Aged Family Uganda (Tafu). Issues such as poverty, isolation, HIV/Aids, poor nutrition, health and elder abuse are among many others that need urgent policy makers’, international and local NGOs’ attention in planning for the development of older persons. To reach this conclusion, Tafu partnered with Age Concern Devon through the International Federation on Ageing’s (IFA) capacity building programme and conducted a survey to obtain information on the life experiences of older persons in Uganda. The survey that consulted 382 older persons across the country was aimed at increasing awareness of their needs and providing a platform to advocate urgent intervention. “It is high time all stakeholders in the field of ageing came up with solutions for the problems affecting the older persons of Uganda and to plan for the ageing of the population,” says the study, which also shows that there are over a million older persons in Uganda, many of whom lack food, money, clean water and medical support and have lost their children to war and HIV/Aids. The situation in which older persons find themselves is compounded by several factors as stipulated in the findings of the study. Among the findings is that the Aids pandemic has left many orphaned children, placing the burden of raising them to older persons, especially grandmothers. “In Uganda, 50 per cent of the orphaned children are staying with their grandparents. Grandparents invested in their children, expecting assistance in old age but as a result of the HIV/Aids pandemic, their sons and daughters have died before them,” according to the report. Similarly, older persons are living in poor hygiene standards. And as a result of isolation, neglect and lack of support services, older persons are infested with lice, jiggers, flies, bed bugs and suffer diarrhoea due to lack of clean water and assistance with personal care. According to the study author, neglected older persons are sometimes characterised by smell. “A school child commented that ‘a corpse smelt like the clothes of an older woman,’” he wrote. As remedial measures, the study proposes 12 interventions among which is putting in place and implementing the government policy for older persons, including older persons in the planning, designing and implementation of development programmes that impact on them, and strengthening older organisations for better capacity building and advocacy. There is also need to lobby international organisations and the government to introduce specific programmes to support the older persons and their orphaned grandchildren, just as it is important to introduce HIV/Aids education and testing programmes for older persons since some are carriers and/or sexually active. Other measures include setting up income protection schemes such as the National Social Security Fund, social pension, cash transfers and credit facilities to older persons. The study also calls for the establishment of a national council on ageing. © 2008 Monitor Publications Ltd

UGANDA: 88-year-old man plants mega forest

Bakamuturaki in his Bushenyi forest

BUSHENYI, Uganda (The New Vision), June 4, 2008:

By Gerald Tenywa
and Chris Ahimbisibwe

AT 88 years old, one would think Melchior Bakamuturaki would not consider investing in a forest that will mature when he is 100—if he makes it. But for this Bushenyi district Green, the passion for the environment is just beginning.

While many Ugandans shun tree business from which they believe they will never benefit in their lifetime, Bakamuturaki has planted six acres of trees and is looking for more land.

“I always had a liking for forests and now I have fulfilled my dream by planting a forest, which will mature in at least 20 years.”

But there is an immediate gain from the investment. Bakamuturaki will make money from a new scheme in which farmers earn money from trees in a programme championed by a charity, the International Small Group and Tree-Planting.

“We have been working with farmers to plant trees that absorb carbondioxide emissions and reduce the risks of global warming,” said Pauline Kalunda, the executive director.

“In return, the farmers earn money since their trees act as sinks for waste gases emitted by polluting industries,” Kalunda says. The Bamuturaki initiative is good news as Uganda commemorates the World Environment Day today.

Trees absorb carbon-dioxide blamed for overheating the earth and causing global warming.

As such, factories in the developed countries responsible for the pollution, pay people like Bakamuturaki to plant trees.

Last year, Bakamuturaki earned sh100,000 from the international tree planting group. He hopes for bigger fruits in future.

“In future these trees will be wanted very much by people,” Bamuturaki says.
Right now, however, the scarcity of land in Bushenyi worries him and he hopes the National Forestry Authority can bail him out.

In Uganda, over 200 small-scale farmers are working with Eco-Trust to plant trees. The number is likely to double following the success of the pilot project in Bushenyi.

“When the Eco-Trust team is satisfied, money is paid to the beneficiaries upfront. For instance, if the trees mature in 50 years, the money equivalent to the carbon-dioxide removed from the atmosphere in their lifespan is paid within 10 years,” Kalunda said.

“We do this to help farmers since it is a capital-intensive venture and lack of funds a limiting factor.”

To benefit from Eco-Trust support, however, farmers must also dedicate land for food production.

Dr. Aryamanya Mugisha, the head of the National Environment Management Authority, is concerned about the smaller amounts paid to Ugandan farmers compared to their counterparts in Europe ad Asia.

“This payment is supposed to be an incentive for farmers to plant trees, but it is low compared to other countries.”

In Uganda, a tonne of carbon goes for $6 yet in Europe, it fetches $25.

“This should be revised because poor people in developing countries need this money so that tree- planting can out-compete crop-cultivation.”

The World Bank coordinates the global trade in carbon emissions under the Kyoto Protocol, an inter-government agreement that aims to curb emissions.

This does not deal with small-scale farmers like those supported by Echo-Trust. As such, the destruction of the environment is likely to get worse.

For instance, in the last 100 years, Uganda’s forests have faced severe pressures, mainly from farmers, as the population and the demand for charcoal grows. Studies indicate that the forest cover in Uganda has shrunk from 45% in 1890 to 20% today.

© Copyright 2000-2008 The New Vision.

UGANDA: Smaller Families, Manlier Men

NAIROBI (Inter Press Service), April 7, 2008: For Ugandan men, the equation is often a simple one: an abundance of children equals virility and security. This deeply rooted belief has frightening implications, however. According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, the population of the East African country -- now 31 million -- will exceed 36 million by 2015, and is projected to reach 54 million in 2025. If this trend continues, it will rocket to 117 million by 2050. Projections are based on the current fertility rate of 6.7 children per woman. At present, the Foundation for Community Development -- a non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in the capital, Kampala -- is the only group in Uganda specifically focused on helping men view family size differently. Family planning has traditionally been relegated to women in this country. "Men react almost the same way when you mention anything related to sex: they want to change the topic quickly because it is a private affair," said Amon Mulyowa, a programme officer with the organisation. "When I tell them that a man's strength is not recognised by the many children he has but by the quality of life he provides them, they start to protest. In the process, I get a chance to tell them about the part they should play in family planning," he told IPS during a recent workshop on reproductive health that was held in Kampala by the Population Reference Bureau (PRB), a Washington-based NGO. Matters are further complicated by the culture placing a higher value on sons than daughters, prompting parents to continue having children until a son -- preferably several sons -- is born. By Kwamboka Oyaro Copyright © 2008 IPS-Inter Press Service.

UGANDA: Women Organisation Donates to Elderly

KAMPALA (New Vision), February 25, 2008: Sisters United Uganda, a non-government organisation, has donated household items to the elderly at Bakateyamba home in Nalukolongo. The items included sugar, plastic cups, saucepans and clothes. The organisation's founder members, Dr Margaret Muganwa, Noora Kakiza, Geraldine Sentongo and Eva Adengo, delivered the items recently The community-based organisation empowers disadvantaged women and children. Adengo appealed to other people to help the home. By Nicholas Kajoba Copyright © 2008 New Vision.

UGANDA: Elderly Want Parliament Seats

KAMPALA, Uganda (New Vision), February 15, 2008: Elderly people have demanded representation in Parliament. In 10-page petition signed by over 100 elders, they observed that there was need for older persons to also be represented at other levels of decision-making such as local councils. "Five members of our association should be elected to Parliament as is the case with other special interest groups like people with disabilities, the youth, workers and women," reads part of the petition to Parliament. Quoting Section 118 of the Local Government (Amendment) Act 2005, they said two councilors representing the elderly should be elected by the associations of the elderly forming an electoral college at the district council level. However, the chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr. Badru Kiggundu, recently told the parliamentary committee on equal opportunities that there was no law allowing the election of elders' representatives at any level of governance. He was responding to the petition. By Paul Kiwuuwa, Kampala Copyright © 2008 New Vision.

UGANDA: Government To Give Cash To Elderly Persons

MBARARA, Uganda (Daily Monitor), October 3, 2007: THE government of Uganda will, in three years time, introduce a social cash grant scheme for the elderly, the Minister for Gender, Labour and Social Development, Ms Syda Bbumba has said. She was officiating at the national celebrations to mark the International Day of Elderly Persons at Kakyeka Stadium in Mbarara District Monday. Ms Bbumba said the scheme would help the vulnerable elderly people get food, Medicare and buy scholastic materials for their dependants. "The social cash grant and will target those elderly persons living in chronic poverty and those taking care of orphans," she said. Ms Bbumba said only persons above 80 years would benefit first while the rest would be drafted into the scheme when the government gets more money. She said an organisation in the UK that she didn't name had donated 4 million pounds toward the scheme. Ms Bbumba said Uganda has 1.2 million elderly persons and of these 43 per cent are female. The internationally acceptable minimum age at which one can be called elderly is 60. In his speech read by the 1st Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Affairs, Mr Eriya Kategaya, President Museveni said people should maintain a healthy lifestyle to avoid diabetes and hypertension, which are common diseases among fairly older persons. By Alfred Tumushabe & Felix Basiime © 2007 The Monitor Publications Ltd.

UGANDA: In Old Age, Parents Risk Being Abused By Children

KAMPALA, Uganda (The New Vision), September 30, 2007:

We risk being abused by children in our old age, says Meldrine Nabalema, Social Worker

On September 20, 2007, The New Vision carried a front page story titled, “Child neglect tops rights abuses”. The statistics were alarming especially the increment of 77% from the previous period.

Child sacrifice, child trafficking, child labour, abduction, child soldiering, defilement, child prostitution and abuse were persisting in Uganda. The same day the five months old Ronald Muwonge’s picture was published, there was another case of child neglect by his parents.

These reported cases portray a challenge in our society. The report was read to the parliament and recommendations were given including setting up a commission of inquiry to investigate the problem of child sacrifice. This is commendable. The question is, what do we do individually and as a nation? What do you and I value? Our values are key in what is happening today in our homes, schools, churches, institutions and nation.

What parents value in the homes is passed on to the children and it is what we see happening all around us. The families groom the society we live in. What values do we hold in our different homes? It is very unfortunate when a parent values the objects in the home more than the lives there. Do you use people to get things or do you use things to get people? Wealth is the bottom line in child sacrifice, child trafficking, child labour and all the evil that children undergo. How sad!

It is not realistic to believe that one who values life can put another’s life at danger. Let us hold life in high regard. It is a gift that needs to be cherished. If you would like to live a happy life, so does your neighbour. This includes the children. When a child is conceived, that is a life that deserves the best that life can give. Our constitution is very clear on who a child is: below 18 year of age. These children need our love, care, protection, provision and all the basics of life. They don’t deserve all the abuse they are receiving. Together in our different roles we can stop child neglect in Uganda.

Let us offer the best to our children; in our schools, churches, hospitals, institutions and in every place. Let them see love. What goes round comes round. It would be saddening in the years to come if our papers will be reporting more abuse among the elderly. A stitch in time saves nine. Our children need us and we need them. Let us do our best to save them, our children our future.

© Copyright 2000-2007 The New Vision.

UGANDA: Who Cares for the Aged?

What constitutes the biggest part of the old lady's life is the dilemma of what to eat each day that sets in. And the moment she's able to find food, she considers her day a success MUKONO, Uganda (The Kampala Monitor), August 22, 2007: She is widowed and senile. At 95, Ms Bena Nakazi lives in complete uncertainty about what tomorrow may bring. Impoverished is what best describes the helpless old lady's life. But regardless of the suffering that she has gone through, Ms Nakazi has had to persist. She doesn't live in total despair, as she has had to live each day the way it comes to avoid stressing herself every now and then. And although some days might bring with them lots of gloom, the old lady says she is not about to give up. "I have always tried to find a way around my troubles," she says. What constitutes the biggest part of the old lady's life is the dilemma of what to eat each day that sets in. And the moment she's able to find food, she considers her day a success. When Daily Monitor visited her, she was preparing a simple dish for lunch at her home down in the remote village of Kasanga, Ssi Sub-County in Mukono District. Perched on a piece of hessian square at the entrance of her back door, Ms Nakazi cheerfully peels the only cassava root that her small garden has luckily made available. It is this single cassava root that ought to see her through this day and the day after, before she starts looking for food elsewhere. On her left are two cups, from which she sips what she would like to call tea. But in actual sense, it's mere hot water with neither a beverage, nor sugar mixed in it. "Hot water isn't good for humankind. But we have nothing to do to warm our bodies like on this cold morning," she says, "So we tend to fool our stomachs with hot water that what we are pouring in is tea." Ms Nakazi says she has children but they do not help her. She says, instead they go to her home to get the food she grows. Ms Nakazi is a reflection of the lives of hundreds of thousands of elderly people in Uganda. They are facing challenges at the time when they are powerless to make any meaningful change. The 2002 National Census puts their number at 1.5 million. Although the figure is quite small in comparison to the other age sets, they are the most affected people in the country. Recently the State Minister for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities, Mr Suliaman Madada, revealed that the government would start paying a monthly allowance to the elderly. The inactive poor old people would get Shs18,000, plus Shs10,000 if they are looking after disadvantaged children. Donors will fund the pilot project, which will start this financial year in six districts. Surprisingly, there is no policy to protect the elderly. Most of them die in the most inhumane way due to lack of health care and basic necessities. Ms Deborah Kaijuka, the Executive Director of Uganda Reach the Aged Association, says the problem of the elderly suffering originates from the fading traditional social support system. "People no longer live in homesteads or extended families where young adults supported their elderly parents. Instead many young adults prefer living in nucleated families," Ms Kaijuka says. A homestead was like a chain of three segments where the active young adults were in the middle supporting both their parents and their own children. Ms Kaijuka explains that the system has changed and now the young adults have moved to urban centres seeking better life and jobs, leaving the elderly people in the rural areas. HIV/Aids Sister Monica of the Good Samaritans, an NGO supporting and managing Bakateyamba Home for the Elderly at Nalukolongo in Kampala, says the new challenge facing the aged is HIV/Aids. "Many elderly people who would have retired from work are now shouldering the burdens of orphans of their children who died of Aids," Sister Monica says. Ms Kaijuka concurs with Sister Monica. "Aids has eliminated the active middle age group thus breaking the link of support," she says. "Even some older people are infected with HIV/Aids since the time the disease broke out, many were still in the 40s and were sexually active." Ms Kaijuka says without a policy, it becomes very difficult to mobilise funds from donors yet the donors don't consider the elderly when giving grants. She says the resources they get for the elderly are just 'a drop in the ocean'. According to a draft of the National Policy on Older Persons, there will be an institutional framework in both the central and local government funding of national projects aimed at helping the elderly people. Unless a policy on the elderly is drawn, older people like Ms Nakazi will live and die in poverty. By Andrew Bagala The Monitor

UGANDA: Chronically Poor to Get Monthly Allowance

KAMPALA, Uganda (Associated Press), August 9, 2007:

Uganda will pay a $10 monthly allowance to the country's "chronically poor" who live on less than a dollar a day, officials said Thursday. The $7.7 million program is being funded by Britain's Department for International Development and aid agencies including HelpAge International. An additional $6 will be given to families who support the elderly, disabled or orphans.

"We want to ensure that these vulnerable groups are developing at the same level as all other citizens of Uganda," Minister for Elderly and Disabled People Sulaiman Madada told The Associated Press. "The allowance will put them on the first step of the ladder and allow them to move themselves forward."

The three-year pilot program will start in 2008 and affect 9,000 households identified by community workers and the Uganda Bureau of Statistics.

Madada said the scheme is based on similar programs in countries such as Brazil, South Africa, Zambia and Mozambique.

More than 25 percent of Uganda's 30 million people are chronically poor, according to the government. The United Nations puts the figure at 39 percent.

"This scheme will make a real difference," said Irene Agenorwot, a cleaner living in Uganda's capital, Kampala. "If you can get these basic things then you can stand on your own. Many children are looked after by their grandparents because their parents have died of AIDS so this will really benefit them."

By Katy Pownall
Associated Press

UGANDA: Senior Citizens Deserve Better Deal, says Editorial

KAMPALA (The Monitor), August 4, 2007: An editorial in The Monitor of Kampala today focusses on the injustice to senior citizens, including elder statesmen. EDITORIAL: The Presidential Emoluments and Benefits Act in its Third Schedule is definite in describing the benefits due to former presidents at taxpayers cost. Therefore, in ideal conditions, there would not have been any need for elder statesman and former president, Godfrey Lukongwa Binaisa to run to Daily Monitor last month and cry about having no transportation. It is appalling that the matter of former president's means of transportation can only be addressed after some amount of hullabaloo in the newspapers. We have the necessary law in place to ensure that past leaders, at least those who did not commit prosecutable crimes while in office, should be treated decently. It is, therfore, wrong for the government to continue with this irritating habit of playing hide and seek with senior citizens who have served this country in various capacities. Only the criminal types can be arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction and charged with their alleged crimes as and if the case may be. Our law-abiding retired citizens deserve better than this casual and almost reckless manner in which the Ministry of Public Service carries out its function of taking good care of the interests of this category of people. On top of being a former leader, Binaisa is of considerably advanced age -- a personage deserving of traditional African respect. It will not do for him to suffer the embarassment of running to media houses to lament about his apparently unhappy circumstances. Gen. Mustapha Adrisi, the former vice president during the times of dictator Idi Amin, is a man of some age too though he might not be the type to make public the fact that government has not been keeping its end of the bargain -- in total conformity with the law in this particular respect. This official tendency not to take these things seriously exhibits itself with even much greater pain to those who suffer the injustice in the matter of pension and gratuity payment to retired former civil servants. The queues of old and fast-aging Ugandans, who have done their time in the public service, is disheartening. Many of these people die before reaping the benefits of their sweat. Others are forced to live a miserable life because they are no longer strong enough to carry on in gainful employment, and so have no means to afford basic necessities of life. The culture of respect for our elders must be inculcated in the hearts and minds of those who run public office because in a few years time they too could find themselves at the receiving end of this mischievous treatment they are handing out to fellow Ugandans today. Copyright © 2007 The Monitor. All rights reserved.