INTRODUCTION
Mayuge district being one of the beneficiaries of Special Grant Program since its inception. The programme is implemented in all the twelve sub-counties and four town councils in the district. The programme has a budget of 5,000,000 which is given out quarterly to PWD groups to implement projects as per their project proposals. The district is also priveledged to have been among the first district to benefit from the national special grant in the first quarter of financial year 2020/2021 and thirteen groups benefited. Each group was funded with 5,000,000 giving a total of sixty five million shillings (65,000,000). The PWD groups are given money to improve on their standards of living, the groups are involved in developmental projects such as; produce buying and selling, goat rearing, stationary shop, selling of second hand clothes, tents and chairs among others.
Monitoring of these projects was conducted by the DCDO and the Focal Person for Disability, the department is quarterly tasked to monitor PWD groups which have benefited under the special grant program. This is done to find out the implementation status/progress of the groups and also to provide technical advice and support supervision of the groups.
OBJECTIVES
To find out the impact of the program on the beneficiaries and that is to say improved standard of living of beneficiary group members.
To provide technical advice/ support supervision to the beneficiary groups
To find out the progress of the projects in terms of implementation of groups that had been funded under the program.
BELOW IS THE LIST OF PWD GROUPS THAT BENEFITED FROM THE NATIONAL SPECIAL GRANT IN FIRST QUARTER 2020-2021
| S/N | GROUP NAME | PROPOSED PROJECT | SUB-COUNTY | AMOUNT APPROVED |
| 1 | AbalemaBatugemeku Development Association | Rice growing | Malongo | 5,000,000 |
| 2 | Twefeku Women with Disabilities | Tailoring | Magamaga T/C | 5,000,000 |
| 3 | Tibitolagho Disabled Group (TIDIG) | Bodaboda | Magamaga T/C | 5,000,000 |
| 4 | Twefeku PWD Group | Tailoring | Magamaga T/C | 5,000,000 |
| 5 | TugemereWalala Disabled Women Group | Stone Quarry | Wairasa | 5,000,000 |
| 6 | Wandegeya PWD Shoe Makers Groups | Shoe making | Kityerera | 5,000,000 |
| 7 | TasaOmulema PWD Group | Dairy farming | Baitambogwe | 5,000,000 |
| 8 | Kukuminkiriza PWD Group | Bodaboda | Baitambogwe | 5,000,000 |
| 9 | Better Tomorrow for PWD's Association | Passion fruit growing | Mayuge T/C | 5,000,000 |
| 10 | Twezimbe Development Group for the Disabled | Piggery | Jagusi | 5,000,000 |
| 11 | Bugoto Beach Disabled Group | Goat rearing | Bukabooli | 5,000,000 |
| 12 | Mayuge District Union of Persons with Disability | Stationary | Mayuge T/C | 5,000,000 |
| 13 | Bufulubi PWD Group | Ox-Plough | Imanyiro | 5,000,000 |
| TOTAL | 65,000,000 |
BELOW IS THE LIST OF PWD GROUPS THAT HAVE BENEFITED UNDER THE DISTRICT SPECIACL GRANT 2020-2021
| GROUP NAME | PROPOSED PROJECT | SUB-COUNTY | AMOUNT APPROVED | |
| 1 | TukolereWalalaAbakosefu Development Group | Tents and chairs | Kigandalo | 2,500,000 |
| 2 | Bakusekamajja PWDs Development Group | Salon | Baitambogwe | 2,900,000 |
| 3 | Jagusi Twegaite Farmers Development Association | Mukene buying and selling | Jagusi | 2,000,000 |
NB: All the above groups have not yet been funded due to challenge of system coding but the issue is been corrected by the finance department.
BELOW IS THE LIST OF PWD GROUPS THAT WERE MONITORED
| S/N | GROUP NAME | PROJECT | SUB-COUNTY | STATUS |
| 1 | Twefeku PWD Group | Tailoring | Magamaga T/C |
-Had 5 singer sewing machine 20U sewing machine (1) 20U Machine Needles (1) 20U design threads (6) Pairs of scissors (5) Machine oil (5) -The sewing machines were given to five members in the group. -All the machines were in good condition |
| 2 | Tibitolawo Disabled Group | Bodaboda | Magamaga T/C |
-The group bought a bodaboda and during monitoring it was in good. -The members were very grateful for the programme. |
| 3 | Twefeku Women with Disability Group | Tailoring | Magamaga |
-The group got fund to purchase material and upon monitoring the group have purchased a lot of material and had already started sewing. -There was display of items that were sowed by the group. |
| 4 | Bwavumpologoma Disabled Group | Tents and chairs | Kigandalo |
-The group has a tent and chairs and they were in good condition during the monitoring. -The group also said some of the chairs were stolen when they hire them out for functions -They also added that business had been slow and was catching up slowly due to the COVID-19 lockdown. |
| 5 | Wainha Integrated Disabilities Epilepsy Foundation for Rural Development | Tents and Chairs | Baitambogwe |
-The tents and chairs were in good condition although the group said that the project was slow due to COVID-19 and reduced number of functions -The group was requesting for additional funding to boost their project |
| 6 | Kukuminkiriza PWD Group | Goat Rearing | Baitambogwe |
-Upon monitoring the group had six goats which were very healthy. -The group said they sold two goats during COVID-19 |
| 7 | TasaOmulema PWD Group | Bodaboda | Baitambogwe |
-The group purchased a bodaboda with the funds they got. -During monitoring the bodadboda was not at stage because it had taken a customer but the group members were found and they said the project was operating well and that it had improved on their standards of living because they are now able to buy food for their household and other basic needs |
| 8 | Twezimbe Development Group for the Disabled | Piggery | Jaguzi |
-During monitoring only two groups members were found at the site. -The animals were healthy and in very good condition -The members were found feeding the animals -The challenge face by the group was lack enough feeds for the animals because they consume a lot of feeds. |
| 9 | Masaka Disabled Group | Tents and chairs | Imanyiro |
-The group purchased tents and chairs and during monitoring all the chairs were found in good condition and so was the tent. -The group said business was slow during to COVID-19 which has led to reduced numbers of functions because people do not have money to make functions |
| 10 | Yamba Disabled Group | Ox-plough | Mayuge T/C |
-The group has an ox-plough and during monitoring the ox-plough was hired out and was working in a farm in the neighboring village |
| 11 | Kyete Disabled Group | Tents and chairs | Mpungwe |
-The group is no longer in existence and the chairperson used the funds given to the group to construct a residential house for himself and gave the group secretary 700,000= to complete his son’s school fees in the university and this was reported by the secretary because the chairperson person was not found at his home during monitoring |
| 12 | Bakusekamajja Disabled Group | Produce buying and selling | Mpungwe |
-The project store was empty with no produce and no member was found at site. -The group is not in operation because the small funds they were given did not yield profit leading to collapse of the group |
| 13 | AbalemaTwisakilala Development Group | Goat rearing | Busakira | -The group is still in existence and in operation although during monitoring the members said the goats had been taken out to feed. -The group said they had five goats who were very healthy. -The members were grateful for the opportunity. |
| 14 | Busakira Albino Development Group | Goat rearing | Busakira | -During monitoring no group member was found at the project site and there were no signs of any project. -The contact of the chairperson was off therefore it is not certain whether the group is still in existence or not and whether the project is there or not. |
| 15 | TwegaiteTukulankulane Youth Association Disabled Group | Selling second hand clothes | Baitambogwe | -The group is still in existence but the project is not doing well since the project made a lot of loss during COVID lockdown because they had just stocked the shop them they were stopped from operating yet the shop owners were demanding for rent thus they used the money they had to pay rent and some of the clothes got damaged hence the group making losses. -The group therefore is requesting for additional funds to re boast the project |
| 16 | Mayuge District Union of Persons with Disabilities | Tents and chairs | Mayuge T/C | -The group is still in existence with very active members who monitoring the running of project. -The group has tents and chairs and stationary projects which are both doing well. |
| 17 | Mayuge Town Council Faithful PWDs | Selling of second hand clothes | Mayuge T/C | -The group was funded but since the group had issues with their supplier number, the group signatory that received the funds have the death of the last Ndagire who was the group chairperson did not disclose the money to all members because some members did not know the group had got money. |
| 18 | Bugoto Beach Disabled Group | Fish mongering | Bukabooli | -The project is doing well with members participating in the buying and selling of fish to fish mongers. -The group is face with a challenge of few fish in the lake hence the increase of fish prices from the fisher men. -The group members were however very grateful for being one of the beneficiaries of the programme. |
| 19 | Kyotasubira PWDs Development Association | Goat Rearing | Magamaga T/C | -The group is still in existence although some group members left the group. -The remaining goat as per the last monitoring had given birth to 2 kids who were doing well. -The group wish to be added funds or considered for the national special grant. |
| 20 | TugemereWalala Disabled Women Group | Stone quarry | Wairasa | -The group is in operation and during monitoring the group members were found at the project site doing stone quarrying. -The group members were grateful for the funds given to them because they were able to purchase quarrying equipment which greatly helps them in the project. They said the project has greatly improved their standards of living. |
| 21 | Tweyambe Disabled Group- Busuyi | Handcrafts and foot wear | Wairasa | -Some of the members were found at the project site during monitoring. -The project equipments were found at the shop and some of the members were working. -Some of the shoes made were also displayed for sell. -Therefore the group is still in existence and wishes to be added funds for expansion of project |
CHALLENGES
There is a challenge of limited funds for monitoring of beneficiary groups and yet there are several groups that have benefited under the program and need technical support.
There is a challenge of theft and this is because most of the thieves know that the PWDs depending on their different disabilities some cannot run after or hear them.
There is a challenge of groups selecting projects they are not able to implement due to their different disabilities and this leading to the failure of most projects.
The groups also had a challenge of market availability due to their disabilities, this is because most of them cannot move long distances yet the markets are far or move around their communities looking for markets for their products.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommend that more funds be allocated to monitors PWD groups that have benefited under the program to find out the project progress and also offer technical support to the groups.
Groups were sensitized on the different projects they could venture in and advised to select from an informed point of view depending on their disabilities.
Recommend that the groups should report all cases of theft so that the police can follow up and find the culprits.