Page 16 - Social Protection Newsletter

nSr SuCCeSS STorIeS

How the sage grant helped

Kintu hire cheap labour

orn in January, 1923, Ephraim to work on the floor and paint, so as to 10 acres of land observed that even at
Kintu became beneficiary of improve on his house and be able to live his age, he is determined to economically
the Social Assistance Grant in a decent environment. empower his grandchildren so that they
for the Elderly (SAGE) in “I have always wanted to have a nice are able to sustain the assets and use them
BJune, 2015. The 98-year old home such that even if I die, people effectively to improve their livelihoods.
resident of Namakandwa village, Nyinze still respect me as a hardworking man. I In addition to crop production, Kintu
parish, Kangulumira sub-county, Kayunga am glad I have achieved this,” a jolly old ventured into piggery farming in 2020
district, stays with his wife and grandson. Kintu stated. using the SAGE grant and is excited about
He is among the 2,803 senior citizens Kintu who is also a farmer recounted the progress. When he received the grant
benefiting from SAGE in Kayunga and that before the grant, he had limited in that year, Kintu bought a piglet at
has cumulatively received Shs.1,450,000 sources of income that he could use Shs.100,000 and by December the same
since he joined the programme. to enhance his agricultural production. year, it had produced 10 piglets. He sells
“I recall the first time I received the He had been limited to coffee farming, the swine at Shs.700,000 while the piglets
grant of Shs.150,000, which I used to which is seasonal and faced with a lot of go for Shs.150,000 each.
buy some medicine and a few basic price fluctuations. Additionally, due to his Kintu planned to use the grant he
household items. However, as time went advanced age, Kintu is not able to work expected to receive on March, 2021 as
by, I realised that if I invest this money in the gardens himself but with the SAGE arrears from November, 2020 to that
wisely, I would improve my livelihood,” grant, he was able to hire cheap labour month to buy feeds for his piglets and
Kintu recounts during a home monitoring to till his land, weed crops and improve some household items like soap, sugar.
visit by programme officials. his yields. He says the feeds worth Shs.100,000 can
With the hope that more money would Kintu says, his gardens have greatly last for about 3 weeks.
come through in subsequent payment improved because of ploughing and Mzee Ephraim Kintu’s plan clearly
cycles, Kintu developed a plan to use the weeding. demonstrates a strong linkage between
money to renovate his house which was He has diversified production. In the SCG and economic transformation
not in a good state at the time. As a result, addition to coffee, he now grows beans, among beneficiaries and their
he started saving the money in custody ground nuts and maize which have not communities. Not only are beneficiaries
of his daughter until it was sufficient to only provided food security but also able to have access to basic needs, but
buy iron sheets to roof his house, cement improved his income. Kintu, who has over also invest in income generating activities,
which reduces vulnerability. The Senior
Citizens Grant is intended to reduce old
age poverty by providing a minimum
level of income security to older persons.

Ephraim Kintu has used the SAGE grant to renovate his house and
engage in piggery as an income generating activity

16 Social Protection ne WS letter