Page 35 - Social Protection Newsletter

lABour InTenSITY

Suspended foot bridge in Bududa along disconnected communities. Contours help trap running water along the hills, controlling land slides
and mad slides.

storage, education (private), construction, pandemic and heavy torrential rains which enable them meet basic needs as well
non-food retail, and personal services. have swept away homes and gardens. as contribute to economic development
These have been affected by both the Given the prevailing situation and initiatives. This empowers individuals and
lockdown but also employ large numbers in order to curb the long term effects households to overcome income shocks
of workers. of such shocks, MLGSD developed the and facilitates effective planning.
At the same time, due to heavy Urban Cash for Work Programme as a In so far as Labour Intensive Public
rains, floods ravaged infrastructure and social protection intervention targeting Works programmes purposively integrate
disrupted livelihoods in several districts 525,000 people affected by the pandemic. gender and equity, women are able to
including Kasese, Ntoroko, Bundibugyo, The programme targets those informal benefit more from such interventions
Isingiro, Pakwach, Kalangala, Bulambuli, sector workers that lost income and jobs and, in fact, evidence from the Northern
Sironko, Bududa, Kween, Kayunga, in urban centres and those affected by Uganda Social Action Fund (NUSAF)
Tororo, Serere and Amudat among floods and lost crops and or houses. indicates that the programme reaches
others. Meanwhile, rising water levels The programme will be implemented out to over 60% of female beneficiaries.
on L. Victoria and L. Kyoga damaged using the National Guidelines for Labour The programmes in addition ensure
property and displaced several people. Intensive Public Works. that older persons, Persons with
According to provisional results, over Labour Intensive Public Works as a social Disabilities as well as pregnant and
252,869 people were affected. This heavily protection measure aims at enabling lactating mothers up to 6 months are
affected household incomes. capable individuals and households to not left out but are part and parcel of
The Global Centre for growth estimates provide labour in building community the initiatives notwithstanding their
a monthly loss of Shs.682 billion per assets such as community access limitations in performing typical labour
month, 8.9 percent of GDP and about 61 roads and in maintaining other road intensive public works activities.
percent of Ugandans live in households infrastructure, environmental protection Given the contribution of Labour
that suffer a loss in income, and the measures such as tree planting, stone Intensive Public Works as a key social
poverty rate increased by 7.5 percentage embankments, trenches, gulley traps protection intervention, safety net
points. Those affected are struggling to to contain soil erosion, among others. and as an environmentally responsive
provide basic needs such as food, shelter The programme puts money in the intervention, the Urban Cash for Work
and access to health care. They can hardly hands of the people that would otherwise Programme is a welcome initiative in
provide for their families after the two not be employed in formal sectors to this wake of Covid-19 caused shocks.
months’ period of lockdown due to the

Social Protection neWSletter 35