By Wetondo Denis Julius
MBALE
Opportunity Bank, Mbale branch has trained Persons with disabilities in the Eastern Uganda on savings culture.
The training that took place yesterday 18th December 2020 at Rocy Hotel in Mbale City aimed at equipping PWDs with saving culture as a means of fighting poverty and boosting their daily household incomes.
While speaking at the Workshop, Robert Igalo, the Mbale branch Sales Manager said the purpose of the training was to equip PWDs with skills and knowledge about saving.
He added that people with disabilities are taken as beggars in society so there is need for them to start income-generating activities and savings which can earn for them daily income.
Igalo also said that they want PWD Leaders to impart the skills and knowledge they have acquired to their colleagues at grass root levels such that people with disabilities can be able to start SACCOs and have their own savings.
Hussin Kabala, the Mbale district chairperson of the national union of disabled persons said, majority of people with disabilities are ready to form SACCOs but they lack skills and knowledge.
He revealed that Mbale union of disabled persons had over 170 savings groups at sub county levels but they are now having only 45 because others collapsed due to poor management, embezzlement of money by leaders, lack of skills and knowledge.
Absalom Nabende, the Mbale District Councilor representing people with disabilities at Bufumbo sub-county expressed his joy with the training saying that they are going to take the knowledge to their colleagues such that they improve on their household incomes.
He urged government to consider them in its programs like youth lively hood, Emyooga, Operation Wealth Creation among others so that they can benefit from the national cake since they are also Ugandans and taxpayers.
