60 , Friday, March 8, 2019 REGIONAL NEWS Belgium signs sh1b grants Mother of baby with neural to support skilling refugees defect stranded MUKONO By Henry Nsubuga By Nelson Kiva A 34-year-old mother is stranded after giving The Government of Belgium, birth to a baby girl with a neural tube defect. through its development arm, Rebecca Nanjule says her baby has a big Enabel, formerly Belgium painful swelling on the head, which makes Technical Co-operation, recently it cry all the time. signed four grants to support Nanjule is a resident of village skills development in the refugee in Nabbaale sub-county, . communities in northern . She delivered by a caesarean section at St. The grants, worth sh1b (Euros Francis Naggalama Hospital after referral 900,000), will be implemented from a lower health unit following an by Windles International through obstructed labour. Uganda Women Christian Dr. Raphael Opon, a paediatrician at Association and Uganda Naggalama Hospital, said the baby has an Manufacturers Association in abnormality called encephalocele caused the districts of Kiryandongo and by the failure of the neural tube to close Adjumani districts targeting 360 completely during fetal development. students. He added that although the baby was born with a number of complications, it was given Collective support close supervision in the hospital’s nursery. According to Freda Bella Anek, the He said such cases always occur due skills development fund manager, to deficiency of folic acids either before Finn Church Aid will work with pregnancy or during the early stages of Lokopiyo Training Institute to pregnancy. implement the programme in “The baby’s management cannot end here; Yumbe. we have referred the mother to Mulago The Norwegian Refugee Council Hospital or Cure Children’s Hospital in working with Trino, a private Mbale, where specialised neural surgeons company, is to focus on Arua and will help with its care,” he said. Yumbe districts. While Action Sammy Auwerx, the finance and contracting co-ordinator Belgian Development Agency with He added that the biggest challenge in this Africa Help through Falamiyo Peter Avenell, the country director Action Africa Help International –Uganda, signing a grant case is that the baby’s skull did not close. Training Institute, will handle Arua for Skills Development Fund Agency at Protea Hotel in Kampala recently. Sr. Regina Nantongo, the Naggalama and Adjumani districts. Photo by Sylvia Katushabe Hospital human resource officer, told New “We shall train over 1,500 students Vision that when the baby was six days for one year and they have signed skills development in Albertin- education, will be able to start old, they discharged Nanjule but she did grants worth Euros 900,000,” Anek Rwenzori, Irish Aid in Karamoja BETWEEN THE LINES their own employment. Market for not have money to clear the balance of the said. region, European Union in West whatever they will be producing is hospital bill. The balance was sh270,000. n The Government has since Windles International received Nile and northern Uganda, among readily available,” Wadri said. Nanjule said the father of the baby, Richard prioritised basic education Euros 250,000 (sh105m). the refugees and host communities. “We are hosting them on our Ssejjemba, could only raise sh340,000. and skills development for “This is the second call for In pursuit of the 2020 middle- land free of charge and we have “When I contacted my relatives, including refugees. proposals. The first call was worth class income and Vision 2040 ensured together with government my father , they refused to give me a hand. Euros1million and we are actually agenda, innovations and skills peaceful co-existence with the host They gave me a condition to first abandon closing the grants this month,” she drive education has since been skills development in Uganda, communities,” he added. the baby if I wanted any assistance from added. earmarked by the Government as enhance productivity and According to Aggrey Kibenge, the them,” Nanjule said. “The third call for proposals is also one the main pillars to attainment growth with a main purpose of undersecretary in the education She calls on well-wishers to help raise coming. We did the information of the target. creating employable skills and ministry, the Government has since money to treat her baby. session two weeks ago and it will The guiding framework, dubbed, competencies relevant in the prioritised basic education and Nanjule can be reached on 0701281394 in be sh2m,” Anek noted. Business, Technical and Vocational labour market. skills development for refugees. the names of Rachael Nanziri, who is her She added that Enabel is Education and Training Strategic Arua LC5 chairperson Sam Wadri The arrangement gives attention to sister. supporting the skilling Uganda Plan 2011 – 2020, also known as Nyakua hailed the programme, their peculiar education needs. strategy to ensure that the training Skilling Uganda, has since been saying it will go a long way in “We need to plan for these institutions produce the skills implemented. dealing with poverty. people’s going back and we must which are responsive to the labour According to the strategic “The refugee youth, who have look at them as a resource we need market. plan, Skilling Uganda was to largely been disadvantaged to develop for the good of Uganda Belgium is already supporting represent a paradigm shift for without any opportunity for formal and South Sudan,” he said.

Tororo municipality staff interdicted over abuse office

TORORO section F-s[1] of the Uganda Nakalema’s unit, the resources public service standing order,’’ the they have been receiving. By Faustin Odeke letter read. Consequently, were held after While on interdiction, the several hours of grilling at Tororo The Tororo municipality town officers will receive half salary, municipal council. clerk, Muzamil Akuma and two will not be allowed to frequent the The funds were meant for of his junior staff have been ministry/district offices unless it is opening of roads and installation interdicted over abuse of office absolutely necessary and are not of culverts in the municipality. and causing financial loss to the allowed to travel outside Uganda After failing to show institution. without permission. accountability for the resources, In the January 25 letter signed Akuma’s interdiction came Nakalema’s unit ordered for their by the permanent secretary Okach when the State House Anti- immediate arrest and arraignment Ministry of Local Government, ‘’It has been deemed necessary corruption Unit, headed by Lt. Col. before the Anti-corruption court Ben Kumumanya, it is alleged that that you be removed from office Edith Nakalema visited Tororo over charges of abuse of office and Akuma authorised payments on to enable further investigations municipal council on January causing financial loss. non existing roads and culverts, into the matter. In addition, the 17, 2019, where Akuma and two The team found out that the which contravened sections 11 criminal case, makes your conduct, other junior officers, including the officers had faked payments and 20 of the Anti-corruption Act as a public officer to fall short of municipal engineer Denis Okach for none existing roads, fixed 2009, and section 390 of the Penal and the roads inspector Shadrack culverts as well as procured road the expected standards and be Nanjule breastfeeding her baby Code Act. culpable because it contravenes Etutu Ekoju, failed to account to equipment.