Some of the leaders attending the experience sharing engagement organized by The Microfinance Support Centre. 

Emyooga Sacco leaders in Maracha District have been tipped on best practices on project management. The engagement which took place on Wednesday, 30 April at the District Headquarters organized by The Microfinance Support Centre, saw selected best performing Sacco chairpersons from 30 districts share their experiences on governance, savings, sustainability, record keeping, and enterprise selection.

Emyooga a Presidential Initiative on Wealth and Job Creation was launched in August, 2019. The programme targets 18 categories of specialized Ugandans who include boda boda riders, taxi drivers, restaurant operators, welders, market vendors, women entrepreneurs, youth leaders, people with disabilities (PWDs), journalists, performing artists, carpenters, salon operators, tailors, mechanics, produce dealers, veterans, fishermen and elected leaders.

Hon. Stephen Obitre, Maracha District Chairperson, said Sacco chairpersons should regularly organize meetings to assess the performance of their portfolios.

“Without meetings you cannot not know whether you are progressing or not. You have to do regularly meetings to look back at the baseline level how you started and where you have reached,” he advised.

Hon. Obitre advocated central government allocates operational funds for Emyooga and Parish Development Model (PDM) programs because local governments are resource constrained.

 “Previously commercial department was under Production Department, they are still grappling and these programs don’t have operational costs, they only discretional fund that the District is having to support them has been prioritized for the council Complex,” he said.  

Hon. Obitre cautioned elected leaders against instigating residents not to pay back the revolving funds. He said it would be shameful if some of the beneficiaries are arrested for failing to refund the money.

Ms.  Harriet Nakamya, Rwampara Resident District Commissioner (RDC), who was part of the visiting team, said most Emyooga groups have poor membership composition which endangers strong group dynamics and coherence.

“ You mobilize the people whom you do the same work then you form an association, but you find an association at parish having even members from another sub-county that is where problems start, others mobilize their relatives, some are ghost associations with 5 members but indicating 30 members,” she told the 36 Sacco chairpersons at the meeting.     

Ms. Nakamaya advised Maracha District leaders to fast-track the recovery of funds disbursed commencing with the Sacco chairpersons who have defaulted which will propel other members to follow suit.

“Before you do anything reinforce the recovery of the money you gave, start with these people (Sacco chairpersons), call them let them sign committing themselves how they going to pay that money,” she said.

Ms. Monica Koliba, Maracha Deputy RDC, challenged the Sacco chairpersons to grow the membership of their groups, “From this meeting you are supposed to go and build on bigger membership, you should be mobilisers so that your saving base goes up.”

Ms. Christian Bamale, Maracha District Commercial Officer, commended Micro finance Support for the engagement and promised.

Ms, Grace Achemi, chairperson of Kapchorwa Municipality Tailors Emyooga Sacco, tasked the Sacco chairpersons to embark on a savings  mobilization drive, adding, “ You don’t save for today you save for tomorrow.”  

Mr. Maxwell Adoko, a Sacco chairperson in Lira City, counseled the Sacco chairpersons to decentralize decision making for collective ownership in the management of the Sacco. 

“For you to be a good leader you must be a team player, you do not work alone. We had those problems with some saccos in Lira City where you think you are the chairperson of the Sacco you are the boss of everything”

Mr. Robert Dramani, a coach for 2 Emyooga Saccos in Maracha District, said instead of waiting for the annual general meetings to resolve conflicts, Sacco chairpersons should be proactive in grievance management.   

Ms. Immaculate Tumuhimbise, the chairperson of Mbarara City South Women Entrepreneurs Emyooga Sacco, said women should support their husbands in increasing household income by using the time and space at home to come up with income generating projects.

“Mothers there are some challenges we face that cut across, there is a head and a shoulder, we have accepted that we are the shoulders, but at same time we need to create wealth.”

She added: “Don’t get a big loan that you cannot afford to pay, work within your means so that you grow slowly and steadily, you begin small and you grow from one level to another”

Ms. Immaculate Tumuhimbise, chairperson of Mbarara City South Women Entrepreneurs Emyooga Sacco explaining to the audience one of her group projects.  

Mr. Nasser Anguyo, a trainer, decried the low shareholding by Sacco chairpersons “you own the Sacco by having shares”

Mr. Zaake Wamala, chairperson Kawempe One Boda-boda Sacco, challenged the Sacco chairpersons to exercise their mandate with integrity to build confidence among group members.

The 36 Emyooga Saccos in Maracha District each initially received Shs30 million.  Recently 6 of the Saccos received an additional Shs20 million each.