Wazalendo Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (WSACCO) has donated an assortment of items to female residents of Katakwi district to mark the International Women’s Day celebrations in the district. The items included; 518 packs of reusable sanitary pads and 139 standard maama kits worth ten million shillings.
The Katakwi Resident District Commissioner, Major (Rtd) Godfrey Katamba commended WSACCO for not only giving services to its members but also considering the members of the community where the SACCO operates.
The Director of Women Affairs of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) Colonel Betty Musuya appreciated Wazalendo for positively responding to the call when contacted to support the girl child and women in the area during women’s day celebrations.
Col Musuya observed that the donation will go a long way to promote girls’ hygiene, promote their education and also help mothers who can not afford birth kits.
The representative for the Eastern Region on the WSACCO Board of Directors, Major Ongodia who delivered the donated items said that the donation is in fulfilment of the cooperative principle number seven. Maj Ongodia noted that this specific donation was to support the vulnerable girls and women in Katakwi as a way of celebrating this year’s Women’s Day.
The Gender representative on the Board of Directors, Maj Mariam Kagoro, thanked the Board of Directors and Management for the support extended to the female residents of Katakwi. “Wazalendo SACCO is not only for the soldiers, we also cater for the community because these are our parents, children, friends and partners,” Maj Kagoro emphasized.
The District Health Officer Dr. Simon Omeke thanked Wazalendo for addressing one of the major issues faced by girl child in the district of menstrual hygiene management which he said has increased the number of school dropouts and early marriages. He added that mama kits are also critical to ensuring mothers have a birth preparedness plan.
The sanitary pads have been distributed to several school-going girls and other teenagers in the community identified by the local leaders and mama kits shall be handed over to expectant mothers who need such support.
