Uganda Government Boosts Private School Teacher’s Sacco

The government through Microfinance support Centre has injected 5 billion Uganda shillings into the Uganda Teachers’ Cooperative Savings and Credit Union as part and parcel of its commitment to improving their welfare, especially during this pandemic.

The Uganda Teachers Cooperative Savings and credit union is an umbrella to several teachers saving groups across the country.

‘We want teachers to save and invest, we all know that teachers have suffered’

The chairperson of the Uganda Teachers cooperative savings and credit union, Ms. Joan Asiimwe said, “We want teachers to save and invest, we all know that teachers have suffered a lot during this lockdown. The most affected ones are those in private schools, so through our union, we are looking at teachers. We do not want them to go back to school and still start asking the government to help them.”

Ms. Asiimwe remarked thus while visiting various private teachers in Entebbe municipality who have started businesses for survival.

Let Teachers Invest in Something

“We encourage teachers to do something, let them invest in some kind of business besides teaching. But again it has to be an appropriate business which will not affect their teaching,” she added.

Ms. Asiimwe also advised the teachers to join the union as an easy way to access low-cost loans.

“If you want to start a business, you don’t have to start with much money because you will fail to run the business. You have to start with what you understand and we encourage teachers to start small,” she added.

Ms. Asiimwe informed that their program has been launched countrywide, although Arua, Wakiso, Soroti, Jinja, Mbarara, and Kasese districts are the pilot areas. However, she emphasized that all teachers countrywide qualify to get these loans.

Handing over Five million Uganda shillings to the Entebbe Municipal council private teachers initiative on Friday at Victorian High school said, “this Monet is a grant to boost teachers’ small businesses and also to motivate them to join our union.”

Mr. Stuart Lubwama, the headteacher of Victorian High School Entebbe said the money will greatly boost their welfare.

“I’m so grateful because since schools were closed, we private teachers have suffered a lot. However, I began my side business of selling chapatti. It’s what has been supporting me and my family. I, therefore, call upon teachers not to just sit down and cry to the government but rather to open side businesses because there’s money out there to tap.”