Arua District is struggling to recover more than Shillings 400 million under the Youth Livelihood programme disbursed to 70 different groups six years ago.
Jinnah Sitaraya, the Focal Point Person for Youth Livelihood Project says that of the 496 Million Shillings that was disbursed, only 67 million shillings has been recovered.
She explained that during the current financial year, no youth group benefited due to the poor recovery from the beneficiaries.
Milad Afema, the Chairperson of Ombaci produce traders group in Ajia Sub county which received 6 million shillings says that they have not recovered any money.
Afema explained that the Covid-19 induced lockdown drastically affected their business.
“We bought beans and cassava flour and due to the lockdown transports costs increased which made us to sell the produce at a loss” Afema added.
Gloria Leku, the Arua District female youth councilor says the government needs to revisit its support of poverty eradication to group members.
The district chairperson, Alfred Okuonzi says the youth need to have a positive mindset and stop looking at such government programs as political gifts. According to Okuonzi they plan to strengthen monitoring of the youth groups to address laxity that has allowed some of them to misappropriate the funds.
The youth livelihood fund is a government initiative targeting the poor and unemployed youth in the country which was rolled out in 2014/2015 as a revolving fund to improve on livelihoods of the young people.
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