BY AMBROSE GAHENE
Power Utility Umeme has supported SOS Children’s Village with an assortment of scholastic materials including textbooks, laptop computers, exercise books and homecare utensils worth UGX44.5 million.
The Corporate Social Responsibility initiative was aimed at giving back to the communities within which the company operates by supporting the disadvantaged children at the SOS children’s home with online learning materials.
Speaking during the handover ceremony Selestino Babungi, the Umeme Managing Director said giving back to the communities was an act of humanity.
He commended the SOS model which seeks to raise children in a family setting and also support children in the communities thereby giving them a chance at life.
“We are interested in seeing these children utilize these gifts to improve their learning environment and also support their career growth. Staff contributed towards this cause and the Company topped up,” he said.
SOS Children’s Villages in Uganda National Director Olive Birungi Lumonya said, “We are taking care of a number of vulnerable children in the community. Umeme’s hand of help to SOS Gulu is great support to us especially in the current times of online learning. Our organization currently looks after 628 children in our locations and over 12,000 in the communities.”
Ms. Lumonya said without the support of friends like Umeme, these children wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Umeme’s willingness to provide the necessary requirements for these children to attain a decent education is helping us change the future for many underprivileged children. From now on, Umeme has become part of these children’s lives, and we look forward to taking this partnership further,” she said.
SOS Children’s Villages International was started in 1949 after World War II by Hermann Gmeiner, a child welfare worker.
In Uganda, SOS Children’s Villages have been in operation since 1989 with 4 locations now namely, Kakiri, Entebbe, Gulu, and FortPortal.
The home operates under 2 models: Family Like Care where they take in children who have lost parental care or are at risk of losing parental care and Family Strengthening Programme where they equip families within their communities to be able to sustain themselves and raise children within their biological settings.
Peter Kaujju head of Communications at Umeme said Children are a great inspiration for every society.
“As the Umeme family, we spent quality time with the SOS children’s home in Gulu, and carried support to aid and improve their learning environment.“We made a humble contribution as staff of Umeme to support the vulnerable child, I want to make a humble appeal to everyone who is able to help to support these children so that they realize a better future,” he said.
