NMG joins campaign to upgrade city slums
A man removes waste from a drainage channel during the World Clean Up Day at Banda, Kampala, last Saturday. NMG-U is partnering with different organisations to address housing and sanitation challenges in slums. PHOTO | STEPHEN OTAGE
What you need to know:
- In July, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said it is vital to harmonise the current high population growth with the availability of resources - both at the family and state levels - to guarantee the well-being and future prospects of every child.
Nation Media Group is mobilising its partners, policy makers and sponsors to join a global housing campaign, which seeks to change the living conditions of people in city slums.
In an interview with this publication yesterday after the launch of the campaign in Uganda, Mr Sam Barata, the general manager NMG Commercial, said they have partnered with Habitat for Humanity Uganda, in the Home Equals Campaign, where NMG-U will mobilise its partners and sponsors to join the campaign to raise Shs.1 billion to build houses for people in vulnerable communities.
Mr Barata asked policy makers to start paying attention to the living conditions of the people in the lowest pyramid of society.
“We are reaching out to our partners and sponsors to raise Shs.1b to build houses for very poor people,” he said.
He added that the partnership between NMG and Habitat for Humanity, which started in 2022, will entail using different NMG media platforms to broadcast programmes that promote decent housing and organised settlements so as to educate the public about the importance of living in planned and organised environments.
Mr Robert Otim, the country director of Habitat for Humanity Uganda, said they focus on addressing security of slum dwellers and protecting their rights in cases of displacement and evictions.
“The campaign will work with policy makers and communities living in informal settlements. We have built more than 40,000 homes and we are considering scaling up the effort in informal settlement by ensuring inclusive participation involving the voices of the voiceless and helping them in decision-making,” he said.
He added that the campaign, among other things, also aims to ensures people residing in slums access basic services such as hygiene, drinking water, sanitation, garbage and waste collection.
Habitat for Humanity Uganda is currently piloting a project in Kamwokya, a Kampala suburb, which has attracted other partners, including the Catholic Relief Services, Uganda Water and Sanitation Network, and Kampala Capital City Authority.
Mr Paul Mayende, a research analyst at Habitat for Humanity, said a study they have conducted in the city slums shows that many places accommodate essential workers, including security guards, house helps, drivers, gardeners and factory workers.
“The same people look after the rich members of society, but the disparity in their living conditions, is a danger to society because it sows seeds of discord between the rich and poor,’’ he said.
Population crisis
In July, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said it is vital to harmonise the current high population growth with the availability of resources - both at the family and state levels - to guarantee the well-being and future prospects of every child.
“With a population of over 45 million people, Uganda has one of the fastest-growing populations in the world, with more than 50 percent of its citizens below the age of 18. This number is expected to double by 2040,’’ UNICEF indicated.
