Govt Urged to Weave Graduation Approach into Existing Poverty Programs

Experts and government officials are advocating for a strategic integration of the Graduation Approach into Uganda’s existing poverty reduction frameworks. This call, made during a national symposium on the ultra-poor graduation model, emphasizes the need for a sustainable pathway from vulnerability to self-sufficiency.

The two-day event, hosted by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, highlighted how programs like the Parish Development Model (PDM) can serve as vehicles for the Graduation Approach’s principles. Julius Kapwepwe, a technical advisor for PDM, explained that the model’s focus on resilience and liberation from poverty, through elements like household production, market access, and job creation, aligns well with graduation principles.

Instead of creating new, separate interventions, Kapwepwe suggested that the government should leverage and adapt its current systems. This integrated approach could also extend to refugee-hosting communities, benefiting both refugees and their hosts by utilizing established infrastructure and economic opportunities.

Arifur Rahman from UNHCR stressed the importance of an “end-to-end” approach, recognizing that impoverished and refugee households often face multiple, interconnected barriers. “We have to do the programming… capture various vulnerabilities within the programme, not just cash, not just skills, not just training, all of them possibly merge together,” he stated.

This comprehensive strategy should include protection and prevention measures alongside livelihood promotion to ensure lasting gains. Hellen Acibo, a senior settlement officer, underscored the need for reliable data to track household progress and guide interventions, preventing duplication and ensuring sustainability.

Minister of State for Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations, Simon Mulongo, concurred, advocating for the Graduation Approach to be a method of organizing support within existing systems, rather than a parallel program. He stressed that success should be measured by the creation of lasting capacity, not just the provision of assets or training. “The important question, therefore, is not simply what did we give; it is what capability did we create?”

Mulongo challenged stakeholders to identify which elements yield the most durable results and to determine the cost-effectiveness of permanently lifting households out of extreme poverty, with the potential for evidence from the symposium to inform government policy.

This article was compiled from information provided by Nile Post.