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Ouganda
Kabahwezi Margaret
is an expectant mother who is saving for safe delivery when her time is due in
January 2024. The 25-year-old and mother of 5 is saving with Basambo United
Village Savings and Loans Association. She gets her income by selling fish and
cocoa, which her husband helps her to harvest.
Margaret
said that her motivation to start saving for health is to prepare herself for
safe delivery by timely accessing the health facility and being able to acquire
necessities during the time of delivery. “As an expectant mother, I want myself
and the baby to be safe during the time of delivery”, said Margaret. She said
that several women in the community have ended up in the hands of traditional
birth attendants due to delays in accessing the facility, which is usually
attributed to inadequate resources to get a reliable and quicker means of
transport.
Margaret has
so far saved 20,000 Uganda shillings (5€) and her future saving plan is to
ensure that after giving birth, she increases are savings for health premiums
from 2,000 to 5,000 Uganda shillings (0.2€ - 0.5€) per week to cover her 3 children as well. She said she also got
financial management and budgeting knowledge from the training delivered by the
ambassadors on saving for health. She therefore intends to use that knowledge
to boost her savings by investing more resources in her business.
Another
expectant mother, Kobusingye Lydia, 33 from Bweramule Sub County, Ntoroko
district is also saving for a safe delivery. Lydia said that she realized that it
won’t be easy to trek the 7km distance to Bweramule Health Center III when she
is ready to give birth. She recalls how many mothers get stuck accessing
antenatal services and maternity services during their time of giving birth.
She said she
already borrowed from her Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) group, savings for health account. “I have already cumulatively
borrowed up to UGX 15,000 (4€) for some of my antenatal visits especially when it
finds me without cash at hand, and I have always ensured that whatever amount I
have picked is paid back before my next visit”, added Lydia.
The chairperson of Rukoora Women and Men VSLA
group, Mr. Mugume Steven said that Lydia has already saved 36,000 Uganda
shillings (9€) for health. “We will support her to achieve her saving purpose,
a safe delivery”, said Mugume.
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