NSSF Donates Shs6 Million to Support Vulnerable Youths and Orphans at TASO Soroti.
By Peterson Hiirya.
The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) Uganda has donated Shs6 million to The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) Soroti Centre to support vulnerable youths and orphans living with HIV/AIDS through a skills development and livelihood project.
The donation was officially handed over during a ceremony held at TASO Soroti offices, where NSSF’s Chief People and Culture Officer, Milton Stephen Owor, reaffirmed the Fund’s commitment to supporting community initiatives that improve lives and create opportunities for vulnerable populations.
Speaking during the handover, Owor praised TASO for its significant contribution in transforming perceptions about HIV/AIDS and supporting those affected by the disease.
“NSSF Uganda truly appreciates the great work that TASO does to support people living with HIV/AIDS in our communities.
TASO has played a key role in changing the narrative around HIV from being viewed as a death sentence to a condition that can be managed, enabling people to live full and meaningful lives,” he said.
He explained that the donation was raised through voluntary contributions from NSSF staff and topped up by the Fund as part of its corporate social responsibility efforts.
“The purpose of this contribution is to thank TASO Soroti for the great work they are doing and to stand in solidarity with them because HIV/AIDS affects all of us in one way or another,” Owor added.
He noted that TASO Soroti was selected after consultations with TASO headquarters, citing the centre’s vocational skills project targeting vulnerable youth as particularly impactful.
“We chose Soroti because of the nature of their project. Empowering young men and women who are the future of our country appealed to us the most. If we don’t support the youth, we risk losing the future of our nation,” he said.
According to Owor, the tailoring and skills-training initiative offers young people an opportunity to earn a livelihood and become self-reliant.
Receiving the cheque TASO Soroti, Centre Manager Charles Odoi expressed gratitude to NSSF for timely support, describing it as a major boost to an ongoing youth empowerment project.
“We are delighted that NSSF has identified with us and chosen to support this initiative. This contribution will help us procure materials needed to increase production and strengthen the sustainability of the project,” Odoi said.
He explained that the project was launched last year with support from a German Rotary grant worth Shs72 million, which enabled TASO to acquire tailoring, embroidery, and interlocking machines.
The additional support from NSSF, he said, will help purchase raw materials necessary for production, enabling the project to generate income that will benefit orphaned and vulnerable children.
Odoi revealed that the project currently supports 30 adolescent girls and young women living with HIV, selected from a wider group of 262 orphans and vulnerable children under TASO’s care.
“Some of these young women are single mothers. Through this project, we intend to equip them with skills and provide them with a monthly stipend from proceeds generated through production and sales,” he said.
He noted that beneficiaries were selected through a rigorous process involving district authorities, community development officers, and local leaders to ensure the most vulnerable individuals were identified.
Odoi also highlighted the HIV/AIDS situation in Soroti City, where prevalence remains at approximately 12 per cent, higher than the national average.
He said TASO continues to intensify prevention, treatment, and care programmes to reduce new infections and support those already living with HIV.
Currently, TASO Soroti serves 5,823 active clients on antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, Odoi acknowledged challenges in tracking mobile populations such as fishermen, traders, and commercial sex workers, which contributes to treatment interruptions.
Despite these challenges, he reaffirmed TASO’s commitment to ensuring no client is left behind. “As caregivers, we are concerned whenever a client is lost to care.
We continue to follow up and support our clients because our goal is to ensure that everyone living with HIV remains on treatment and healthy,” he said.
The partnership between NSSF Uganda and TASO Soroti is expected to strengthen efforts aimed at empowering vulnerable youths, improving livelihoods, and supporting the fight against HIV/AIDS in the Teso sub-region.
