Abstract
Globally, social protection systems are crucial at preventing and reducing poverty. In Uganda, social protection is provided by both the African Indigenous Social Protection system (AISPS) and Formal Social Protection Systems (FSPS). However, the majority of Ugandans benefit from indigenous social protection systems. This is because the formal social protection system is limited in coverage, scope, and adequacy. Despite the positive and enormous contribution that indigenous social protection systems play in providing safety nets to vulnerable people, they remain largely underdeveloped and not supported by government in terms of policy, legislation, financial assistance, and intervention strategies. Underscored by the Afrocentric perspective, this study used qualitative case study design, and employed face-to-face in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with elderly widows and key informants. It explored the different types of African indigenous social protection systems utilised by elderly widows in Kamuli district who are beneficiaries of the formal Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE) programme and provides insight into how they can be integrated with the formal SAGE social protection. Four important findings emerged from the study. First, there are three main AISPS that are utilised by elderly widows in Kamuli district in Uganda: extended family and kinship ties, neighbourhood and community support networks and spirituality and faith-based organisations. The findings also revealed that AISPS and formal SAGE programme are interlinked and complement each other. Empirical evidence show that the formal SAGE programme uses AISPS to reach out to beneficiaries while the beneficiaries of the formal SAGE programme use the SAGE cash to strengthen their social support networks. The central premise of this study is that despite AISPS playing an important role in the provision of social protection to elderly widows, AISPS are not included in the design and implementation of The Uganda National Social Protection Policy. Although AISPS are mentioned in the National Social Protection Policy as key providers of social protection, there is not enough support in terms of funding and capacity building rendered to them. This study’s findings have underscored the importance of integration of AISPS with the formal SAGE programme in the provision of social protection for the elderly. The study concludes with some considerations for harnessing the valuable contributions made by elderly widows in society and calls for the need to incorporate AISPS in the design and implementation of social protection policy. In addition, recommendations are made to improve the capacity of AISPS to address local risks, and further research into indigenous models and how they can be incorporated into mainstream social work curriculum and practice for a positive social change.
D.Phil. (Social Work)