Institute for Money, Technology & Financial Inclusion

This blog reflects on the immediate impacts of the Senior Citizens Grant, a component of the Social Assistance Grant for Empowerment (SAGE) provided by the Government of Uganda. Digital payments geared toward changing the lives of elderly persons started with the SAGE pilot program in 2011. SAGE remits monthly stipend to beneficiaries aged 60 years and above through Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN). Although mobile money services have existed for seven years in Uganda, they are still viewed as novel and mostly used by younger generations. With the mobile disbursement of SAGE, however, older persons in Uganda are gradually tapping into these electronic payment innovations.