Happening today: @Mglsd_UG and @brac_uganda are hosting the national Ultra-Poor Graduation Model & The Self Reliance Index Symposium at the Mestil Hotel, Kampala #UPGRSISymposium2026. Guided by insights from Dr.Fred Muhumuza Makerere University Business School - MUBS Main Campus, the conversation is tackling three critical questions for Uganda's development pathway: 1. What is graduation? Moving beyond short-term aid to provide a time-bound, sequenced pathway that exits households from extreme poverty into sustainable livelihoods. 2. How confident are we that Ugandan households are becoming self-sufficient? Evaluating how foundational support transforms into long-term socio-economic resilience. 3. How do we measure graduation in progress? Utilizing data-driven tools like the Self-Reliance Index (SRI) to track household growth. The 4 Pillars of the Graduation Approach To achieve true autonomy, the BRAC Graduation Approach fastens together four interconnected core objectives: * Social Protection: Consumption support, health care access, and crisis relief to safeguard families against immediate shocks. * Livelihood Promotion: Asset transfers (livestock/goods) paired with technical skills training to generate resilient streams of income. * Financial Inclusion: Introducing informal savings groups (VSLAs) and financial literacy to build strong household capital. * Social Empowerment: Life-skills coaching, confidence building, and community integration to ensure marginalized households have a voice. By shifting the focus from mere poverty reduction to total self-reliance, this symposium highlights how structured coordination can complement existing national initiatives like the Parish Development Model (PDM). @NaomiAyot, @Josmay7720, @onamamathias,@musana_raymond