BUTAMBALA.
President Museveni Monday resumed his countrywide Parish Development Model (PDM) assessment tour, this time focusing on Greater Mpigi.
Among the lives touched by this PDM initiative, is that of Ms Rashida Namubiru, a resident of Butambala District.
Once defined by hardship and uncertainty, Ms Namubiru’s life took a dramatic turn when she received Shs1m through the PDM.
The President visited her home in Kasaka Village, Gombe Ward, where he witnessed first hand the results of strategic empowerment.
Ms Namubiru is a wife to Mr Muhamood Kasule, a mother of eight children, six of her own and two belonging to her late sister. For years, her life was defined by struggle.
“Before the Parish Development Model, life was extremely difficult. If I had a problem of Shs100,000, I couldn’t solve it. That’s how helpless I was. I lived in fear of even the smallest emergency,” she said.
Then came a turning point:
One day, parish chiefs arrived in her village and began sensitizing residents about the Parish Development Model, a government initiative aimed at helping Ugandans transition from subsistence to market-oriented farming.
She mentioned that some villagers dismissed it, thinking it was just more unfulfilled promises. But Namubiru listened and believed.
“They trained us, told us about enterprise groups and how to apply. We formed one called the Kasaka Goat Rearing Group, with eight members. We filled the forms, attended the training at Gombe Parish and waited,” she noted.
Then came the moment that changed her life.
“I was at home when I received a message on my phone. It said I had received Shs1 million from Gombe PDM SACCO. My hands started shaking.
I couldn’t believe it. I thought it was a mistake, maybe even a scam,” Ms. Namubiru recalled.
“In my entire life, I had never held Shs1m in my hands, not at once, not even in a dream. I called the LC1 chairman to confirm if it was real. He told me, ‘Yes, it is true. That’s the money from the President, through PDM’, I started crying. That was the first time I felt truly seen by my country,” the beneficiary said.
“I held that money and made a promise to myself that it will not go to waste. This money is going to change my life.”
Determined to invest wisely, she traveled to Kibibi Town Council and bought three young female goats at Shs 250,000 each, and one male goat at Shs 150,000 spending a total of Shs900,000. With the remaining Shs94,000, she built a temporary shelter for the animals.
“I had no background in goat rearing, but I started doing research, asking questions, and learning every day. I knew this was my chance,” she said.
Five months later, all three female goats conceived and gave birth to three kids each.
Her herd quickly grew to more than 10 goats. When veterinary officers visited, they encouraged her to build a stronger structure for the animals.
She sold two of the young goats for Shs 400,000 and used the money to build a permanent, self-contained shelter.
Her success didn’t stop at goats:
Using manure from her growing herd, Ms. Namubiru enriched her coffee and banana plantations.
The impact was immediate. In the past, she would earn just Shs500,000 per season from two bags of coffee. Now she recently made Shs1.7 million from the same garden.
“With that money, I bought a cow. And with the remaining Shs700,000, I did something that had haunted me for years. I took my son back to school. He had stopped at Senior Four because we had no money. Now he’s studying a course at Namasuba College of Commerce.”
“PDM has restored my dignity. I’m no longer a beggar. I’m a contributor, a farmer, a mother who can now educate her child,” she said.
Ms. Namubiru now owns eight goats, one cow, a coffee plantation, bananas, and a piece of land, with her home all sustained through her hard work.
“I want to be a model farmer. I want people to come and learn from me. I haven’t sold my goats because I want to multiply them. This is only the beginning.”
To those who think the PDM is only for the elite or supporters of a particular party, Ms. Namubiru is clear.
“This money is not for NRM, or any political group. It is for all Ugandans: Muslims, Catholics, Protestants, people of every tribe, every religion. Anyone who thinks otherwise will be left behind while we are moving forward,” she said.
She also urged the government to continue and expand the program.
“PDM should reach millions of more people. It has changed my life, and it can change so many others. I am a living proof of what Shs 1 million invested in the right hands can do,” she said.
On his part, President Museveni hailed Ms. Namubiru’s achievements as a shining example of the success the PDM program was designed to foster.
“You know that parable of the sower, the crowd gathered to welcome him. “Some seeds fell on rocky ground, some on the road, but some fell on good soil and bore fruit. Rashida reminds me of this parable because of her hard work,” the President said.
Moved by her effort and entrepreneurial spirit, the President announced personal support.
“She has gotten the courage to develop. I will ask my people and buy her more acres of land. She also mentioned transportation. I will contribute Shs 12 million to get her a tuk-tuk,” he said.
Speaking directly to the people of Butambala, President Museveni used Namubiru’s success to illustrate the purpose of the Parish Development Model, a government program that injects Shs100 million per year into each parish to support household-level wealth creation.
“This money is not for the government, it is yours. Use that money, and after 24 months, return it to your SACCO so that others can borrow. We are thinking of increasing it to Shs 200 million per parish.”
President Museveni also emphasized that he had rejected bank charges on PDM funds, ensuring that every eligible beneficiary receives the full Shs1 million.
“The government will cater for those charges. All PDM beneficiaries must get Shs1 million,” he insisted.
A life long fight against poverty
The President reflected on his long-standing campaign to combat poverty, tracing it back to the 1960s in the Ankole region, where he encouraged pastoralists to embrace settled farming and adopt dairy practices.
“My vision was clear to empower communities through modern farming and entrepreneurship. The Ankole people embraced my message of wealth creation, and today the region has transformed,” he said.
From Entandikwa, to NAADS, Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), Emyooga, and now PDM, President Museveni underscored that all these efforts stem from a single goal: to lift Ugandans out of poverty.
He also spoke about the importance of ‘ekibaro’ economic logic in choosing the right enterprise based on land size and potential. He said whether it’s dairy, poultry, fish farming, coffee, fruits, or cocoa, the key is to make it count.
“Even one acre can employ up to 15 people. Uganda has 40 million acres suitable for agriculture. If we use just 7 million effectively, we can create 105 million jobs, more than double of Uganda’s population.”
As he concluded his visit, the President expressed optimism in the rising spirit of entrepreneurship and self-reliance across the country.
“I am happy to see that you people have woken up and are working towards eliminating poverty. Let no one misuse this PDM money, it is a treasure for your future. Fight poverty and create wealth. The time is now,” he said.
The event was also attended by the Government Chief Whip, Hon. Denis Hamson Obua, the Minister of State for Investment and Privatisation, Hon. Evelyn Anite, State House Comptroller, Ms. Jane Barekye, among others.