KYANKWANZI .
President Museveni on Tuesday visited Kyankwanzi District as part of his ongoing assessment of the Parish Development Model (PDM), Uganda’s flagship initiative aimed at eradicating household poverty through commercial agriculture and financial inclusion.
During his visit to Bugomolwa Parish in Nkandwa Sub-county, President Museveni met Mr. Matovu Patrick, a PDM beneficiary who has successfully utilised the program’s support to improve his family’s livelihood.
Mr Matovu received Shs980,000 through the PDM, which he invested in purchasing 40 chicks at Shs 15,000 each, totaling Shs 600,000. He allocated Shs 100,000 for feed and an additional Shs 100,000 for iron sheets to construct a shelter. After six months, he sold 10 chickens at Shs 45,000 each, earning Shs 450,000. He supplemented this with Shs 400,000 from coffee sales to purchase a bull. Currently, Mr. Matovu earns Shs40,000 per month from egg sales, selling one tray weekly at Shs 10,000. He utilizes cow dung and chicken droppings as fertilizers for his coffee and banana plantations, enhancing crop quality and yield.
Expressing gratitude, Mr. Matovu thanked President Museveni for the PDM support, noting the significant improvement in his family’s standard of living.
In recognition of Mr. Matovu’s efforts, President Museveni provided additional support, including Shs 10 million to purchase three dairy cows and Shs 9 million for a tuk-tuk to assist with transportation. The President also extended Shs 6 million to the LC1 Chairman for a motorcycle and Shs 1 million to each PDM beneficiary who attended the event.
Addressing the community, President Museveni emphasized the importance of responsible utilization of PDM funds. He announced plans to increase annual funding from Shs 100 million to Shs 200 million after the upcoming elections, aiming to reach more households and enhance economic development.
“If we are sending Shs 100 million to each parish per year, it means each homestead gets Shs 1 million, touching 100 homesteads. In the third year, those who first received the funds will return them, and in five years, we will have reached 1,500 homesteads,” President Museveni stated.
He highlighted the benefits of the PDM over high-interest loans from moneylenders, noting that the program’s funds remain within the community and accrue a modest 6% interest over two years.
President Museveni also addressed concerns about water scarcity, pledging to provide water tanks to assist farmers in irrigating their crops during dry seasons. Furthermore, he warned against corruption and mismanagement of PDM funds, urging locals to report any misconduct.
He assured the community of his commitment to investigating and addressing such issues to ensure the program’s success.
The occasion was attended by area leaders and community members
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