The Minister for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Judith Nabakooba, has urged women and youth of Mityana district to embrace the Parish Development Model (PDM) as a means of transforming their lives for development.
The minister who was speaking during the district Women’s Day celebrations held in Butayunja Sub-county, Mityana district on March 30 2023, encouraged residents to consider seven enterprises if they are to benefit from PDM funds.
“How can you utilise your small land to give you maximum output in agriculture? There are seven enterprises from which you can benefit from. These include: Piggery, fish farming, dairy/zero grazing and growing of either fruits, coffee or food crops,” she said.
Nabakooba added: “The district should not limit the homesteads on what to do. Tell the community development officer or the PDM district focal point to explain the ekibalo for each enterprise and let people choose for themselves. Remember, each of the beneficiary should belong to an enterprise.”
She revealed that so far 75 saccos have been formed meant to distribute the PDM money to all the beneficiaries in the district.
“In Mityana, so far 75 saccos have been formed in order to distribute PDM money to all the intended beneficiaries. Out of the 75, 69 have so far received sh25m capitation grant this is more money available for us. These saccos carried enterprise selection and came up with three district enterprises namely; coffee, dairy cattle and poultry,” she said.
The minister also vowed to ensure that the three saccos which have not received any money do receive it in the shortest time possible.
“I found out that there are three saccos that didn’t receive the first sh7m that was distributed. These include: Kikandwa sacco, Namutunku sacco and Bulyakuyenge. I want to find out why these saccos have not yet received this money. We need to support the process and ensure that they receive this money as soon as possible,” she said.
Nabakooba also called on district leaders to put in more emphasis to sensitise the people about PDM.
“I call upon my fellow leaders in the district to step the senstisation regarding PDM opportunities. I am aware that many people are not yet on board. This is because they do not know what to do. Let us step up our mobilisation and ensure that everyone is on board,” she said.
“The other appeal is towards the community itself. My fellow women, we have the role to play in ensuring that PDM benefits us all. Let us be vigilant and lookout for any corrupt tendencies.
This is your money and you do not have to pay anything in return. Just utilise properly according to the guidelines that will be provide by the saccos.”
The minister also advised residents to avoid sub-dividing their land saying that doing so would limit agricultural production.
The Mityana Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Africano Aharikundira, while addressing the resident during the celebrations called upon leaders in Mityana to work together for the good of the district.
He called upon opposition leaders in the district to avoid fighting governmnent programs and urged parents to ensure that the girl child receives education at all costs.
“I also call upon parents in the district to ensure that their girls receive education at all costs. We need like 1000 Nabakoobas,” he said.
During the event, women leaders in the district decried the poor road network in the district saying that it is affecting expecting mothers who find it hard to move to health centres when the time for delivery has come.
“We have a very poor road network in district most especially here in Butayunja sub-county. This is affecting expecting mothers who fin to hard to move to health centres when time for delivery has come,” one of them said.
During the event, one of the district leaders, Hajji Noor Kalyesubula, donated a farming tractor to the residents in the district.
Kalyesubula said the tractor is meant to help farmers prepare their gardens for harvest.