The beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model (PDM) in Gulu City have applauded the government for the initiative of fighting poverty directly from households.
In their remarks during the monitoring and evaluation tour of different groups and individuals who have benefited from PDM and its implementation in Gulu City by His Worship Alfred Okwanga, the Gulu City Mayor, the excited beneficiaries thanked His Excellency the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, for his vision for the people of Uganda and for taking the best approach in fighting poverty at the household level.
Mego Christine Lamwaka, a 78-year-old woman and one of the beneficiaries from Keyo B Cell, Kasubi Ward, Bardege-Layibi Division, thanked President Yoweri Museveni for his wise vision for the people of Uganda. She says that after receiving the money, she ventured into poultry keeping and earned 2 million shillings from her first investment.
“I got 9,960,000/= and ventured into poultry keeping. I first bought about 200 chicks, and when they grew, I sold them. I earned about 2 million from it. My second investment earned me 3 million shillings, and I invested the other balance and started a small merchandise shop. Unfortunately, some bad characters broke into my shop and looted everything, leaving me struggling. But thankfully, I had not invested all of it, which helped me to restart again,” she narrates.
Abalo Magrate, a 65-year-old resident of Keyo B and one of the beneficiaries, says she invested in produce and goat rearing and is earning significantly from both.
“I want to begin by thanking President Museveni for thinking about us, the poor. Right now, with this money, I was able to buy some goats, which are multiplying very fast. I have also invested some parts of the money into a small produce business, and it has really improved the livelihood of my family.”
Mr. Richard Abolla says he invested in poultry but it seems the ones he bought did not receive proper care and treatment at an early stage.
“I tried poultry, but it seems the person who sold me the chicks had not given them proper treatment at an earlier stage. When I brought them, most of them died, and I had only 6 remaining. After consultation, they grew very well. But I am not giving up on it. We appreciate the government, through the President, and also the city leadership for making sure the money reached the intended people. I want to ask my fellow beneficiaries to make the best utilization of this money.”
Rubangakene Daniel, Councilor 5 representing youth in the Gulu City Council, says that while success is being witnessed and testified, there are still small gaps that require improvement.
“We have been hearing that more than one person has received money, which was not how it is supposed to be because this money was for the household, not a single member of the household. Therefore, he urged that the chairperson and Parish Chiefs must ensure total inclusiveness of all and desist from acts of tribalism and nepotism for the success of the project.”
While the project has seen tremendous positivity in its implementation, few challenges are recorded from areas where confusion between the Parish Development Committee (PDCs) and the Project Executive Committee did not have a clear path of what exactly is required of them, causing delays in the process of disbursing money to the intended beneficiaries. He says that besides this and theft, among other issues, intervention from local authorities is needed.
Gulu City received a total of about 6.4 billion shillings under the Parish Development Model (PDM), and about 80% of this money has been disbursed to different groups. Among the many projects undertaken by the beneficiaries in Gulu City, poultry still stands as the most successful one, followed by piggery, according to Okwanga.
The Parish Development Model (PDM) is a strategy by the Ugandan government to deliver services and interventions for wealth creation and employment generation at the parish level.
