Museveni lists PDM priorities, tips beneficiaries

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President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, clarified the Parish Development Model (PDM) strategy.

According to the President, the government program starting at the parish level is aimed at supporting people to start income-generating projects that will grow gradually, usher them into the money economy and improve household incomes.

The President made the clarification while inspecting PDM-funded projects at Ms Doreen Yapsiwa’s home in Kabukole village, Kobil parish, Kawowo sub-county, Tingey County in Kapchorwa district.  

Museveni touring Mr Yapsiwa Doreen PDM project. (Courtesy/PPU)

President Museveni who is currently on a wealth creation and PDM performance assessment tour in Sebei Sub-Region, appreciated Ms. Yapsiwa for embracing the government's call to utilize the PDM funds to create wealth.  

“I am happy to see that our granddaughter has woken up and engaged in wealth creation. She got a cow using PDM money. Before that, she had a banana plantation and 500 trees of coffee all on one acre. This is very good,” the President remarked, according to a release from Presidential Press Unit.

Addressing leaders and stakeholders, gathered at Yapsiwa's homestead, the President cautioned against borrowing from money lenders and commercial banks, describing the action as being ‘toxic’.

(Courtesy/PPU)

Instead, he encouraged them to utilize their parish banks in the form of the PDM SACCOs.  

“Don’t get money from money lenders or even commercial Banks because there is a parish bank for you. We shall be putting sh100m each year and in 5 years it will be sh500m and in the third year, the one who got money first will pay back, so you now get an additional sh100m,” he explained.  

President Museveni also disclosed that there is a possibility of changing the PDM rules, where once everybody in the parish has paid back, the amount to be borrowed can be raised to more than sh1m.

In appreciation for her commendable work, President Museveni donated a Fuso lorry to Yapsiwa to help her transport her bananas and that of her neighbours to the market. The President gave her two Friesian cows.

(Courtesy/PPU)

Yapsiwa expressed her profound gratitude to President Museveni for initiating the PDM program.

She narrated how she received the PDM money from Kobil -Kawowo SACCO in August 2023.  

“I topped up sh400,000 and bought a cow at sh1.4m. The cow now gives me 16 litres of milk daily. I sell some of the milk for basic needs at home and some is for home consumption,” she said.

(Courtesy/PPU)

She commended the Production Officer of Kapchorwa district for his advice, support and guidance on her farm free of charge.

“From the banana plantation, I harvest 20 bunches every 7th day of the month. During the festive season, I sell each bunch at sh40,000 and during off-season I sell each bunch between sh15,000 to sh20,000,” she said.  

(Courtesy/PPU)

Ms. Yapsiwa added that she has 500 coffee trees, and in her first harvest this year, she got 3 kilograms from each tree, translating to 1,500 kgs.  

She further proudly recounted that she no longer uses firewood for cooking because, in her enterprise, she does rotational farming where she utilizes the dung for processing biogas, recommending the system to be rolled out in the country.

“I do request that if this biogas system can be adopted in the country, it is a clean cooking energy system, it will save the environment,” she proposed.

(Courtesy/PPU)

 

The 34-year-old mother of three also advised women in the country to embrace government programs like the PDM to liberate themselves from poverty and dependency syndrome on their husbands.  

(Courtesy/PPU)

(Courtesy/PPU)

“To my fellow women, let's work hard. This issue of waiting for a Kavera from a man is not good. Let us try to work hard, money is not only got through salary, money is even got through farming,” she advised.

The Presidential visit was attended by Ministers, Members of Parliament, local leaders, among others.