Pokwero sub-county in Pakwach District has registered  success stories of  the Parish Development Model (PDM) program.  

On Thursday, several beneficiaries shared testimonies at Pokwero sub-county during a meeting with the Special Presidential Assistant on Political Affairs, Owiny Alfred Thopacu who is also in charge of PDM program monitoring in Northern Uganda.  

Pokwero sub-county has six parishes that include Pokwero East, Janam- Orwenyo, Owiny, Oceke, Pokwero and Lobodegi. Over 600 beneficiaries from the six parishes attended the meeting. 

According to a release from State House, one of the beneficiaries, Florence Oikane from Lobodegi parish said the funds she received, she used it to start a piggery farm and it has now registered success.  

Coorom Patrick from Pokwero parish said he has since invested the PDM  funds in his 1.25 acres of cassava whereas Jayik Felix used the money to invest in fishing.  

At the meeting also attended by Senior government officials and security officers, Owiny urged the beneficiaries to jealously guard the PDM program, an initiative that was started by President Yoweri Museveni to help Ugandans join the money economy.  

“You must own PDM SACCOs. It's your village bank, through which the government will provide money each financial year.

The President wants each household in the rural areas to chase away poverty through PDM,” he said.

Owiny also advised the beneficiaries to be extremely careful on enterprise selection, saying they should choose ventures that have high returns. 

At the same meeting, he pledged to give farmers free cassava cuttings from his 5-acre cassava garden. 

The LCV Chairman of Pakwach District, Robert Omito encouraged the beneficiaries of PDM funds to always attend such meetings so that they get solutions to their challenges as far as the program is concerned and also get to hear some of the inspirational success stories.  

The Pakwach Deputy Resident District Commissioner (DRDC), Twaibu Achile, warned distractors to immediately stop spreading negative sentiments about the President's development programs such as the PDM.  

“When we were mobilising the beneficiaries to attend this meeting, some negative elements were also demobilising you, that we are going to arrest you, when you have not even multiplied in your enterprises. Now arrest you for what?” he wondered.  

The Acting sub-county Chief-Pokwero, Hawa Sebbi gave a detailed account on the progress of the PDM program in her area.

She also recommended that the government should release PDM funds to beneficiaries in time so that farming operations are not affected.