Museveni’s anti-poverty scheme turns Kataka into model parish

President Museveni. PHOTO/FILE

What you need to know:

  • The presidential initiative has promoted commercial farming in Kibuku District.

Mr Fred Mukisa, a resident of Kataka parish in Kibuku District,  received a Shs3m calf under the presidential initiative scheme.

Mr Mukisa, who was part of the 50 beneficiaries, now has five cows.

The scheme was rolled out in 2011 with households getting in-calf heifers as part of President Museveni’s dream to empower model villages to fight poverty.

“I didn’t know that mindset change could yield results. What I have achieved so far is a success story of accumulating wealth,” Mr Mukisa said.

He has been able to educate his children from the milk proceeds.

“We have also been able to access basic needs, pay health bills as well as save for a rainy day unlike the previous years,” he said.

Mr Mukisa started by selling 20 litres of milk per day at Shs1,000 per litre and now earns Shs600,000 a month.

Another beneficiary, Mr Mohammed Jamuliro, a resident of Buguma, Kataka parish, shares a similar story.

“I’m able to provide basic needs for my family. At the start, things were not easy but I’m getting the fruits,” Mr Jamuliro said.

The area chairperson, Mr Issa Kaligo, applauded the government for spear-heading the initiative, saying  it has improved livelihoods.

The district veterinary officer, Mr Fred Magero Mubekete, advised  the beneficiaries to adhere to the guidelines to achieve maximum output.

“These animals are healthy.  Take care of them and improvise enough grass and water to realise the output,” Mr Mubekete said.

“Embrace the keeping on exotic breed and do away with the local ones if one is to move out of the vicious cycle of poverty. Observe hygiene and make sure these are frequently sprayed to kill ticks,” he added.

Mr Mubekete, however, urged the beneficiaries to always seek technical advice in case they encounter challenges.

“Practice zero grazing because most of the land had been fragmented into smaller plots. The biggest challenge is poor feeding which makes animals produce little milk,” Mr Mubekete added.

The State House communication officer, Ms Suleiman Walusimbi, said if beneficiaries take care of the animals, they will be able to  realise more benefits.

“This should be the beginning of transformation. If you embrace and keep well these animals, the tangible benefits are enough for you to enjoy life,” Mr Walusimbi said.

The Resident District Commissioner, Ms Eva Kwesiga, challenged the beneficiaries to pass on the skills because it is a revolving programme.

An official from the State House under the poverty alleviation department, Ms Hellen Akello, said the baseline survey was done and noted that a village could be taken as a model unit to boost or empower individual villages to adapt to commercial farming as a strategy to fight household poverty.

“The presidential model parish is basically to change the minds of the community so that they can be more influential on other communities. This will turn into a learning centre for other communities,” she said.

Ms Akello said  the programme targets families that meet the required or basic pillars and among them, the household should have a pit-latrine, kitchen,  and garden.

“People shouldn’t be lamenting over poverty and yet they are to blame for being lazy. People have acres of land but they don’t want to work and this remains a big challenge. This era is for people to work and we shall force to work so that people increase on their household incomes,” she said.

Ms Jennipher Namuyangu, the district Woman MP and State Minister for Bunyoro Affairs, said the programme will boost commercial farming in the area and turn it into a model village.

Background

The presidential scheme on model villages is a project under the poverty alleviation initiative at State House which was started in 2004 to create model farms in various districts.

It was also created to transform poor communities into self-sustaining ones  through best practices of agriculture, market-led production and value addition.

More than 17 beneficiaries in Kataka Parish have  received in-calf heifers since it was launched in the area in  2009.