BUDIOPE, BUYENDE: The Minister for the Presidency and Budiope West Member of Parliament, Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda, has hosted the most successful Parish Development Model (PDM) beneficiaries from the constituency and urged them to embrace the Four Acre Model to accelerate household income and fight poverty.
The meeting brought together one beneficiary with an outstanding PDM success story from each of the 277 villages in Budiope West, covering 38 parishes and eight sub-counties.
The beneficiaries, including farmers, traders, youth, men and women, shared experiences of how they invested the Shs1 million received through the PDM revolving fund into productive ventures, with many reporting improvements in household incomes and living standards.
Minister Babalanda conveyed greetings from President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Kataaha Museveni, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President, Hajji Yunus Kakande, and staff of the Office of the President.
She said the engagement was intended to listen to the beneficiaries, celebrate their achievements and identify challenges affecting the implementation of the programme so that they can be addressed.
Babalanda said the ultimate objective of PDM is to move households from subsistence production into the money economy by supporting productive enterprises at parish level.
She commended the beneficiaries for demonstrating discipline, commitment and innovation and challenged them to become examples for other residents in their respective villages.
“I urge you to go back and share the knowledge and values that have made you stand out with your village mates, so that everyone who receives PDM funds registers success,” she said.
The Minister also reminded beneficiaries that PDM funds are intended for productive activities and urged them to repay the loans on time to allow other households to benefit from the revolving fund.
She cautioned beneficiaries against spending the money on activities that do not generate income.
“Do not use PDM money to marry second wives or for drinking. That money is seed capital to fight poverty in your home,” Babalanda said, drawing laughter and applause from the audience.
During the meeting, beneficiaries gave testimonies of how they had used the Shs1 million to establish poultry, piggery, goat rearing and dairy projects, as well as retail businesses and crop farming.
They said the investments had enabled them to increase household income, pay school fees and meet other basic household needs.
Babalanda pledged to continue monitoring the implementation of PDM in Budiope West, including visiting beneficiaries at their homes to assess how the funds are being utilised.
She also promised to work closely with district leaders to promote transparency and accountability and ensure that PDM funds reach all intended beneficiaries.
In addition to PDM, Babalanda encouraged the beneficiaries to adopt the Four Acre Model, which she described as a practical strategy for rural households to generate income from relatively small pieces of land.
Under the model, she explained, the first acre should be dedicated to long term cash crops such as coffee and cocoa; the second to fruits including oranges and mangoes; the third to food crops such as maize, beans, cassava, sweet potatoes and vegetables; and the fourth to pasture to support zero grazing dairy farming.
She also encouraged households to establish backyard and home based enterprises, including vegetable gardens and poultry projects for egg production, as additional sources of income.
Babalanda said combining PDM support with proper land utilisation and household enterprises would help families increase incomes, improve food security and gradually move out of poverty.
She reiterated the Government’s commitment to supporting household income generating activities as part of its broader strategy of transforming communities and improving livelihoods under the leadership of President Museveni.
