BUKEDI REGION LEADERS COLLECTIVELY SENSITIZE AND MOBILIZE RESIDENTS ON PARISH DEVELOPMENT MODEL: AFRISA ACTIVELY PARTICIPATES IN THE PROCESS
By Jacinta Nakaye
Bukedi region leaders carried out mobilization and sensitization exercises to enable residents in the region to understand and embrace the Parish Development Model as an intervention to eradicate poverty in the country.
Spearheaded by Hon. Dr. Monica Musenero, Cabinet Minister for Science, Technology, and Innovation, the leaders executed a couple of community mobilization and sensitization campaigns in different districts and parishes of the region. These exercises focused on mindset change of the residents in order for them to embrace the idea of enterprise development to increase household incomes from merely being subsistence producers.
These interventions tailed a visit by the State Dignitaries to the Model farmers’ household enterprises in Kaberekeke Parish, Petete Town Council, Butebo District on 22nd June 2022, where the benchmarking processes for Parish Development Model (PDM) were undertaken. The visit to the Model Parish was to witness the transformations of farmers who benefited from the productivity acceleration training facilitated by the Africa Institute for Strategic Animal Resource Services and Development (AFRISA).
The PDM piloting phase in Kabererekeke Parish was under the support of the Science, Technology, and Innovation- Office of the President (STI- OP).
Visit Kabererekeke Model Farmers’ household enterprises
Model Farmers of Kaberekeke Parish, Butebo District together with the AFRISA team welcome State Ministers to the Benchmarking and Bukedi region Parish Development Model (PDM) planning meeting held at St. Paul High School, Petete, Butebo District on 22nd June, 2022.
State Dignitaries visited the Model farmers in Kabererekeke Parish to witness the progress of their household enterprises and to undertake a benchmarking exercise on the functionality of PDM.
Dairy model farmer, Hajira reflected on her benefits from the productivity acceleration exercises facilitated by AFRISA during the demonstration phase of PDM in Kaberekeke.
“I previously had a cow of local breed and took a decision to sell it off so that I buy another which could give me some more litres of milk. Fortunately, the money I got from selling my previous cow was just enough for me to buy a better one. I got a new cow, but it was only producing 3 litres of milk,” narrates Hajira. She added that, “on participating in the productivity acceleration trainings on livestock nutrition facilitated by AFRISA, I decided to change my cow’s mode of feeding. Within a period of only one month, my cow currently produces 5 litres of milk. I now make some more money from selling milk.” Hajira further testified that she currently sells off 4 litres of milk and remains with 1 litre for home consumption.
State Dignitaries from the Bukedi region visit one of the Dairy Value Chain model farmers, Hajira to assess her progress on her dairy household enterprise during a benchmarking exercise in Kaberekeke Parish, Butebo District on 22nd June 2022.
Poultry model farmer; Wanyana Sarah also highlighted her benefits from the productivity acceleration training.
“With training from AFRISA, I learnt the practice of synchronized hatching and brooding of chicks. Synchronized hatching has swiftly enabled the multiplication of my chicken and it has helped us to take care of these birds very well; I am able to vaccinate the chicks at ago. I started with 10 chicken, but currently, I have 30,” testified Wanyana.
Piggery Model Farmer, Yoko Lam also reflected on his benefits.
Yoko reported that from the productivity acceleration training of the PDM piloting phase, he managed to construct a shelter for his pig using local technology, with guidance from the AFRISA Piggery Value Chain Programme Officer, Mr Bwire Jolly Muchere, who facilitated piggery enterprise training while in Kaberekeke Parish.
Piggery Model Farmer, Yoko Lam demonstrates how he feeds his pig during the State Dignitaries’ visit to model farmers’ household enterprises in Kabererekeke Parish, Butebo District on 22nd June 2022.
He further reports that each household in Kaberekeke, within piggery value chain is set to construct a similar shelter for the pigs. Mr. Yoko also recalls the challenges he used to face in pig farming before the training.
“I had no idea about proper nutrition for pigs and used to gather some grass to feed my pig,” he recollects. Adding that, “however, I got knowledge on proper feeding of pigs. Now, I have been using nutrition boosters with support from AFRISA to improve the quality of my animal. I expect it to have eight piglets if I decide to sell off each piglet at two hundred thousand Ugandan Shillings; I can raise good money from this enterprise,” he asserts.
The community mobilization
The leaders of the region were later engaged in the Parish Development Model planning meeting, which was held at St. Paul High School, Petete, Butebo District. The meeting was for the leaders to caucus and roll out the mobilization process throughout the region’s seven districts and twenty-two constituencies. The meeting was to also benchmark from the Kabererekeke Model Parish where the PDM demonstration was undertaken.
During an interview with Hon. Dr. Musenero, called for unity among leaders in order to drive development in the region.
“In the past, leaders from Bukedi region have not worked closely very well with each other, but this time, we are coming together. We really want to work as a team and this activity is setting us off. We have sat as members of the caucus and need to galvanize to work as a solid team. We need to have an agreed-upon vision for the region and must develop an implementation plan,” she said.
Bukedi region comprises seven districts, which include; Budaka, Butebo, Butaleja, Pallisa, Tororo, Busia, and Kibuku, all in which residents were involved in the mobilization and sensitization exercises on PDM.
During an interview with Hon. Richard Oseku, Member of Parliament representing Kibale County, Palisa District, who doubles as Chairperson of Bukedi Parliamentary Caucus, appealed to the Government of Uganda for an affirmative approach towards Bukedi in regards to poverty eradication, given that the region is considered as one of the poorest in the county.
“Bukedi region falls among the poorest in the whole country, therefore at the national level, H.E. the President of the Republic of Uganda has mainstreamed Bukedi as one that needs to be attended to. However, Parish Development Model is a general program for the whole country and there’s nothing as affirmative action specified for Bukedi,” said Hon. Oseku.
He added that “besides the normal programs that are being implemented across the whole country, there is a need to think of an affirmative action in order to transform Bukedi from the majority poor to household income earners and manage their livelihood fares.”
Bukedi region PDM sensitization and mobilization exercises commenced on 23rd June 2022. These conventions brought together Ministers, Members of Parliament, the region’s residents, leaders at the Local Government level (RDCs, LCs, Councilors, Sub-county chiefs, and Parish Chiefs among others), and technical teams from the Science, Technology, and Innovation- Office of the President (STI-OP), and Africa Institute for Strategic Animal Resource Services and Development (AFRISA), religious leaders and the Police.
The leaders first directed emphasis on mindset change in their communities to make them understand the benefits of owning household enterprises, which is to increase household incomes.
PDM target is to move 39% of the households out of subsistence production into the money economy in the next five years. 10% of support is directed to the elderly, 10% to people with disabilities, 30% to women, 30% to youth, and 20% to men.
PICTORIAL
Hon. Dr. Monica Musenero, Cabinet Minister for Science, Technology, and Innovation, who is also the team leader of PDM implementation in Bukedi region makes her remarks during the PDM sensitization and community mobilization district meeting in Budaka on 24th June 2022.
Hon. Hellen Asamo, Minister of State for Disability Affairs chairing a PDM sensitization and mobilization District meeting in Budaka on Friday, 24th June 2022.
The Executive Director, AFRISA, Mr. Felix Okello made his remarks on AFRISA’s input in the PDM productivity acceleration of households during a parish meeting in Mulanda, Tororo District on 25th June 2022. In the front with him is the Minister of State for Defence, Hon. Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth is spearheading the PDM implementation process in Tororo District.
Hon. Max Ochai, Member of Parliament, representing West Budama North Constituency made his remarks during a PDM sensitization and mobilization meeting in Gule Parish, Magola, Tororo District on 25th June 2022. Neighboring him on the left is Hon. Dr. Emmanuel Otiam Otala, Member of Parliament representing West Budama South Constituency, Tororo District (1st left), and the Minister of State for Defence, Hon. Jacob Marksons Oboth-Oboth (2nd left), on the right, is AFRISA’s Executive Director, Mr. Felix Okello.
AFRISA’s Programme Officer for Pig Industry and Business, Mr. Bwire Jolly Muchere sensitizing the community on productivity acceleration of households through practicing piggery during a Parish meeting in Kabwangasi Sub-county, Butebo District on 3rd July, 2022.
AFRISA’s Programme Officer for the Dairy Value Chain, Mr. Israel Baguma sensitizing the community on productivity acceleration of households during a Parish meeting in Mulanda, Tororo District on 25th June, 2022.
AFRISA’s Programme Officer for the Poultry Value Chain, Ms. Joyna Ofungi sensitizing the community on productivity acceleration of households during a PDM sensitization and mobilization meeting in Gule Parish, Magola, Tororo District on 25th June, 2022.
