By Enatu Steven
The Parish Development Model (PDM), launched by the Ugandan government to uplift communities from poverty through financial inclusion and economic empowerment, is making notable strides in Kapelebyong District. With a poverty rate of 49%, the district has welcomed the initiative, though not without its share of successes and challenges.
In Ocoro Koboi cell, Odukul ward, Kapelebyong Town Council, Betty Atia, a 32-year-old mother of five, credits PDM for giving her family a fresh start. Using UGX 993,000 she received, she ventured into pig farming by purchasing five piglets from Soroti. She sold one piglet after four months to construct a temporal sty.
Atia remains hopeful that this initiative will improve her family’s livelihood despite the challenges of affording quality feeds for her pigs.
Her husband, Francis Akabwai, shares her optimism, planning to expand the farm and venture into crop farming once funds are available to buy land. They apparently stay in a plot of land.
A short distance away, another beneficiary, Elizabeth Atim of Nyakilii cell, also ventured into livestock farming with PDM funds. She used her share to buy a cow, which, unfortunately, fell ill and died despite her efforts to treat it. The loss has left her uncertain about repaying the UGX 1 million loan. However, her son, who also bought a cow through PDM, has had better luck, with his livestock thriving.
For 22-year-old Priscilla Apolot, however, the PDM has been a source of frustration. Despite making payments for registration UGX 7,000, UGX 5,000, and UGX 3,000 at different intervals she has not received any funds. Apolot had hoped to use the money to start a poultry business but remains disheartened by the delay.
In the same community, Pulmera Irebu, in her late 60s, narrates a positive story. She used her PDM funds to buy a cow, which has since produced offspring. Despite the joy of owning livestock, Pulmera grapples with the high cost of routine treatments, which require UGX 12,000 per injection. This marks her first experience with government funding, which she regards as a life-changing opportunity.
According to Moses Ongaria the local council one chairperson Ocor Koboi said many people got the money and used them to sort out personal and family problems.
The PDM initiative is tailored to create wealth, employment, and higher household incomes by making the parish the center of community development. Its seven pillars, including production, financial inclusion, and infrastructure development, are designed to transition subsistence households into the money economy.
In Kapelebyong District, 55 PDM Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOS) received UGX 100 million each in the 2022/2023 fiscal year. The funds have supported initiatives such as piggery, crop farming, and livestock rearing. However, the challenges of high poverty levels, lack of timely access to funds, and limited knowledge of financial management persist.
The stories of PDM beneficiaries in Kapelebyong reflect a mix of hope and hurdles. While some, like Betty Atia and Pulmera Irebu, have used the funds to improve their livelihoods, others, such as Elizabeth Atim and Priscilla Apolot, highlight the challenges of livestock management and fund accessibility.
This afternoon the President will be at the home of Atia Betty as he assesses the progress of Parish development Model in his tour to Teso that began in the morning with Serere, then to Kapelebyong, and Katakwi. He is expected to be in Kumi tomorrow and Soroti and then finish with Kaberamaido on Wednesday the 20th December.