By Richard Onapatum
The Vice President Maj. (Rtd) Jessica Alupo together with Statehouse have on monday, 26th, February 2024 empowered farmers in Katakwi district with hybrid goats under the Poverty Alleviation Program (PAP).
Poverty Alleviation Program is a government program aimed at reducing the rate of poverty in the country by providing proper access to food, monetary help, and basic essentials to the households and families living below the poverty line.
A total of 230 households especially women farmers received the hybrid goats from the programme.
The programme identifies, trains and supplies rural farmers in a model parishes and equips them with goats, pigs, sheep and SACCOS among others.
The distribution exercise took place at Epel Memorial Technical Institute in Aketa village, Ongongoja sub county, Usuk County in Katakwi district.
Epel Memorial was built in honour of the father of the Vice President who was killed by the Lord’s Resistance Army
rebels.
While addressing beneficiaries, the vice president and also the woman representative in Parliament for Katakwi district, applauded President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for the PAP saying like other poverty alleviation programmes in the country, PAP is helping improve livelihoods of vulnerable Uganda.
She appealed to district authorities especially extension workers at the sub-county and district to closely monitor this project to ensure it achieves the intended goal of poverty eradication among households.
Meanwhile Maj. Godfrey Katamba, the Katakwi Resident District Commissioner said the district security team will be monitoring the project and asked the community to own the programme.
“I want to appeal to the project beneficiaries that let’s emulate and embrace the project in order to change our households, no one should be tempted to sell the goats because we are going to monitor them jealously to ensure the project achieves its intended purpose.” said Katamba said.
Geoffrey Omolo, the District LC5 for Katakwi welcomed the initiative saying, its rare in other places to get such programmes.
“We’re going to start monitoring each and every beneficiary who has benefited from the programme to see that everyone has changed his or her life.” Omolo said.
Lydia Balemezi, the Assistant In-charge of PAP at state house said hybrid goats being given out to beneficiaries are expected to multiply whereby each farmer is advised to take care of it without selling.
“We are giving you these hybrid goats to help you change your life in your family and it’s from the president’s office, you should not think of selling these goats.” said Balemezi.
She explained that the programme consists of five pillars which include; Improvement, food security, income generation, value addition and SACCO.
Jennifer Agoro one of the beneficiaries said the hybrid goats given to her family will now help her to eradicate poverty.
“I am a widow and have been suffering without any goat, now I have benefited by getting three goats. I am going to keep them until it produces more.” Agoro said.
According to Esther Akello, the monitoring officer in charge of Eastern Uganda 1,000 Goats and sheep have been given to 230 households of Arushakan Parish in Palam Sub County which is comprised of; Aeleyang A, Arushakan, Aeleyang B, and Oramun villages and more will come soon