By Dismus Buregyeya
President Yoweri Museveni has launched a poverty alleviation programme through piggery and poultry projects, targeting 10 districts.
The project was rolled out with 300,000 broilers and pigs to boost the incomes of targeted groups in Masaka, Ssembabule, Lwengo, Kalungu, Kalangala, Rakai, Kyotera, Lyantonde, Bukomansimbi and Masaka city.
The State House comptroller, Jane Barekye, represented Museveni at the ceremony, held at the Liberation Square in Masaka city.
The function attracted commercial sex workers, ghetto youth from Nyendo and wives of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) armoured brigade officers.
Museveni said total eradication of poverty in the country will require hard work and a clear mindset.
He said infrastructure and service developments, such as roads, electricity, schools and health centres are a platform to boost wealth creation.
“We must not get confused with infrastructure developments and wealth creation. You can starve when you have roads, electricity, hospitals and schools around you if you do not embrace government programmes geared towards eradicating poverty,” the President said.
He said the Government’s four-acre farming model should be taken seriously.
Museveni noted that Government programmes, which include the Parish Development Model (PDM) and the Emyooga, under the microfinance ministry, are instrumental in the transformation of communities.
He noted that vocational skills will address unemployment and income generation among the youth.
Barekye cited the industrial hub that was recently opened in Masaka, which has enrolled over 200 scholars from the Greater Masaka region.
She said the President will pitch camp in Masaka region to meet communities, farmers, the business community and stakeholders in April.
The resident city commissioner, Muhamed Kateregga, asked the Government to consider operationalisation of the industrial park to propel development.
The state minister for microfinance, Haruna Kasolo, asked residents to appreciate the Government for ensuring peace, stability and economic progress.
Col. Hassan Samba, the Operation Wealth Creation co-ordinator for Masaka, said negative elements in the region were crippling development.
Gozanga Mutesasira, the State House co-ordinator for Emyooga programme in the region, warned against the misuse of Government funds.
The New Vision learnt that close to 2,000 farmers in Masaka city, clustered in 30 members per group, will benefit in order to create a model programme per parish that will supplement the PDM.
Maria Namata, the deputy speaker of Kissekka sub-county in Lwengo district, thanked Museveni for the poultry project.
Edith Nantume, the councillor for Kiwangala sub-county in Lwengo, said the President should continue targeting women who have ongoing income-generating enterprises to strengthen their marriages and families.
