For decades, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, often known as the father of the nation due to his visionary and transformational leadership, has worked tirelessly to secure prosperity for all Ugandans.
President Museveni’s philosophy of wealth development has caused socioeconomic transformation throughout the country.
“For the economy, we do not need spectators; we need everyone to be a player. “Seeing some people spectating while others make money is not acceptable,” H.E Museveni stated during one of his investment and wealth creation tours.
When President Museveni visited Kisozi, Gomba in the 1990s, he saw that the population were “democratically” destitute and needed someone to help them improve their livelihoods.
“Their only task at the time was to wait for me on the road and beg money from me. Last month, the President informed Gomba and Sembabule district chiefs at his Kisozi farm in Gomba District that they had no source of revenue.
“I called the parents here and told them that I do not want to live next to poor people.” We provided them entandikwa in the shape of cows, coffee, and pigs. We proceeded slowly till these Nalwangas (Sarah Nalwanga) completed school. “I told those in Nalwangas that all households should benefit,” he said.
In 2011, President Museveni began providing cows, goats, coffee seedlings, piglets, banana tissues, chickens, money, and other commodities to households in nine communities in Gomba and Sembabule with the goal of increasing income and improving their lifestyles. The villages that benefited are Kirasi, Kisozi A, Kisozi B, and Kajumiro (all in Gomba) and Obutugu, Lutunku A, Lutunku B, Kasozi, and Kikuumadungu (all in Sembabule).
According to Ms. Sarah Nalwanga, the Poverty Alleviation Project Coordinator, President Museveni’s entandikwa initiative has had a significant impact on the lives of people in the nine communities.
“Overall, 2,035 households have benefited. Ms. Nalwanga stated that 556 dairy cows, 336 goats, 48 piglets, and 538 coffee seedlings have been distributed to farmers.
“The people who started with one cow now have like 8 cows and those who started with an acre of coffee have also been able to expand and now they are harvesting a lot, hence transforming their lives,” she went on to say.
Mr. George Lubatutura of Kajumiro village in Kisozi, Gomba District, says he received support from the President through the project and now has banana and coffee plantations, as well as a dairy farm spanning six acres.
“I want to thank President Museveni for this project. Before the project, I was quite impoverished and had nothing. I used to live in a grass-thatched cottage with no toilet, but when Madam Nalwanga and her team reached me, they informed me about the initiative and trained me; now I’m a farmer whose life has been altered,” Mr. Lubatutura stated.
“From the coffee, I get 120 bags, and in a season, I get roughly Shs 40 million in profits. And from the cows, I make more than Shs1 million each month in profits. I’ve been able to build a wonderful house for myself and provide for my family through commercial agriculture. I’ve been able to do this in ten years,” he continued.
Mr. Lubatutura also urged President Museveni to install a coffee processing machine in their area to help them add value to their product and gain more.
Another beneficiary, Ssalongo Fred Lugobe of Kajumiro village, raises dairy cows and crops coffee and bananas with President Museveni’s assistance.
“I want to congratulate President Museveni and Ms. Nalwanga for bringing improvement to our neighborhood. Before the project, I was quite destitute, unable to support myself or my family. Now, I make Shs600,000 per month from dairy, and I can utilize that money to support my family,” he said.
“From my 5-acre coffee plantation, I can make Shs15 million per season. I keep some of the money in our SACCO. My financial status was dire prior to the endeavor, but I am now in good shape,” he said.
