Beneficiaries of Parish Development Program in Kalaki district have started receiving PDM cash.
Kalaki district becomes the second district to launch the disbursement of funds to its beneficiaries. First was Kumi to distribute early this year.
The District has so far received One billion nine hundred thirty nine thousand shillings aimed at transforming the local populace.
The Kalaki District community development officer Beatrice Ayeto, said the beneficiaries were selected from more than 34 parishes across the district and the money was deposited on individual benefiting phones.
According to Ayeto, the money is going directly to the beneficiaries.
“We only verified the right beneficiaries get the money. We did beneficiary selection and verification and sent the data to the ministry that ordered for payment from the different commercial banks. Each of the beneficiaries is given Shs1 million,” She said.
Samuel Okello the Kalaki district LCV has warned the implementers against corruption.
He urged the locals to appreciate the government’s efforts amid limited resources.
He also asked leaders at all levels to monitor and follow up the groups which are going to benefit from the PDM program to ensure that they are genuine.
PDM is Built on seven pillars that include; Agricultural Value Chain Development; Infrastructure and Economic Services; Financial Inclusion; Social Services; Community Mobilization and Mindset Change as well as Governance and Administration. The five-year PDM is a poverty alleviation programme meant to propel the 39 percent of Uganda’s population still stuck in the subsistence economy, into the money economy.
Government in the 2022/2023 financial year, allocated Sh100m for each of the 10,594 Parishes across the country to support the aforementioned Ugandans to engage in commercially viable agribusiness value chain enterprises.
The third national development plan (NDP III) as well as the 2021-2026 National Resistance Movement (NRM) manifesto poised PDM as a last-mile bottom-up approach to socioeconomic transformation by moving 39% of households in the vicious cycle of subsistence production into the money economy and improving the quality of livelihoods.
Speaking during the launch of the programme yesterday, the Minister for Teso Affairs Kenneth Ongalo Obote said that communities need to be more organized to increase production and productivity in both off-farm and on-farm value addition chain activities for profit.
The Minister advised the people of Kalaki to engage in the production of quick maturing crops like vegetables especially cabbage, tomatoes, and onions.
“Land is a universal factor to the success of the PDM. Due to the limited land in the region, I advise you especially the youth to grow crops that do not require large pieces of land, mature quickly and are profitable with a focus on vegetables”, said Ongalo