AMOS K
The Government’s Parish Development Model (PDM) program aimed at poverty eradication is still ongoing. Leaders continue to educate beneficiaries about the importance of using the funds appropriately, especially after discovering that the first-phase money was not utilized as intended.
Research indicates that leaders from Rugarama North Sub-county observed that the PDM money, given to people without any training on how to use it, was poorly spent on unproductive ventures that may not yield profits in the future, hindering repayment.
Fred Muhumuza, the Chairperson of the Parish Development Council for Rugarama North Sub-county, explained that previously, money was distributed without providing adequate guidance. During visits to the funded projects, they found the investments to be unproductive. As a result, they decided to prioritize financial education to ensure that the funds are used effectively to foster development as originally planned.
Muhumuza added that the government has deployed extension workers and veterinary officers to assist in training beneficiaries, and he noted that people welcomed the program, acknowledging they had previously misused the funds due to lack of knowledge.
Amanya Ivan Rwanyakibale, the overall supervisor of the program in Rugarama North Sub-county and the Chairperson of LC3, emphasized that one of the key pillars of the PDM is mindset change, which begins with proper training on how to manage the funds.
Rwanyakibale also urged recipients of the funds to use them wisely in order to improve their living standards. He further called on politicians to support, rather than undermine, government programs, as their aim is to enhance the welfare of the people, not to create divisions.
