A 54-year-old retired teacher in Kibuku district is currently raising pigs and poultry, a project he started after receiving shillings one million from the Parish Development Model program in 2023.
Benedict Loda, a father of four and a resident of Bukoda Zone, Kasasira town council, in Kibuku district, retired from teaching after 30 years.
“When I got my retirement package, I used it to erect a permanent residential house, which exhausted all my benefits, and I didn’t have any more funds to start a business. I struggled and bought a local breed of pigs,” Loda said.
To Loda Benedict and his wife Florence Nawutone, their lives changed after they received support from the PDM.
Nawutone said they used the funds to introduce an improved breed of pigs into their farm and also expanded to poultry.
The couple informed President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who visited their farm recently, that they are now able to pay for their children in school without much struggle, courtesy of the PDM program.
“I have so far sold 15 piglets and was able to use the fund to support the education of my children. PDM helped my family acquire an improved breed of pigs. I got PDM Money in 2023, but ever since I have never been the same,” Loda told the President.
President Museveni gave the family Shs10 million to expand their farm and advised other people to emulate the good practices of Loda and his wife.
During the recent wealth creation in the Bukedi sub-region, the president emphasized that whereas the government will continue expanding infrastructure, including roads, etc., wealth creation should be given priority to combat poverty.
The PDM program aims to create wealth, and employment and increase household Incomes with seven pillars including; Production, Storage, Processing, and Marketing; Infrastructure and Economic Services, Financial Inclusion; Social Services, Mindset change, Parish parish-based Management Information System (PDMIS). The PDMIS was developed by local innovators under the Innovation Initiative to boost the adoption of locally developed ICT solutions and governance and administration.
