Community Mobilization and Mindset Change the way to achieve Social Economic Transformation

We all want a prosperous, stable, and equitable Uganda and we want it as soon as possible. First, transformational change happens at the level of mindsets. This was certainly true for rebuilding our national unity, but it is valid for creating prosperity as well.
There is a debate going on about the shs73.46bn allocated to Community Mobilization and Mindset Change in the 2022/2023 FY budget.
Understanding Community Mobilization
Community mobilization is the process of bringing together allies to raise awareness of and demand for a particular programme, to assist in the delivery of resources and services and to strengthen community participation for sustainability and self-reliance.
Data collected shows that Community mobilization helps to empower communities and enable them to initiate and control their own development. Community Mobilization also encourages relief efforts which use participatory processes to build on what local people are already doing to help themselves demonstrate respect and recognition of the capability of those affected and prevents their efforts from being undermined. These are but a few of many benefits of community mobilization.
Mindset is not inborn, it is nurtured
If we are to examine the aspect of Mindset Change, we’d find the benefits always outweigh the monetary value attached to it. A mindset of urgency, ownership, responsibility, and service as well as quite frankly the mindset of money-making and long-term investing is not in born, it is natured.
Poor mindsets lead to High levels of corruption, Weak governance, poor infrastructure, dysfunctional markets, questionable democracy, ethics, Lack of transparency and accountability, terrorism and Conflict; and a generally unsupportive environment for individual and corporate growth. This has been evident in Uganda for various years and a change is needed
With hesitation while appearing on NBS on the Budget discussion show, to Godber Tumushabe, a political analyst and governance expert, acknowledged that the reason there is money allocation for mindset change, is because there’s a problem with thinking amongst the population.
Why the Mindset Change?
A major reason for Mindset change is that people’s minds have to be transformed to enable them to participate in programs meant for them. Education, training and development are key in that respective order, are all needed to realise development in the country.
According to the Commissioner for Patriotism in the Office of the President, Brig. Gen. Patrick Mwesigye for any organization to succeed, it must have a progressive ideology. “Without first transforming people’s minds, there will be no development,” he said while appearing on NBS on 14th June 2022, He said that even when government introduces as many developmental programs as there are, they cannot achieve anything without having people well prepared in the mind.
The need for mindset change is important not only for economic development but also social enhancement. The implementation of the transformation agenda isn’t personal it’s a collective effort.
“Since these values are acquired,” Mwesigye says, “patriotism teaching has been realized to enable us to become better thinkers and creators to transform our societies. Everyone needs positive values and beliefs,” He said. He added that Countries which have acquired upper-middle-income status have national ideologies to inculcate National culture in its population.
Professor Emmanuel Nnadozie, Executive Secretary of the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), “Transformative leadership through mindset change could be the avenue through which Africa can tackle challenges of weak governance, high levels of corruption, and the inefficient growth common in most African countries,” he stated.
What Uganda’s neighbors are doing
A clear example of development through positive mind change is Rwanda whose fast economic and social growth can be seen through Mindset Change. Plastic packets were banned and there is no litter. This was made possible through a campaign to save the environment.
In Tanzania, when the late President Magufuli came to power, he encountered on mindset change which saw a big rise in enforcement of government development performance.
Mindset Change is vital and important aspects of development, in fighting corruption which is key in economic transformation and ensuring rule of law. Every office becomes functional with a right mindset. With no doubt the government should follow mindset change to its realization.
For God and My Country
The writer is a researcher in area of Politics and Governance