Milly Babirye M. Babalanda; The Value In President Museveni’s “Parish Development Model Tour”

I wish to thank you Ugandans for always welcoming the President and supporting his ideas on how to overcome poverty in their households and communities. A lot remains to be done and each subsequent tour aims to take us a step ahead. The pace depends on how well the masses embrace the message.

Prior to the commencement of his tour in February, I had written a circular to Resident District Commissioners (RDCs), Resident City Commissioners (RCCs), asking them to submit briefs on the status of poverty in their respective areas of jurisdiction. The President’s tour is, therefore, well-informed and updated on the situation on the ground and aims to infuse Ugandans with the zeal to shake off poverty and learn to “fish for themselves.’ He will also pick feedback from the people and understand firsthand practical challenges that exist in anti-poverty programs and propose amendments or improvements, depending on the nature of the challenges identified.

I wish to thank all Ugandans who have appreciated Government’s wealth creation programmes and joined them. For those still sitting on the fence, there is no excuse to remain outside the money economy when resources have been wired to the second lowest administrative unit (the parish) among other special initiatives tailored for particular areas and target groups. Together as Ugandans, we should be united in the war against our common enemy in this country, Poverty. Poverty knows no religion, political party, gender, ethnicity, etc. It affects us all and ties us down in deprivation, hunger, sickness, general retrogression, ignorance, despair and, some say, it affects one’s chances of going to heaven because a poor person is ever grumbling against God and envious of those making progress. Poverty is a root of crime and family disharmony. In short, the President’s drive to lead Ugandans out of poverty is to make way for us to go to Heaven!