The Parish Development Model is steadily reshaping rural livelihoods in Ntungamo District, with Shs46.2 billion already disbursed to 129 parishes to support smallholder enterprises in piggery, coffee, and beans.
District officials say the programme is translating into visible household investments, improved agricultural productivity, and gradual movement out of poverty as beneficiaries turn the Shs1 million support into long-term income-generating activities.
Across Ntungamo, beneficiaries describe the funds as a turning point for family survival and enterprise growth, with many investing in agriculture and livestock to secure both immediate needs and future returns.
In Ruhaama East, Balaam Kwata Mpola from Kahenda Parish said his coffee plantation has significantly improved after using Parish Development Model funds to purchase manure and mulch, which boosted productivity from five to ten bags per harvest.
“I received PDM funds and invested in my coffee plantation. My coffee before PDM was not up to better standard like today. When I got that money, I bought manure and mulches,” Balaam Kwata Mpola said.
He noted that the improved yields have enabled him to pay school fees for his children, with his seasonal earnings rising to over Shs5 million.
“I was fighting to get school fees. The rest I can do without,” he said.
In Muyenje Cell, Rogers Turyasingura said he used the Shs1 million support to start a piggery project, purchasing two pigs that have since multiplied into a herd producing between 10 and 15 piglets. He said the enterprise has also supported his coffee farming through the use of organic manure and enabled him to expand his asset base, including purchasing land.
“I was given Shs1 million and I bought two pigs. The situation before was difficult but with the PDM money, it was relief. From selling the piglets I have bought land and supported my coffee,” Rogers Turyasingura said.
District officials say such cases reflect the broader impact of the programme across the district. Ambrose Tusiime, the District Community Development Officer and PDM focal person, said all allocated funds have been fully disbursed and invested in priority enterprises, noting steady improvements in household incomes among beneficiaries engaged in coffee, piggery, and beans.
“Since 2023, we have so far released Shs46.2 billion. We have received all this money in the district and we have been able to disburse all this money to beneficiaries in the district. Our target as government is to ensure people come out of poverty,” Ambrose Tusiime said.
Ntungamo Chief Administrative Officer Fildeus Kizza said the district is advancing its wealth creation agenda through strengthened SACCO structures and improved loan recovery mechanisms, with coffee identified as a key priority crop supported by the programme.
“We are making progress in wealth creation as far as PDM is concerned. There are many processing plants of coffee and coffee is one of our priorities as far as PDM is concerned,” Fildeus Kizza said.
Authorities say the proposed increase in parish allocations from Shs100 million to Shs200 million is expected to expand coverage and deepen the programme’s impact on poverty reduction and rural economic transformation.