By Ikiriza Zephania Atwooki
Kyenjojo, Uganda – Rural households in Kyongera Parish, Kyarusozi Sub-county, Kyenjojo District, have received a major boost in livestock farming after the State House Poverty Alleviation Department (PAD) on Sunday handed over 343 goats to the community.
The livestock distribution exercise was presided over by the Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) for Kyenjojo, Mr. Allan Bamuha, who was flanked by Assistant RDC Mr. Hamuza Rwantale and the District Production Officer. The initiative is part of government’s ongoing strategy to empower rural communities through wealth creation and sustainable livelihoods.
Kyongera Parish was selected as a model parish under President Yoweri Museveni’s innovation aimed at demonstrating how a concentrated package of development projects can transform grassroots households and accelerate rural modernization. Communities in the parish have already benefited from a wide range of supplies including crossbreed cows, pigs, beehives, banana suckers, and assorted seedlings.
Speaking at the handover, Deputy RDC Bamuha said the programme was designed to lift families from subsistence farming to commercial production, urging the beneficiaries to take proper care of the goats so that the initiative can yield long-term results.
The State House Poverty Alleviation Department was established in 2000 and, three years later, was tasked with developing wealth creation models to benefit Ugandans. Since then, the department has designed more than 12 initiatives geared towards boosting productivity, enhancing value addition, and creating self-sustaining rural economies.
According to officials, the model parish approach is being implemented alongside other government anti-poverty programmes such as the Poverty Alleviation Programme (PAP) and Prosperity for All. It also supports the formation of Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOS), a key pillar for enabling communities to save, invest, and grow their household incomes.
Mr. Bamuha emphasized that government remains committed to scaling up such interventions to ensure that no Ugandan is left behind in the drive for social-economic transformation.