NAMAYINGO: Minister for the Presidency and Budiope West MP, Babirye Milly Babalanda, has urged religious leaders to use their pulpits to promote wealth creation and hard work alongside preaching the gospel, saying the Church has a critical role to play in the fight against household poverty.
Babalanda made the call on Saturday while officiating at the closing of a one-week Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) camp retreat in Namayingo District, where she addressed hundreds of worshippers drawn from Namayingo and neighbouring districts.
The minister said religious institutions should go beyond spiritual nourishment and actively participate in efforts aimed at improving the economic wellbeing of their congregations and communities.
She encouraged pastors and other church leaders to sensitise their followers about government programmes designed to increase household incomes, including the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, the Youth Livelihood Programme, Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) and GROW.
“What we need now is to use these resources with integrity, unity, a spirit of hard work and saving, to turn them into wealth, jobs and better services,” Babalanda said.
She said the availability of government programmes and financial resources alone would not eliminate poverty unless beneficiaries used them responsibly and invested in productive enterprises.
Babalanda also urged residents of Namayingo to embrace the four-acre model, a household wealth creation strategy that encourages families to maximise the productivity of small pieces of land by diversifying agricultural activities.
Under the model, she explained, one acre can be dedicated to a long-term cash crop such as coffee or cocoa, while another can be used for fruits including oranges, mangoes and passion fruits.
The third acre can support food crops such as maize, beans, cassava, sweet potatoes and vegetables, while the fourth can be used for pasture to support zero-grazing dairy farming.
The minister further encouraged households to consider poultry farming for egg production, particularly among communities that do not consume pork, while piggery could be taken up by other households as an additional income-generating activity.
She said such enterprises could provide families with regular income while contributing to food security and improving household livelihoods.
Babalanda also highlighted the importance of religious freedom in Uganda, saying the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Government considers religious institutions important partners in promoting peace, unity, moral values and development.
She conveyed greetings to the worshippers from President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, First Lady Janet Kataha Museveni, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President Hajji Yunus Kakande and staff of the Office of the President.
Babalanda commended the organisers and participants of the retreat for dedicating time to prayer, Bible study and fellowship, saying such gatherings contribute to spiritual growth and community cohesion.
She, however, challenged believers to translate their faith into practical action by working hard and participating in productive economic activities.
“As believers in Christ, working hard with our hands is a key part of our faith, and God blesses that effort to help us beat poverty. Let us work hard beyond praising God alone; that’s how we shall overcome poverty,” she said.
The retreat brought together SDA area leaders and members from Namayingo and neighbouring districts for prayer, Bible study and fellowship.
English 