Buyego Village in Tome Parish, Buvuma District, is home to a remarkable story of transformation driven by Uganda’s Parish Development Model.
At the center of this success is 35-year-old Muwereza Wako, a father of eight, whose journey from subsistence farming to agribusiness is inspiring the entire community.
A year ago, Wako received one million shillings under the Tome Poultry Association as part of the PDM initiative. While the amount may seem modest, Wako used it strategically to purchase a cow and a calf. This initial step laid the foundation for what has now become a growing farming enterprise.
When the calf matured into a bull, Wako sold it and used the money to acquire a cassava flour processing machine worth two million shillings.
He paid one million shillings upfront and completed the rest in installments. The machine is now fully functional and serves both his household and neighboring families, improving food processing and creating new income streams.
Wako’s cow has since calved again. He now earns daily income from selling three litres of milk and uses cow dung as manure for his banana and coffee plantations.
Operating on only half an acre, he practices mixed farming and earns at least 250,000 shillings every month. This marks a major shift from his previous reliance on subsistence agriculture.
Looking ahead, Wako plans to expand his kraal, increase the number of cows, and raise milk production to at least twenty litres a day. He also aims to purchase more land and adopt the four-acre farming model advocated by the president.
His success has motivated others. His younger brother, Daniel Mugula, also borrowed one million shillings, bought a cow and three goats, and is now proudly managing his own livestock project.
President Yoweri Museveni, during his tour of the Greater Mukono sub-region, recognized Wako’s efforts. He praised him as a model PDM beneficiary and awarded him an additional twelve million shillings to buy more land, along with two million shillings to purchase goats.
Other beneficiaries in Tome also received one million shillings each, while the local council chairperson was supported with six million shillings to buy a motorcycle for community work.
President Museveni explained that earlier government interventions such as NAADS and Operation Wealth Creation offered varying levels of support because, as he put it, “fingers are not equal.”
However, these programs did not achieve consistent success. To address this, the government introduced the Parish Development Model, which allocates one billion shillings per parish through local SACCOs.
This money is loaned out to community members at an affordable interest rate of 120,000 shillings per one million borrowed, with repayments made over three years.
According to the President, the funds remain in the community and grow over time, benefiting more people as repayments and interest revolve within the SACCOs.
So far, Buvuma District has received 11.6 billion shillings under the PDM program. Member of Parliament Robert Migadde Ndugwa confirmed that 9.6 billion shillings has been disbursed, with each parish-based SACCO receiving at least 307 million shillings.
Migadde pointed out that while the program is benefiting farmers, it is not adequately supporting the fishing community. He called for a specialized funding window to help fisherfolk who require more capital for boats, engines, and fishing nets.
State Minister in the Office of the Vice President, Diana Mutasingwa, praised the PDM for delivering services directly to the grassroots.
However, she emphasized the need for increased funding in high-population areas like Buganda. She proposed that each parish should receive between 300 million and 500 million shillings annually to meet community demand.
Minister Mutasingwa also expressed concern about corruption in some areas, where officials have been reported to demand between 200,000 and 300,000 shillings from applicants before releasing funds. She has taken steps to ensure that such individuals are prosecuted and removed from the program.
Back in Tome Parish, Wako remains focused on growth. He dreams of becoming one of Buvuma’s top farmers, expanding his land, increasing livestock, and eventually building commercial properties in town.
“I am not just feeding my family. I am building a future,” Wako says, standing proudly beside his cassava mill, which has become a symbol of progress for the entire village.
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