In an effort to enhance the Parish Development Model program in Kampala, KCCA in partnership with Opportunity Bank International have trained a total of 115 leaders, including, Parish Chiefs, District Commercial Officers and Town Agents.
These have been equipped with various business skills such that they can use them to also train the masses who are organized in their respective SACCOS before they can be given PDM money to improve their businesses and livelihood.
While talking to reporters at KCCA on June 15, 2023, Abamu Shapuri the project Officer at Opportunity Bank International under the Agricultural Finance Department said that the training of people is of paramount importance because a huge people do not have the financial skills to utilize the money.
He said that 39% of the people in Kampala are financially excluded from the money economy because they don’t know from where, how and for what to borrow the money.
He advised that government should stay the disbursement of the PDM money until when people have been trained and equipped with skills of investing in the different small businesses and also encourage them to embrace the culture of saving.
The chief Relations Officer of Opportunity Bank International (Uganda) Amos Bonna said that as a social Bank, they are aiming at moving households into the money economy but this can be achieved through the ideal of Business Support Agent Model which he called a walking stick to the Parish Chiefs.
Bonna also said that the training has been tailored to ward tackling the two pillars of the PDM,that is the Financial Inclusion and Mindset change which has been a huge challenge in implementation of the program.
“This training was geared towards equipping the Parish Chiefs and their Commercial Officers in Kampala with skills through the Bank’s Business Support Agent Model which they will use as a walking stick in the implementation of the PDM.” Bonna said.
He further said the bank has tried the Business Support Agent Model in the different branches Ghana, Malawi and other African countries were they are operating and it has worked.
Jumba Nasser, the assistant Ward Administrator from Kabalagala Parish, Makindye Division who attended the training said that the PDM is facing a number of challenges for instance most people are only mindful of getting cash and they don’t what to attend trainings.
He also said that many people have started complaining that the amount of money that is earmarked per parish is little, something he referred to as poor mindset because they think that each person from the parish is supposed to receive UG Shs 1M which is not the case. He said that money will be disbursed to the different beneficiaries basing on the size of capital needed and one has been for instance using.
By George Bukenya and Dan Mugula