The Office of the National Chairman (ONC), led by National Coordinator Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo, has continued its empowerment tour in the Greater Luwero sub-region, with beneficiaries in Nakaseke Town Council highlighting how government wealth creation initiatives have transformed their livelihoods.
The tour, which forms part of ongoing engagements to assess the impact of government empowerment programs, showcased a series of success stories from farmers and small business operators who credited the interventions for boosting incomes, creating jobs and improving household welfare.
In Nakaseke Town Council, beneficiaries narrated how initial support from ONC initiatives under President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s wealth creation agenda enabled them to establish and expand income-generating enterprises.
One of the beneficiaries, Ms Balwanyi Jane, said support received through the ONC helped her venture into poultry farming, starting with 200 chickens that later grew to about 500 birds.
She explained that despite setbacks caused by her husband’s illness, which forced the family to sell part of the stock to meet medical expenses, she has managed to sustain her business with more than 400 chickens currently.
“I thank President Museveni, Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo and the ONC team for empowering us. The support has greatly improved our livelihood and enabled us to generate income for our family,” Ms Jane said.
She, however, appealed for government intervention to address water scarcity, which she said continues to affect both households and agricultural productivity in the area.
Another beneficiary, Mr Senabulya Michael, a farmer from Nakaseke Saza Zone, said ONC support played a key role in expanding his agricultural ventures, particularly poultry farming.
Mr Senabulya, who also has extensive coffee plantations, said he earns between Shs7 million and Shs8 million monthly from his coffee enterprise, in addition to income from poultry, fish farming and horticulture.
He said that three years ago, he received 200 chicks and 15 sacks of poultry feed from ONC, which enabled him to establish a commercial poultry project.
Inspired by President Museveni’s wealth creation message under the “Musevenomics” philosophy, Mr Senabulya later diversified into fish farming, where he started with about 200 fish and now manages more than 4,000 fish across two ponds.
“Last week I harvested and sold over 400 fish. Every six months, I sell more than 500 fish at Shs15,000 each,” he said.
He noted that his enterprises currently employ five workers, each earning a monthly salary, contributing to job creation within the community.
However, he cited shortages of fish nets, fish feed and poultry feed as key challenges limiting further expansion of his businesses.
During the engagements, Hajjat Namyalo pledged to engage relevant government agencies, including Operation Wealth Creation and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, to address input gaps affecting farmers.
She urged beneficiaries to remain focused and committed to productive use of government support in order to sustain wealth creation efforts at household level.
“Government empowerment programs are meant to transform lives. We encourage beneficiaries to remain committed, hardworking and focused on creating sustainable sources of income,” Hajjat Namyalo said.
The tour also featured success stories of Ms Nabitaka Ruth and Ms Nantambi Rose, who transformed a single sewing machine received during a youth empowerment initiative in Luwero District into a thriving tailoring business.
The duo said they initially worked from home but have since expanded operations, acquired a second machine and now operate from rented premises, producing school uniforms and garments for various clients.
The business currently employs six workers and also serves as a skills training center for young people interested in tailoring.
“We are grateful to President Museveni and Hajjat Namyalo for giving us this opportunity,” they said, adding that they now hope to acquire an embroidery machine to expand production capacity.
As the empowerment tour continues across Greater Luwero, beneficiaries have continued to point to increased incomes, job creation and business growth as evidence of the impact of government wealth creation initiatives.
Hajjat Namyalo reaffirmed ONC’s commitment to monitoring beneficiaries, addressing challenges affecting productivity and ensuring that empowerment programs continue to uplift communities across the country.