Mrs. Bazimudde Esther, a 34 year old resident of Butambuza Village in Nakatonya Parish, Nyimbwa Sub County, Luweero District, has attributed the growth of her small retail business and improved household income to the Parish Development Model (PDM), following an Office of the National Chairman (ONC) monitoring exercise conducted by ONC Luweero District Coordinator Aminah Hassan.
The monitoring exercise assessed the progress of PDM beneficiaries and gathered firsthand accounts of how the government programme is transforming livelihoods at the grassroots.
Esther, who received UGX 500,000 under the PDM in 2023, said she invested the money as additional capital in her existing shop business, a decision she believes has significantly improved both the performance of the enterprise and her family's standard of living. She explained that the financial support enabled her to increase her stock, attract more customers, and steadily grow the business, which remains operational today.
"Before receiving the PDM funds, my business generated between UGX 50,000 and UGX 80,000 per month. Today, I earn between UGX 100,000 and UGX 150,000 monthly, and my life has greatly improved because I can meet more of my family's needs," Esther said.
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She noted that the programme gave her an opportunity to strengthen an already existing business instead of starting from scratch, demonstrating how strategic investment of the funds can produce sustainable economic benefits for beneficiaries who put the money to productive use.
While expressing gratitude to the government for introducing the Parish Development Model, Esther appealed to parish authorities and PDM committee leaders to ensure that funds are released to beneficiaries on time so they can invest when business opportunities are still available.
"I completed repaying my first phase of the loan, and I am ready for the second phase. I request the Parish Chief and PDM Chairperson to make the funds more accessible and give committed beneficiaries another opportunity to benefit after successfully completing repayment," she said.
The ONC monitoring exercise found that Esther's business continues to operate successfully, adding to the growing number of positive stories emerging from Luweero District where beneficiaries are using PDM funds to expand enterprises, increase household incomes, and improve their livelihoods through productive investment.
Her experience underscores the importance of timely access to affordable government financing and responsible utilisation of public funds, reinforcing the Parish Development Model's objective of moving households from subsistence to income generating economic activity while encouraging accountability and sustainability among beneficiaries.
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