A Butambala resident, Rashida Namubiru, has become a shining example of how a single investment under the Parish Development Model (PDM) can transform a life.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on June 16 visited Namubiru’s home in Kasaka Village, Gombe Ward, where he praised her as a "true example of good soil" for how she used her Shs1 million PDM funds to build a thriving livelihood from scratch.
“Before PDM, life was extremely hard. I couldn't even raise Shs100,000 in an emergency,” Namubiru said. “The day I received that mobile money message saying I had been given Shs1 million from Gombe PDM SACCO, I cried. I had never held that amount in my life.”
Namubiru joined the Kasaka Goat Rearing Group with seven other members, and after completing training, she received the funds. With it, she bought three female goats and one male, built a temporary shelter, and began learning goat farming on her own.
Five months later, each female goat had birthed three kids. Her herd quickly multiplied, and she sold two goats for Shs400,000, which she used to construct a permanent shelter. Manure from her goats enriched her coffee and banana plantations, dramatically boosting yields.
“My coffee harvest went from earning me Shs500,000 to Shs1.7 million. I used part of that money to buy a cow and send my son back to school,” she said.
Namubiru, a mother of eight including two orphans, now owns eight goats, a cow, a coffee plantation, bananas, and a piece of land—all from the original Shs1 million investment.
She plans to become a model farmer in Butambala: “This is only the beginning. I haven’t sold the goats because I want to multiply them. People will come and learn from me.”
Namubiru urged fellow Ugandans to see beyond politics and recognize the PDM as a program for all.
“This is not about NRM or religion. It is for every Ugandan willing to work. If you sit back, you’ll be left behind,” she said.
President Museveni, impressed by her story, pledged to buy her more land and contributed Shs12 million to help her acquire a tuk-tuk to transport goods.
“This woman reminds me of the parable of the sower. Some seeds fell on good soil and bore fruit. Rashida is that good soil,” Museveni said.
He emphasized that the PDM is designed to support all Ugandans, regardless of political affiliation, and announced plans to double annual parish funding from Shs100 million to Shs200 million.
“No one should be charged to receive this money. The government will cover all transaction fees,” the President assured.
Namubiru’s journey from poverty to prosperity symbolizes what the PDM seeks to achieve—sustainable household wealth driven by effort and enterprise.
With her son back in school, a growing farm, and renewed dignity, Namubiru says, “PDM gave me a chance. I held that money and promised I would not waste it. I kept my promise".
