President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni expressed his admiration after meeting Ms Harriet Nampa, a beneficiary of the Parish Development Model (PDM). Her inspiring transformation of a modest investment of UGX 1 million into a successful farming enterprise has become a symbol of the programme’s goals across Uganda.
During his visit to Mangaliba village in Nakisunga Sub-County, Mukono District, on Thursday, June 19, 2025, President Museveni commended Ms Nampa for her entrepreneurial spirit and effective use of government support.
In her compelling testimony, Ms Nampa, a mother of four, shared how she turned a government grant of UGX 1 million into a thriving piggery business and subsequently expanded into dairy farming.
She now earns a daily income that allows her to comfortably provide for her family. Initially hesitant to accept the full million shillings under the PDM, she chose to take only half, fearing the burden of managing a larger sum.
“I used UGX 250,000 to buy three female pigs, each at UGX 800,000, and spent the remainder of UGX 550,000 on pig feed. In eight months, they produced 27 piglets. I sold 25 piglets at UGX 100,000 each, earning UGX 2.5 million. I couldn’t believe I was touching millions,” she joyfully told the president.
Ms Nampa reinvested her earnings by saving UGX 1 million with her father and using UGX 1.5 million for additional feed. In her second round of breeding, she earned another UGX 2.5 million from piglet sales and later added a cow to her assets, which further diversified her income.
The cow now produces seven litres of milk daily, two of which are consumed by her family, while the remaining five are sold for UGX 10,000 each day.
Ms Harriet Nampa’s PDM success story: 1 million shilling investment turned into a booming piggery & dairy farm
“Thank you, Mr President, for considering us, the poor people, and providing us with capital. As someone who had nothing, I can now see where I’m going. This UGX 1 million is not small if you plan very well. Those who say it’s little don’t know how to use it,” Ms Nampa stated.
Her remarkable journey from a cautious borrower to a successful agri-entrepreneur impressed President Museveni, who used her story to emphasise the importance of strategic planning, discipline, and utilising available government programmes.
According to the president, the Parish Development Model is a revolutionary initiative aimed at eradicating poverty among Ugandan households, particularly at the grassroots level.
“I’m very happy to see that youths who had never touched a million shillings are succeeding. This is what we envisioned when we introduced the PDM. It shows that our people are beginning to understand the value of small-scale enterprise,” the president remarked.
He emphasised that the PDM evolves from long-standing National Resistance Movement (NRM) initiatives such as Entandikwa, NAADS, and Operation Wealth Creation, which laid the groundwork for Uganda’s rural transformation. The notable difference, he explained, is that the PDM sends money directly to the people, empowering them to drive their own development.
“This model is not new. It originates from the 1996 NRM manifesto’s ‘four-acre model’ that included coffee, fruits, pasture for dairy, and food crops, with piggery or poultry in the backyard. The innovation is the direct financial empowerment of our people,” President Museveni added.
To acknowledge Ms Nampa’s success and further support her business, President Museveni pledged to purchase an acre of land worth UGX 60 million, provide her with a motorised three-wheeled vehicle (tuk-tuk) valued at UGX 12 million, and dig a borehole in the village to alleviate water challenges. He also gave UGX 1 million to each of the ten PDM beneficiaries present at the meeting.
Ms Nampa’s success story is part of a broader trend. Across the Greater Mukono subregion, which includes Mukono, Kayunga, Buikwe, and Buvuma districts, the PDM is making a tangible difference.
A total of UGX 67.7 billion has been disbursed out of the UGX 70.1 billion allocated to the region, benefiting all SACCOs (Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations).
Additionally, each SACCO received an extra UGX 50 million in the second tranche for the 2024/25 financial year. Mukono District, with 88 SACCOs, received UGX 4.4 billion; Kayunga District, with 71 SACCOs, received UGX 3.55 billion; Buvuma District, with 38 SACCOs, received UGX 1.9 billion; Buikwe District, with 31 SACCOs, received UGX 1.55 billion; Lugazi Municipality, with 20 SACCOs, received UGX 1 billion; Njeru Municipality, with 16 SACCOs, received UGX 900 million; and Mukono Municipality, with 9 SACCOs, received UGX 800 million.
The event was also attended by Hon. Godfrey Kiwanda Suubi, the NRM Vice Chairperson for the Buganda region; Hon. Haruna Kasolo, the Minister of State for Microfinance; and Hon. Sozzi Galabuzi, the PDM National Coordinator, among others.
