SO FAR, NO ONE FROM BATWA COMMUNITY HAVE RECEIVED PDM MONEY

in Rubanda—-
By Kweronda Ambrose
in Rubanda—–

The Batwa people of Kashasha Town Council in Rubanda district are making an impassioned plea to the Ugandan government, urging them to consider their community when distributing funds for the Parish Development Model (PDM).

The appeal was raised during the Functional Adult Literacy for the Batwa in Southwestern Uganda Blic Challenge, a one-day workshop held at Volcano Hotel in Rubanda District on 31st July 2023.

Tukahirwa Scovia and Mukuru Medard, representing the Batwa from Nyarushengye village in Kashasha Town Council, spoke on behalf of their community, highlighting the Batwa’s capacity to effectively utilize the funds allocated for PDM.

Tushemereirwe Provia, the Town Agent of Burandamo ward in Kashasha Town Council, was taken aback during the workshop to find no Batwa individuals registered to receive the Parish Development Model funds. She inquired if any Batwa had registered to receive the money and urged the government to allocate funds for PDM to the Batwa community.

Edward Kamusiime, an academic staff member at Makerere University, who was called by Mbarara University of Science and Technology to teach adult literacy for the Batwa in Southwestern Uganda, emphasized the need for government programs to educate the Batwa community.

He observed that some members of the Batwa community may mistakenly believe they are already knowledgeable, when in fact they are not, while others may assume they are in advantageous positions. Kamusiime stressed the importance of providing education and awareness to the Batwa about government initiatives like the Parish Development Model.