“That day, Hajjat Namyalo saw me in the crowd and picked me out. She gave me a frying pan, a packet of wheat flour, a litre of cooking oil, and a stove. For many, it might look small, but for me, that was real capital.”
Kaliro, Uganda: Gahera Geoffrey, a disabled resident of Gadumire Subcounty in Kaliro District, has turned a simple startup kit into a thriving chapati business, thanks to the empowerment initiative championed by Senior Presidential Advisor and ONC Manager Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo under President Museveni’s wealth creation campaign.
Mr. Gahera, a father from Panyolo Parish in Kaliro District, recalled the life-changing moment on January 11, 2025, when Hajjat Namyalo singled him out of a crowd gathered to receive support.
“That day, Hajjat Namyalo saw me in the crowd and picked me out,” Gahera said. “She gave me a frying pan, a packet of wheat flour, a litre of cooking oil, and a stove. For many, it might look small, but for me, that was real capital.”
He started making chapatis the very next day, gradually building a modest business that now earns him enough to save 10,000 shillings daily. The income has enabled him to educate his children and live with dignity.
Last Wednesday, July 02, Mr. Wabwire Andrew, the Office of the National Chairman (ONC) Coordinator for Kaliro, visited Gahera and other beneficiaries to track the program’s impact. He described the progress as proof that targeted grassroots support can restore livelihoods and instill lasting hope.
“I thank Hajjat Namyalo for her kindness and vision,” Gahera said. “She didn’t forget us, the rural poor. I also appreciate President Museveni for trusting her with this task, and our Woman MP Hon. Namukuta Brenda for bringing this opportunity to Kaliro.”
The empowerment campaign in Kaliro provided assorted tools, start-up kits, and skills to hundreds of vulnerable residents, including youth, women, and persons with disabilities.
ONC officials say the initiative is part of a broader strategy to accelerate household incomes and reduce rural poverty across the country.
If you would like your article/opinion to be published on Uganda’s most authoritative news platform, send your submission on: [email protected]. You can also follow DailyExpress on WhatsApp and on Twitter (X) for realtime updates.
