Village Enterprise has disbursed Shs350 million to 1800 households in Acowa and Kapelebyong Sub-Counties in its poverty eradication attempts in the communities of Kapelebyong district.
This disbursement happened on June 26, 2024, at the Acowa and Kapelebyong Sub County headquarters.
The event was graced by the District Chairperson, Francis Akorikin, who witnessed each group of three members receiving Shs500,000 as seed capital for opening business. Additionally, each group of 45 members received a projector, a big speaker, an iPad, and a power bank to ease their operations.
He encouraged beneficiaries to utilize their time in productive ventures to succeed in poverty eradication ventures.
“By voting time, you should have come out of poverty,” Akorikin told jubilant beneficiaries.
“For us politicians, we cannot manage to pull you out of poverty, especially when you are not working hard. All of you should work,” he added.
Akorikin also challenged them to embrace government strategies that encourage taking children to school.
David Eseru, the product scaling officer at Village Enterprise, said this digitally enhanced poverty graduation model is being piloted in 600 groups in Kapelebyong district.
He expounded that the program began in February 2024, expressing that over Shs 444 million is expected to be disbursed to the people.
Eseru, while challenging the beneficiaries to invest funds in profit-making ventures, promised that the beneficiaries would receive Shs180m after six months.
Jessica Apio, the Ag. District Community Development Officer, appreciated the Village Enterprise for choosing to work with women and encouraged beneficiaries to continue working together to eradicate poverty.
She also appealed to the beneficiaries to desist from falling prey to domestic violence.
Each beneficiary household was also given five jack fruit seedlings to protect the environment and boost their nutrition.
The statistics from the Kapelebyong district planning unit reveal the poverty rate to be 49%, against the national rate of 39%.
Village Enterprise is a nonprofit dedicated to ending extreme poverty in rural Africa through the power of entrepreneurship.
By Emmanuel Opio
Communication Officer
Kapelebyong District Local Government
