When President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni transferred Permanent Secretary Pius Bigirimana to Gender Ministry in 2013, many Ugandans perceived the move as a demotion since he was removed from a ‘lucrative’ institution- Office of the Prime Minister.
But in surprising shift of events, this was a time for Bigirimana to unleash his capabilities, transform the hitherto belittled ministry into one of the most active with its composition of youth, women, children, workers and the disabled.
This Ministry is among the very few which President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni consistently heaps praises on because of its new innovations in terms of development.
The President however, never forgets to mention the man who has swung efforts into transforming this ministry.
On several occasions, Museveni likens Bigirimana to a pumpkin seed which can germinate on a rock.
The concept of Youth Livelihood Programme which Bigirimana initiated immediately when he stepped into Gender Ministry has helped many youth across the country to fight unemployment and have since turned into job creators.
Bigirimana further initiated another programme seeking to empower woman in Uganda- Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme.
Besides these programmes, Bigirimana has been engaged in charity and leadership activities.
He recently invited the Prime Minister of Uganda Rt Hon Ruhakana Rugunda to commission a fully furnished, well equipped hospital in his home town of Cyanika in Kisoro district to improve the lives of the communities.
Shockingly Bigirimana has already delivered another project- Songhai Model Farm which will be officially launched by the President on August 12, 2018, as part of the activities while celebrating the Youth Day in Kampiringisa, Mpigi District with a theme ‘space for the youth.’
Songhai project is succeeding because of the commitment from Uganda government with strong support from the political leadership of Hon Janat Mukwaya and with very strong support from UNDP coordinated by Almaz Gebru who has been very instrumental in pushing this programme.
This model farm will act as experimental farm, designed to research and demonstrate improvements in agricultural techniques, efficiency, and building layout mostly to vulnerable people who will be mobilized across the country to regularly visit Kampiringisa to learn best agriculture practices.
This will massively help to fight unemployment since, the ministry will help these group of Ugandans to establish similar farming approaches in their native communities.
Understanding Songhai Model Farm
The Songhai Model is an integrated agriculture production system of development that seeks to reduce poverty, unemployment and food insecurity by strengthening the technical and organizational capacities of communities to produce efficiently and sustainably. The model helps in building the entrepreneurial capacity of local communities to expand green employment for youth, women and PWDs.
The model is a part of the agricultural revolution that deploys a new paradigm that harnesses the environmental capital to produce more and better quality food for a growing population, while protecting and enhancing the environment. The Songhai model has regenerative capability that promotes a real “greening” of agriculture, through an ecosystem approach that draws nature’s contributions to crop and animal growth, such as soil organic matter and soil micro-organisms, rainfall, pollination and bio-control and integrated pest management, eco services (water shades and landscapes).
Why Now
It should be noted that the present day, conventional agriculture based on the intensive use of chemicals has increased global food production and the average per capita food consumption. In the process however, this practice has depleted and damaged the resources of many agro-ecosystem, jeopardizing future productivity and aggravated the environmental challenges (greenhouse gases, water pollution etc.) of our time. Even with its advances, this agricultural system has not significantly reduced the number of chronically hungers which is currently estimated at about 870 million people. Therefore the model enables farmers to produce better and more with less. This is only possible because of an integrated system of production where the principles of synergy, complementarity, supplementary, and negative entropy are in play.
