The Minister for the Presidency Hon Milly Babirye Babalanda has called upon women in Uganda to take an active role in fighting poverty in their families and communities.
Speaking Saturday 14th December, 2024 at the closure of the Busoga SDA Church Women’s Ministries Congress held at Busoga High School in Kamuli Municipality, Minister Babalanda emphasized that poverty is a significant contributor to gender based violence (GBV) and that women can play a crucial role in eradicating it.
“…as women, we are pivotal in the economic transformation of our homes, we must take advantage of the many government programmes such as Emyooga and PDM to start small businesses and contribute to our family’s economic growth and development…” she said.
It should be noted that Hon Milly Babirye Babalanda is also the director for Busoga Field and Chairperson of the Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) Women’s League.
The event focused on the theme: “Women In Mission and Discovering Our Potentials”, which highlights the importance of empowering women to realize their full potential and to become active participants in their families and communities.
Quoting a line from an ancient Chinese proverb, “…A Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step…”, attributed to Lao Tzu, Minister Babalanda advised the women, particularly of Busoga to start small projects like poultry farming, goat rearing and vegetable gardening, among others which can help them transform their lives quickly.
Minister Babalanda also made reference to the Bible, Book of Proverbs 31:25, which reads: “…She is clothed with strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future…”.
This verse paints a vivid picture of a strong, confident, and dignified woman who is not afraid of the future because she is empowered to cater for the family even during uncertainties.
She also urged them to embrace wealth creation, now a buzzword in Uganda, thanks to President Yoweri Museveni’s initiative aimed at transforming lives and promoting economic growth.
As Minister Babalanda emphasized, this initiative is being spearheaded by the NRM government with a focus on empowering women to take charge of their economic destiny.
The idea is to shift the mindset from wealth consumption to wealth creation, and women are being encouraged to play a key role in this process.
By embracing wealth creation, women can improve their socio-economic status, provide better for their families, and contribute to the overall development of their communities.
President Museveni’s wealth creation initiative is multifaceted, with programs such as Operation Wealth Creation (OWC), Parish Development Model (PDM), and Emyooga, among others
These programmes are designed to provide training, resources, and support to individuals, particularly women, to help them start and grow their own businesses.
By urging women to be the vanguard of wealth creation, Minister Babalanda is emphasizing the importance of women’s participation and leadership in driving economic growth and development.
She also emphasized the importance of prayer and hard work in achieving success.
“…we must pray for God’s blessings on our initiatives and work hard to achieve our goals…”, she said.
The SDA Church Women’s Ministries Congress Annual event is a gathering organized by the Women’s Ministries department of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church.
The event aims to empower and equip women for leadership and service within the church and community.
It is also to foster spiritual growth, fellowship, and networking among women.
The event also gives opportunity to address relevant issues affecting women, such as health, education, and social justice and to provide training, workshops, and seminars on various topics, including leadership development, Bible study, and community outreach.
The annual congress typically features keynote speakers and presenters, worship services and prayer sessions, workshops and seminars, panel discussions, and networking opportunities, among others.
The event is usually attended by women from various SDA churches, conferences, and unions, providing a platform for connection, inspiration, and growth.
The Busoga SDA Church Women’s Congress brought together over 700 from 17 SDA districts in the Busoga sub region.
The event also aimed to empower women spiritually, economically, and socially.
Pastor Dr Jimmy Kajura, the President of the Busoga SDA Church Diocese, thanked God for enabling them to host the near- week-long congress successfully.
“…we invited women to this congress to show them how the Bible tells them to support their husbands in transforming their families rather than waiting for men all the time…”, he said.
The five-day Congress was declared officially closed by Minister Babalanda, who also used the gathering to extend her condolences to the people of Busoga and the family upon the demise of Dr. Frank Nabwiso, which occurred on Saturday.
Hon Babalanda’s message aligns with the vision of President Museveni, who has just concluded a wealth creation tour in the Sebei sub region, following previous tours in Bukedi, Teso, and Karamoja
The main focus of these tours, which are expected to resume mid next month in 2025, is wealth creation and the PDM.
During these tours, President Museveni emphasized the importance of using development and peace reigning in the country to get out of poverty.
Specifically, in Sebei, the President commended farmers for adopting the Four-acre model, which is a key component of PDM.
Overall, President Museveni’s wealth creation tour in Sebei and other regions aimed to promote economic development and improve the livelihood of the citizens so that they take ownership of their economic future.
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