OPINION
As Buhweju we need to work harder and make sure that our living standards improve
In Buhweju, we have about 21,000 young people who are not in Education, Employment or Training. These are people who just wake up everyday and move around without any work. They are just there and may be hoping that someone assists them in one way or another.
However, we have tea which can actually employ about 49,000 people if some few things were to be done. This would wash away all these young people from the streets and even employ others from other districts.
I am told a few people have been selected to meet the President when he visits Nkole soon. What are these people going to tell him? Do they have a strategy on how such people can be liberated? I think it is high time we started being serious. I look at this as a market. You either go there to sell or buy something. As Buhweju what are we going to sell or buy in this market? If you are going to sell it means you have a product! Is it well packaged to attract a very good price? If you are going to buy, you must be having the money! Unfortunately, it appears to me that we should be going to sell! What is our product?
Have these people organised a meeting and discussed how such problems can be addressed in Buhweju? Is there a product?
The young people should look for ideas that quickly transform our communities and not just good words without substance because if we do not listen then we shall realize when it is too late. I expect the young people in Buhweju to ask those who will lead the delegation such questions and answers.
We need to look into the real economy deliberately and accept to be given knowledge (education) that we are lacking. That will increase our incomes. Then if we used our networks properly, our knowledge (education) will attract resources to our community. As I write this, the strategy for revamping the tea industry in Buhweju district is ready. This has been prepared by BCTI and it requires approximately UGX.24 billion. It will create about 49,000 jobs and lead to exports of USD 70 million annually. In addition, it can generate about UGX. 32 billion into a Tea Development Fund (TDF) that BCTI is proposing and which is good for sustainability. The farmers will earn about UGX.4,500,000 per acre annually as net after contributing to the TDF which is much better compared to the current about UGX.2,100,000.
BCTI is reminding the organizers to plan better their anticipated engagement to contribute to transformation using the tea industry. The tea is already in the gardens and what is missing is a clear strategy. BCTI is always available for transformative engagements. Our tea in Buhweju is used to blend other teas especially in Bushenyi and therefore starting the struggle from Buhweju is key for solving the problem elsewhere. BCTI has a clear mechanism on how to make each stakeholder happy. It will not be the first time for a struggle from Zero to Successful from Buhweju!
BCTI will be able to generate from this strategy some money for investing in its other initiatives through about 128 groups across the district, at least 20 Associates and 500 individuals. As you are aware, we have started promoting the pig economy in our district through these groups as a means of diversfying incomes using very small pieces of land. We therefore need capital and this can be realised using this strategy that solves a bigger problem. In economics we say that there is nothing like free lunch
By Godfrey Byamukama Kareere, the writer is the Chairman of BCTI.
