BUWENGE, JINJA — Minister for the Presidency and Budiope West Member of Parliament, Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda, has commended a youth group in Buwenge Town Council for abandoning political violence and embracing entrepreneurship.
Babalanda made the remarks while officiating at a fundraising ceremony for the DAFAT & NIMO Youth Development Group and Catering Services in Jinja District, describing the group as an example of mindset change, self-reliance and community development.
According to Babalanda, the group had previously been associated with political violence in Jinja, including an incident during LC1 elections in Buwenge in which two people were killed.
She said she became involved after President Yoweri Museveni delegated her to convey condolences to the affected families.
“When H.E. the President delegated me to convey his sympathies to the bereaved families, I established the root cause of the problem. I subsequently engaged some of these youths and counselled them to reform and embrace a more constructive path,” Babalanda said.
The Minister said she was pleased that the youths responded to the advice and subsequently formed a community-based enterprise providing catering and other services to residents of Jinja.
“This is the spirit of innovation and self-reliance that our nation needs,” she said.
Babalanda also conveyed greetings from President Museveni, First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports Janet Kataaha Museveni, Secretary to the Office of the President Hajji Yunus Kakande and staff of the Office of the President.
She commended the Jinja District leadership for prioritising youth empowerment, noting that young people are not only future leaders but also partners in the country’s development.
Babalanda thanked members of DAFAT & NIMO for responding to President Museveni’s call for hard work and wealth creation, saying their initiative demonstrated patriotism and responsibility.
She also praised the Jinja District security team for what she described as restoring stability in Buwenge through mindset-change engagements aimed at addressing criminality.
The Minister urged district leaders to maintain a cordial working relationship with security agencies and put aside differences that emerged during the general elections in the interest of unity and development.
Addressing young people in Buwenge, Babalanda encouraged those who did not attain formal education to pursue vocational and practical skills, saying academic qualifications are not the only pathway to wealth creation.
She urged the youth to make use of government programmes including the Youth Livelihood Programme, Emyooga, the Parish Development Model (PDM) and the Four-Acre Model.
Babalanda also cautioned young people against drug and substance abuse, saying responsible citizenship requires sobriety, discipline and focus.
She encouraged women to pursue economic independence rather than relying solely on financial support from men, saying economically empowered women contribute to stronger families and communities.
The Minister further appealed to parents not to send children to work in sugarcane plantations at the expense of their education, stressing that every child deserves an opportunity to attend school and build a better future.
As part of her support for the youth initiative, Babalanda contributed Shs5 million to the DAFAT & NIMO Youth Development Group and Catering Services.
The fundraising ceremony was attended by Jinja District Woman MP Hon. Tibyaze Peace, the Regional Police Commander, Resident District Commissioner, Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Assistant Resident District Commissioners, area leaders and other well-wishers.
