“If the village perishes India will perish too. It will be no more
India. Her own mission in the world will get lost.” -----M.K. Gandhi
The majority of the people in Uganda live in villages. Technology has changed the entire world in which we live but the villagers and their quality of life has not changed much.
In attempt to transform the villages, we bring you Gandhi’s model homestead approach.
Gandhi had a great vision about an ideal village, which later on became a “model village”. He visualised villages as productive centres, using appropriate technologies and having skilful workers and excellent environment. The villagers would have good health and not be idle or wallow in luxury.
Gandhi said that, “a village unit as conceived by me is as strong as the strongest. My imaginary village consists of one thousand souls. Such a unit can give good account of itself, if it is well organised on a basis of self-sufficiency.”
Till today, such ideal or model villages of Gandhi simply remained in our dream. The National Agricultural Advisory Services, NAADS, and Bonnabagagawale development scenarios indicate that even after 47 years of independence, illiteracy, hunger, unemployment, inadequate infrastructure and medical facilities, poor housing, over population and poverty continued to exist in the rural, tribal and urban areas Uganda.
The basic needs of the people could not be met in spite of the abundant natural resources, foreign funding, cattle wealth, workforce and large pool of technocrats and scientists available in the country.
The rural people still suffer from indigence, ignorance and illiteracy. As Mahatma Gandhi opined that India lives in villages, Uganda too lives in villages. According to statistics from Uganda national bureau of standards, 75% of Ugandans live in villages. These areas face inadequate roads, transportation, communication, health and sanitation facilities.
Inspite of so many developmental schemes and projects introduced by the state, central government and humanitarian agencies, basic needs of villages such as clean water supply, food security, good shelter and clothing are not fulfilled.
A conceptual model village is where the villagers act as decision makers, partners, and beneficiaries with multi-sectorial, ultifunctional and integrated development to achieve the holistic and sustainable development. This is backed up by futuristic and progressive skills leading to higher levels of productivity and improvement in overall quality of life.
A model village is a modern, secular, democratic system empowered with prosperous and harmonious life suffused with human values sublimated with spiritual inspiration.
Model villages should have a self propelling model for ensuring growth with equality and social justice within the participatory framework. The crux and pivot of village development should be a villager who is both a partner and beneficiary simultaneously.
This scenario needs a suitable social and psychological environment to foster a cooperative and voluntary spirit among people; a pragmatic people centered development policy and setting up of appropriate peoples institutions by aiming at knowledge society with effective people’s participation and partnership.
In this context, model villages will play a vital role and transform all the present form of villages into self dependent and supporting units which ultimately augment the overall development of the country.
India. Her own mission in the world will get lost.” -----M.K. Gandhi
The majority of the people in Uganda live in villages. Technology has changed the entire world in which we live but the villagers and their quality of life has not changed much.
In attempt to transform the villages, we bring you Gandhi’s model homestead approach.
Gandhi had a great vision about an ideal village, which later on became a “model village”. He visualised villages as productive centres, using appropriate technologies and having skilful workers and excellent environment. The villagers would have good health and not be idle or wallow in luxury.
Gandhi said that, “a village unit as conceived by me is as strong as the strongest. My imaginary village consists of one thousand souls. Such a unit can give good account of itself, if it is well organised on a basis of self-sufficiency.”
Till today, such ideal or model villages of Gandhi simply remained in our dream. The National Agricultural Advisory Services, NAADS, and Bonnabagagawale development scenarios indicate that even after 47 years of independence, illiteracy, hunger, unemployment, inadequate infrastructure and medical facilities, poor housing, over population and poverty continued to exist in the rural, tribal and urban areas Uganda.
The basic needs of the people could not be met in spite of the abundant natural resources, foreign funding, cattle wealth, workforce and large pool of technocrats and scientists available in the country.
The rural people still suffer from indigence, ignorance and illiteracy. As Mahatma Gandhi opined that India lives in villages, Uganda too lives in villages. According to statistics from Uganda national bureau of standards, 75% of Ugandans live in villages. These areas face inadequate roads, transportation, communication, health and sanitation facilities.
Inspite of so many developmental schemes and projects introduced by the state, central government and humanitarian agencies, basic needs of villages such as clean water supply, food security, good shelter and clothing are not fulfilled.
A conceptual model village is where the villagers act as decision makers, partners, and beneficiaries with multi-sectorial, ultifunctional and integrated development to achieve the holistic and sustainable development. This is backed up by futuristic and progressive skills leading to higher levels of productivity and improvement in overall quality of life.
A model village is a modern, secular, democratic system empowered with prosperous and harmonious life suffused with human values sublimated with spiritual inspiration.
Model villages should have a self propelling model for ensuring growth with equality and social justice within the participatory framework. The crux and pivot of village development should be a villager who is both a partner and beneficiary simultaneously.
This scenario needs a suitable social and psychological environment to foster a cooperative and voluntary spirit among people; a pragmatic people centered development policy and setting up of appropriate peoples institutions by aiming at knowledge society with effective people’s participation and partnership.
In this context, model villages will play a vital role and transform all the present form of villages into self dependent and supporting units which ultimately augment the overall development of the country.
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