Edward Kazire is a Ugandan Roman Catholic Church Catechist, Diet-therapist, Chemist, Pharmacognist, Natural Medicine Scientist, Industrialist, Entrepreneur, Farmer, and a Researcher with bias on herbal medicines and natural products science. He founded Kazire Health Products Limited in 2008 whose mission is a commitment to improving the health wellbeing of people and their communities. Established as a small entity to serve small communities, Kazire Health Products Limited has grown over the years and emerged quickly as a leader and quality provider of natural medicines, health beverages, fruits and root juices.
During the recently concluded Ankole Investment Symposium, Kazaire made in impassioned presentation, making the case for integrating rural communities into the national economy.
He talked Journalist ARINAITWE RUGYENDO on the sidelines of the symposium:-
RUGYENDO: What do you mean when you talk of the nexus between ‘local community development’ and the ‘economy?’
KAZAIRE: The UN defines local community development as a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems. Community development is an important aspect for nation-building because it teaches people to think about their environment and how to protect their neighborhoods and improve their lives. One author named Shaw expresses that a community is the smallest component of national systems. Thus, the functionality of these systems are dependent on the functionality of these units. That is how the two are linked.
RUGYENDO: What makes local communities so important in national development?
KAZAIRE: For any social policy to thrive, it must have roots from the local communities. The local community is the source of inputs that feed the industries in a country. It is hardly shocking that there is almost no area of social policy that is immune from the community treatment.
RUGYENDO: You are a participant in the local economy through your value addition activities at Kazaire Health Products Ltd. How does your view relate to Uganda?
KAZAIRE: Uganda is an agrarian economy. Most agro-processing industries depend on inputs produced by farmers are mainly based in the rural areas. A 2016 study done in Luwero district by a scholar named Musinguzi, revealed that communities have the potential to generate incomes and savings. Another one by Moses Owino in 2017 done in Kabale district of south-western Uganda revealed that communities are primary sources of taxes. They provide support mechanism in promotion of peace and security. Local communities are the sources of labour – both skilled and unskilled -to investors in their respective areas.
RUGYENDO: You speak as if they are the lifeline of Uganda’s economy
KAZAIRE: Not necessarily. But they are a very critical mechanism. For example, they support education systems which translates into human capital development. These local communities are important in developing health systems and they play a role in monitoring government projects through the decentralization system. Therefore, for any anti poverty intervention of the state must focus on the rural community as an important factor of socio-economic transformation
RUGYENDO: What are the necessary ingredients to make this a reality?
KAZAIRE: Good leadership at the local community. Bad leadership at this level can hinder its contribution to the economy. There must be smooth flow of information. Failure to access information on various aspects of development can delink the local community from national development.
RUGYENDO: Uganda’s own story seems to be moving in this very direction. What is missing?
KAZAIRE: True but not quite enough. Our economy is largely agrarian, this calls for continuous support of agricultural initiatives at the grassroots. Studies show that 19.5% of Uganda’s adult population has an account at a formal financial institution in Uganda. Such people will have a challenge accessing finance to do any business.
RUGYENDO: How do we solve this?
KAZAIRE: This can be solved by creating an enabling environment that enhances financial inclusion. Local communities have abundant traditional knowledge that can be easily tapped and innovated to solve a number of challenges in national economy. This can be solved through linking Think Tanks and institutions of higher learning with local communities e.g. Student-Community Twinning Approach.
RUGYENDO: Isn’t the Parish Development Model going to fix this?
KAZAIRE: There is a possibility it will. Especially if it focuses on facilitating local innovations and knowledge incubation at grassroots to amplify a paradigm shift.
RUGYENDO: How has Kazaire Health Products led by example in amplifying this paradigm shift in the rural economy?
KAZAIRE: We work closely with the local communities and more especially farmers who are the main suppliers of raw materials and other inputs. We are engaged in research and innovations with a special focus on natural medicines, food science, organic farming and biotechnology. Our vision is to improve the health and livelihood of people and their communities.