Three decades after it was last held, the famed ‘Sheema Trade and Agricultural Exhibition’ is set to return.
Sheema Municipality MP Dickson Kateshumbwa announced this development while addressing the press at Parliament on October 19, 2022. Going by the schedule issued today, the event running under the mantra “Enhancing Productivity through value addition”, shall commence on 9th November and end on 12th November 2022.
Before it folded mysteriously, Kateshumbwa explained that the Sheema Expo was a platform for locals to showcase their agricultural, farm produce, innovations and also be trained on good farming/cattle rearing practices. This he said is the prime reason why they worked tooth and nail for its revival and is optimistic that it will meet the aforementioned targets.
“We know that our people are preparing to implement the Parish Development Model (PDM) but one of the key considerations for successful PDM is for people to have capacity especially when you are targeting agriculture and so we thought that this exhibition will provide an opportunity for people to learn and showcase what they are doing especially in the area of farming and agriculture. So if you have the best cows, you will have an opportunity to display them and show them how you have made it. If you are processing a product, you will be able to showcase it and show people how you do it,” he elaborated.
Most importantly, Rosemary Nyakikongoro (Sheema Woman MP) exhumed confidence that this event will go a long way in marketing the district which came into existence 12 years ago.
“When you talk about Sheema which was curved out of Bushenyi, they think we belong to Bushenyi. So this show is partly going to show our true identity and when we talk of identity it is about the things we do in the district of Sheema…..We do a lot of value addition but it is not yet marketed nationally and internationally….Our women do tremendous things, you know we have gotten out of Covid-19,” Nyakikongoro pointed out.
“They are struggling with hand crafts; they grow back yard fruits and mushrooms. They need to bring them to the market so that people know what comes out of Sheema. Therefore to have such a show will attract that local woman who has been struggling alone at the grassroots,” she argued.
Apparently, Kateshumbwa says more than 20 exhibitors have confirmed attendance, half of those from the district.
CSR Activities
Working in cohorts with the Indian Women Association led by Mrs. Falguni Patel, organisers have organised a medical camp.
“We are going to do screening cervical cancer…general check and many more. We are expecting like 5,000 ladies to do that. 22 doctors from Mulago Hospital are going to join us for this camp and the medication which they have requested us for this four days camp; it’s almost Shs 8 to 10 million shillings. We are going to offer free services,” Falguni hinted.
Other events lined up include a soccer match between legislators and the District’s Best Eleven and an athletics race dubbed ‘Sheema Run’ scheduled for November 12, 2022. Others are a tree planting exercise which is aimed at encouraging locals to plant at least 20,000 trees annually in the Municipality.
Proceeds from the ‘Sheema Run’ will go towards the cause against Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
“In the Municipality, we have over 1,000 people who are suffering from the NCDs and they have an association. So last year we started a project of constructing a ward at the Health Center and last year’s run was able to realise Shs 230 million and we started the ward. We are hoping that this year, we shall collect enough proceeds to complete the ward,” Kateshumbwa clarified.