Funding cuts won’t affect rural areas

THE proposed cut in District Services Improvement Programme (DSIP) and Provincial Services Improvement Programme (PSIP) grants by the government won’t affect the lives of people living in rural communities.
These funds do not impact our lives.
Constitutionally, the funds allocated by the national government rightfully belong to the people to improve our livelihoods.
But in many districts these funds have not served their intended purposes since independence up till now.
Many social services in the districts, which were supposed to be supported and resuscitated by these funds, were never done.
Infrastructures in all remote districts and sub-districts established by colonial administrations pre and post-independence are in appalling state.
Our livelihoods over the years have been seriously affected to the brink, where we feel that there is no government that cares for us.
Law and order issues have gone out of hand, in most, if not all the 89 districts of the country due to lack of funding towards law enforcing agencies.
There is acute shortage of medical supplies and health workers in many of the rural health centres and aid posts to adequately serve people.
Many lives are lost through preventable diseases as a result thus posing unnecessary stress on families.
Schools lack adequate facilities to enhance teaching and learning of children who are vital human capital of the country’s progress.
Public servants who are the conduits for service delivery to the people have lost pride, diligence and definitions of their roles and responsibilities.
This has resulted in lack of motivation, planning, direction and empowerment of rural people to live fulfilled lives.
Many road networks which are lifelines to the rural populous have deteriorated over the years due to continuous negligence by successive governments.
This has posed serious challenges on the success of rural entrepreneurial activities which would have propped people’s livelihoods.
The consequences are obvious. People who are supposed to enjoy life to the fullest are made to struggle to make ends meet each day.
This results in many people leaving rural areas and migrating into towns and cities, thus creating unpredictable social issues in these centres.
Virtually, the so-called DSIP and PSIP funds which should address some of these issues have not served their intended purposes.
Instead the funds are made to sidetrack the very people they are supposed to serve and are made to end up elsewhere.
The question of where the funds go all year round continues to remain unanswered even by the municipal government and those concerned.
If these funds are meant to benefit politicians and their so-called cronies only, it is pointless resenting against the government’s proposal.
Only the districts and provinces whose leaders deliver at least some form of services may feel the impact of the slashing as it may affect their programmes.
Otherwise, to bulk of us in the rural areas, the proposed cut does not mean anything because the funds have not impacted our lives in the last 44 years.

Steven Koya, Koalilombo Village
Kagua, SHP