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| Farmers get tips |
Story and Pictures by Luyali Jirongo in Wote
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| Farmers receive training |
For so many years, Makueni and other semi arid parts in
Ukambani have been ravaged by decades of hunger and starvation. With sixteen
administrative divisions, the county is mainly arid and semi-arid and is characterized
by hot and dry climate for most of the year. It experiences two rainfall seasons,
one in April and another in October. Thousands of starving families in the area
have for many years depended on relief food from the government and other
non-governmental organizations. Though the land in the area is fertile, water
is very scarce hampering agriculture and making starvation a perennial problem.
Dependency has become a hindrance to innovation as many residents do not have a
slightest idea on how to put their arable land to good use and help alleviate
the suffering caused by acute hunger in the area.
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| Cows in a dam |
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| Sorghum farm |
Carlos Wambua, a villager of Mulala in Wote says that the
only source of livelihood in the area for long has been charcoal burning and sand
harvesting. He adds that this activity has largely contributed to environmental destruction, thereby exposing
huge tracks of land to continued water and soil erosion. “Since the time I was born,
we have been depending on food rations and many people here do not know
anything to do with agriculture”, says 40-year-old Josephine Mbithi, a resident
of Wote.
However, in a sleepy village of Kikumini in Wote, villagers from
over forty families have formed a group that has decided to make use of their
large tracks of land to plant drought resistant crops as a way of getting out
of this serious problem. Under the name‘Kalomo Community and Dam Group’, they
have started planting sorghum and cowpeas which act as cash crops as well as food.
The group also digs dams to provide water for their farming activities.
The group’s chaiman Mutuku Mutesi says that since most of
the villagers have small pieces of land, they are renting large tracks at
Sh.1,500 per acre. Currently, they have ten acres in which they have planted
sorghum and one where they have grown cow peas.“We started this initiative two
years ago but in the first year things were not really good for us”, explains
Mutuku.
Over this period, they have started realizing the benefits
of what seemed as a dream in the beginning. They have now harvested 180kgs of peas,
which they sold at Sh. 40 per kilo. Part of this money has been channeled back
to the project to buy fertilizers and build a storage facility for their produce.
At present, the members of the group do not get paid but they all share the
profits that come from the sale of their produce. Mutuku adds that through such
a project, they will soon forget the practice of depending on relief food and
will also be able to save something to take their children to school.
According to Mutuku, these crops are very useful, as they do
not take too long to mature and require little water to grow. Sorghum for example,
takes only two months to be ready for harvesting. Since this is a semi-arid area,
they have dug a dam in which water is held after each season of rain. It is
this water that they use for irrigating the crops. Some of their future plans
include rearing of goats and chicken as well as opening a firm that will mango
juice from the readily available mangoes that grow in the area. They also plan
on opening an account to help save the groups profits.
Mutuku however says that this project has come with its
share of challenges. The most sticking one being that of water. The dam in
which the water is stored is to small such that it dries up before the next
rain season. This water, which is also used for drinking, is usually
contaminated as they share it with livestock. Some people even bath in the same
water. Other problems include lack of fertilizers and new seed for planting. In
addition, he says that birds destroy the sorghum especially when it produces
seed but this is dealt with by members observing the firms in turns to chase
away the birds. A market for their produce is also an issue of concern.
Recently, the group received a reprieve as their efforts were
recognized by the Africa Harvest Foundation which offered them with training on
soil and water management, bulding of on-farm water harvesting structures and managing
soil erosion. The foundation has also given them seeds and fertilizers.
Mutuku advices other people in the drought stricken Ukambani
area to turn to such initiatives as they will help in poverty alleviation and ensure
food security through improved food production, improved land and water
management, increased productivity and adoption of sustainable adaptive
mechanisms to drought and climate change.
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