This archive report was first published on 10 August 2019.
By ISAIAH ESIPISU
August 10, 2019
Urbanus Kamuti, a 35-year-old farmer in Mwala, Machakos County, has become a role model after excavating a 500,000-litre farm dam in 2014.
It took him 78 days to complete the project, which has enabled him to produce food throughout the year, regardless of the weather.
‘It was not an easy task,’ says Kamuti, a father of five. ‘But I had to do it given the tough climatic conditions that have made food scarce.’
Today, Kamuti's farm is a thriving example of resilience, attracting farmers from far and wide who visit to learn from him.
He grows a variety of crops, including watermelons, tomatoes, spinach, and sukuma wiki, depending on the season.
He also keeps dairy cows, goats, and chickens, and has a fish pond where he raises tilapia.
His success has inspired a team of young farmers in the area, who have formed a youth group called ‘Sweat is Sweet’.
‘We saw Kamuti start excavating his dam, and it looked like a very hard task that may not yield much but he is now enjoying the fruits of his hard work and we have all followed suit,’ says Simon Musyoka, a member of the group.
Each member of the group has a farm pond on their small parcels of land, which they use to grow various crops, becoming major suppliers of horticultural produce in Machakos.
‘We grow crops that are out of season especially during the dry periods to get maximum profits,’ says Musyoka.
Alphonce Kimweli Ngumbi, another farmer in the area, has also found success by integrating livestock, crops, and trees on his one-acre farm.
‘All members of our groups integrate livestock, crops, and trees because the animals provide manure for the farms while leaves from the trees also keep the soils fertile,’ he says.
The group draws its farming lessons from the internet and agriculture NGOs working in the area.
‘From the internet, we have learnt how to make chicken feeds locally, and how to design homemade chuff-cutters for chopping grass,’ says Kamuti.
Emanuel Fondo of the World Vision notes that several farmer groups in the area have come up with home-grown techniques that have really helped them develop resilience to the tough climatic conditions.
‘Such groups have self-drive and when we come in to train them, the uptake is very high,’ says Fondo, noting they are currently working with 6,000 farmers in Machakos.
