Smallholder farmer Musomesa in rural agricultural development?

When I was growing up, little did I know the world was a global village. That we are all spiritually connected by the global challenges of food insecurity and poverty. With a modest education and a little motivation from friends, I learnt that I can be an information broker and a practical teacher in my little village. Having obtained a Diploma in Business Administration from Nkumba University, I realised how difficult urban life was without a job. I fully appreciated my incapacitation amidst a competitive urban environment.

Without a job, I went back home in Luwero to stay with my village relatives. I had grown with them having lost my parents during the war in Luwero. With my Diploma I became an instant consultant on business models, enterprise development while practically tilling my own farm as a business. I had used a computer to access the internet in search for information an opportunity my peers had not come by. With my modest education, I was able identify the competitve advantage of my community. I saw opportunity and satisfaction in being an active community builder.

Due to soil exhaustion my community in Kamira no longer produced bananas it used to produce. The coffee wilt disease as well as the cassava mosaic had broadly undermined rural incomes in Mabuye Village,Kamira Sub-County, Bamunanika County-Luwero District. While I had run away from Kampala due to the harsh urban environment despite my Diploma,many young people were running away from the village despite their lack of education to urban centers to offer unskilled labor. The dream of living a comfortable life in Kampala was real in their minds. But I had practical experience of urban poverty. Initially, those I spoke to thought was just trying to prevent them from getting their own share of the possibilities in the capital. I was saddened that indeed their determination was misplaced. Building our home, our community and preserving our land was the most important priority that mattered.

I identified pineapple growing as a viable economic activity. Through the National Agricultural Advisory Services(NAADS) I was able to obtain scientific information on the feasibility of the project. Initial intensive tests for pineapple growing resulted into massive harvests I shared with a group of other youths including the Local Council leaders for mobilization purposes. Three years now the whole Sub-County has adopted pineapple production. Household incomes have improved and the rate of rural-urban migration has reduced despite the low rate of returns from agricultural activities.

The challenges are many. But what started as a small initiative now is building into a community cooperative with many innovations. One of the challenges farmers face is lack of water. The community is thinking of water harvesting as critical in improving water access especially in schools and at home. We are working with our contacts in the Rotary Community on building solar powered water pumps as well as wind mills.