In a hilly village of Kagati in Rukungiri district is where 46-year-old Ms. Ruth Arinaitwe calls home.
Arinaitwe is a renown farmer in her area and makes a living from growing crops like coffee, bananas,
groundnuts, and cereals which she has done for the past 20 years. She recently set up a vegetable garden after the Knowledge Hub for Organic Agriculture in Eastern Africa (KHEA) training in March 2022.
Initially before intervention by PELUM Uganda, Arinaitwe used rely on Agro-chemicals
which she believed boost crop harvests. These chemicals used to stay for a short time in the soil and needed constant re-application which was laborious and not pocket friendly to her as a farmer.
“The chemicals used to make the crops and plants addicted to them to the point that the crops would not germinate without them,” said Arinaitwe.
One day when she harvested her oranges that she had grown inorganically, she decided take some to church as offertory for a fundraising event. Mr. Onesimus Asiimwe, who later became her multiplier bought them and used the opportunity to introduce her to organic farming.
Arinaitwe was given an opportunity to train and join the Kakoni Organic Farmers Initiative which trained framers on how to grow plants using natural fertilizers. The project has been able to add on her knowledge in farming, taught her how to make organic fertilizers, and use mulching to sustain soil fertility
among others.
Due to PELUM Uganda, the misconception that some vegetables like Sukuma wiki, tomatoes, dodo, and green paper can only grow on their own has been eradicated from her mind. As of May
2022, Arinaitwe had set up five vegetable gardens where she grows tomatoes, greenpepper, dodo,
nakati, and spring tomatoes that she says have boosted her health intensely.
Her crops have yielded better and look green due to organic fertilizers like plant tea, manure tea and is asked for assistance by her neighbors who admire her garden and would love to replicate what
she is doing but still face a challenge of acquiring the containers to use in organic farming.
Arinaitwe is still new in Agroecology and does not doubt its abilities to bring more income into her farming as it already has on the small scale that she has practiced.
For more information visit; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9kBXeafjoo&t=5s
Success story collection – done by Ezra Kalule – KHEA Project Officer – PELUM Uganda,Edited, reviewed&uploaded by Magino Pamella-KHEA Communications Officer-PELUM Uganda and Biovision Africa Trust Kenya
Author: Pamella Magino
Ms. Magino Pamella joined Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM) Uganda on 1st October 2021 as a Communications Officer for the KCOA-KHEA Project. She comes with over 9 years’ experience as a Communications and Marketing professional in the area of Public Relations, Business Development and Marketing. Pamella offers her clients a visionary and holistic approach to developing communication strategies that are both effective and efficient. Pamella holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication majored in Public Relations and a Certified Member of the Public Relations Association Uganda a recognized umbrella body of all private and public Public Relations professionals, Communication Specialists, Brand Managers, Mass Communication & other related disciplines’ in Uganda. She previously worked with different organizations; The Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat Entebbe, Victoria University Kampala –Uganda, MK Publishers Limited, Monitor Publications Limited, School Times Newspaper, Prime Radio, Africa Youth Leadership Forum, League of Young Professionals Uganda, Volunteer Evolution Arica, Eliham Girl Child charity house.
