WATER DAM TURNS SEMI-ARID AREA A GREEN ISLAND OF PLENTY

Peter Musango, a Kenya Red Cross agronomist in Kwale County inspects crops in a farm in the area. Residents now grow maize, fruits and vegetables thanks to the rehabilitation of Nyalani dam. PHOTO | MARY WAMBUI | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

By MARY WAMBUI

Nyalani, located some 30km from Kwale town is sparsely populated with residents mainly relying on motorbikes for transport.

The semi-arid area that once suffered food shortages has now been turned into a green island of plenty, where crops and fish are harvested in plenty.

Mlongo Mwanajuma Mocha, a fisherman and a crop farmer, stands on the shore of the dam preparing to go fishing.

“There is good fish in this dam, which I harvest and sell,” says Mwajuma, noting he makes between Sh800 and Sh1,200 from selling the fish a day.

Nyalani dam was initially constructed in 1952 by the colonial government to improve livelihoods but it later dried leading to a serious water problem.

In 2013, M-Pesa Foundation in partnership with Kenya Red Cross and Kwale County government rehabilitated the dam, and encouraged residents to embrace crop farming.

Residents now grow maize, fruits and vegetables under the supervision of an agronomist attached to the Kenya Red Cross.

RESIDENTS ADOPT WELL TO FARMING

Mwanajuma, who also grows melons, says he made over Sh30,000 last season from selling the produce. Peter Musango, the Kenya Red Cross agronomist, says the area has fertile black cotton soil which supports the growth of watermelons, sweet melons, cucumber, onions, maize, tomatoes, kales, spinach, coriander and okra.

Farmers have also been trained on cultural methods of controlling pests and weeds and minimal use of fertiliser.

Last month, farmers harvested their second season’s maize, watermelons and okra, all of which were grown through drip irrigation.

“We have a generator that pipes water from the dam to the farm for irrigation,” Musango says

So far, 417 families are benefiting from the venture, says Red Cross Coast Regional programmes coordinator Mwanaisha Hamisi.

“Residents have adopted well to farming owing to the fact that they always make interesting comparisons to their earlier ventures which they say were unsustainable,” said Hamisi.

Access to market, however, remains one of challenges the farmers are grappling with. 
SOURCE: NMG