Kambuzi's Fish Pond in Walukuba Village

Samuel Kambuzi is our Walukuba Village Health Team chair, and one of the hardest-working men in Iganga.  A few weeks ago he invited the UVP staff to come see his 'fish pond.' We went, not knowing what to expct. 

 

The pond is incredible - perhaps 30 by 60 feet, and full of fish.  Another lies next to it, not quite finished.  Kambuzi, his brothers and a few village political leaders financed the fish pond jointly, and they plan to share the proceeds.  The initiative is incredibly because they had virtually no guidance, and yet there was the pond, and there were the fish, darting about and eating ground maize as Kambuzi threw it into the water. 

Fish ponds are not an area of UVP specialization, but we had brought along a man who works on village income genation projects for another NGO, JIDDECO.  This man looked over the pond and offered some general advice: water ought to drain from the bottom of thepond, not the top, strings ought to be strung across the pond in rows to prevent birds eating fish.  The man promised to arrange a series of training days, run by another JIDDECO staff person who specializes infish ponds..  JIDDECO would finance the first training, but Kambuzi and his partners would have to pay forthe rest.  Kambuzi agreed - such techincal expertise would surely be worth the cost, as it would raise their profits in the long run.  We feel sure that the venture will be a success, if only because of the incredible committment shown by this groups of village leaders.