By Dennis Kipkirui.
Water hyacinth is known to be
an invasive weed choking the aquatic life in Lake Victoria, the main source of
River Nile; Africa’s longest river. Residents of the lake region have learnt to
hate the weed and curse the day it sprouted in their economic hub. Researchers
have been left scratching their heads after their skills to rid off the weed
were thwarted. They tried mechanical, chemical and biological means to remove
it but to their chagrin. International organizations including the IMF have
pumped billions of shillings to eradicate it fearing the danger it poses on the
livelihoods of over 30 million people surviving on the lake.
This is not the case for the residents of
Sipili Division, Laikipia West District. In the quite village of Dimcom,
farming is a thriving economic activity, thanks to water hyacinth. Residents
are busy cultivating the weed not oblivious of the worries it has exerted to
the world. They only know the benefits.
Mr. Kiarahu harvesting water hyacinth from his dam. |
With the presence of water in his farm,
the successful farmer thought that he had completely solved water problems. However,
that was not to be the case, evaporation took toll of his dam and depleted
water. “I had to think seriously of a way out to permanently solve my problem,”
said Kiarahu. “One day when I was running my errands in Nyahururu town I saw a
plant that covered water in a pond. I inquired about the plant and everybody
said that it was harmful to a water body.”
When he came home, he deeply thought over it .He could not resist the
temptation of introducing the hyacinth into
his receding dam to provide the same ‘cover’ over water like the one in
Nyahururu.
As fate would have it, The National Council
of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) began a bore-hole digging project in the area to alleviate
water crisis for the residents. Mr. Kiarahu met one of the NCCK officers and
requested if he could avail him a sucker of hyacinth in his next visit. That
was the start of water conservation in his farm. He got the sucker, planted it
in his dam and it quickly spread over water. The rate of water loss through evaporation
was reduced.
Mr. Francis Kiarahu feeding goats with water hyacinth |
The farmer was not through with his discoveries until he realized the
economic value of the ‘weed’ apart from conserving water in his dam. Two years
after planting it, he harvested a little of it and introduced it to his livestock
to feed on. That was it. The animals readily welcomed the new feed and became
more productive. When the Laikipia Rural
Voices visited his farm, both goats and cattle were comfortably feeding on
it. He also makes manure out of it which he uses as fertilizer in his green
farm. Apart from manure, Mr.Kiarahu employs water hyacinth as mulch in his
fruit trees during dry spells to prevent water loss.
He is quick to remind LRV that it also acts as a water
purifier. The survival of fish in his dam is attributed to the hyacinth which
protects it from predators.
He harvests it
using a hook and rake. Does it need any form of management? Not at all.
His effort to conserve soil and water
were recognized in 2010 when he was feted by the ministry of agriculture as the
best farmer in Laikipia District for Soil and water Conservation. He was
awarded a certificate which he proudly shows the LRV scribe.
Many farmers have emulated his work. Currently most residents in the area are farming
water hyacinth. As the world struggles to eliminate it, to them it is a
blessing in disguise. They are planning to have it in large scale for
commercial use. They are looking forward to a day they will start a cottage
industry to make products like packets out of it. To them Lake Victoria shall
be the main source of their raw materials.
The only challenge they attribute to the
plant is its ability to destroy fish life during drought season and difficulty
in harvesting because its roots are entangled in soil rather than water.
Mr.Kiarahu plans to sensitize more
farmers in the larger arid lands of Laikipia County on the economic viability
of hyacinth. “I have a campaign aimed at imparting knowledge on the people of
Sipili and the wider Laikipia on how to utilize water hyacinth. It is a good
plant and can help farmers from this region who need constant supply of water
to manage their activities,” said Mr. Kiarahu.
3 comments:
That is an award winning story. Hongera baba and thanks LRV for the good work you are doing to inform and educate the world
That is an award winning story. Hongera baba and thanks to LRV team for the great work of informing and educating the world
This is an excellent approach. Only the exploitation of this weed and its felonious renewability can lead to its control. Fiber,food and fuel can all be gotten from this weed. Hurrah!
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