Ibanda sold vegetables to build his house
May 21, 2013
Wilson Ibanda, a resident of Buwagi village approximately 21kms from Jinja town built a four bedroom house with a spacious sitting room, dining room and three bedroom boy’s quarters from selling vegetables like nakati, dodo, cabbage and buga plus passion fruits, coffee and milk.
By Esther Namirimu
Wilson Ibanda, a resident of Buwagi village approximately 21kms from Jinja town built a four bedroom house with a spacious sitting room, dining room and three bedroom boy’s quarters from selling vegetables like nakati, dodo, cabbage and buga plus passion fruits, coffee and milk.
About Ibanda
I have been a farmer all my life. I am married to Margaret Ibanda and we have a beautiful family. I am a member of Alinikila Farmers Association. This group has helped me so much because we generate development ideas together. The group also helped me out by loaning me some money to solve my construction issues.
In 1998 I bought a 20 by 20 feet plot of land. On this plot I grow vegetables for my market in Kampala.
When NAADS came to Buwagi village, I was given sh800,000 and I topped it up with sh600,000 and bought a heifer at sh140,000. This cow gave birth to a bull in 2011 and in 2012 it gave birth to twin cows.
I was advised by the veterinary doctor to sell the calves and instead buy a heifer. As of now I have three cows and they give me 24 litres of milk every day. That means I get sh16,800 from milk every day. I also grow passion fruits, coffee, maize, beans and these give me enough income.
In 2010, a lady called Veronica Wabukawu came from the US, and gave our farmers group capital worth sh2m. We shared this money and used it to increase the capacity of our produce. I used my share to grow more vegetables and for sure I have seen God’s hand in my work.
Building project
After saving a total of sh24m, I thought it was time for me to start building.
In January 2012, I decided to enlarge my house from three bedrooms to five bedrooms. I went to jinja and looked for experienced builders and made an agreement with them to build the house from the foundation to the wall plate stage.
I paid the builders in phases that way they could not disappear with my money before finishing the construction. I paid them sh1m for roofing.
The construction took us three months. We started construction in January and stopped in March 2012 because I run out of cash.
The whole construction project has so far cost me nearly sh20m. Even though I have not installed doors, windows and flooring, I am very proud of my work because I did not know that I could achieve this.
I believe I have finished the hardest part which is raising the house from the ground level and roofed it, I am sure the rest will be just a walk over.
Each brick cost me sh80 and a trip of 1000 bricks cost me sh80,000. A trip of pit sand cost me sh120,000 and each trip of lake sand cost me sh150,000 because it comes from Kamuli district.
Cement was the most expensive construction material that I had to buy. As such I devised a strategy of saving money to buy 10 bags of cement every after three months.
I bought each iron sheet at sh50,000 and for timber I bought 350 pieces of timber each at sh3,500.
I would pay village boys to ferry water into my water tanks. In exchange I would give them some money.
Currently I am saving money for the next phase; that is flooring, interior and exterior finishing.
I want to have a beautiful home that is at the level of Kampala homes. Even for the furniture I will not rush into buying cheap furniture, but I will save and buy something valuable and long lasting.
View: Ibanda’s four bedroom house
Secrets for great work done in a short time
First of all I am hard working; I wake up at 5:00am and check on my cows. At 6:00am, I milk them and after that water the nursery beds of the passion fruits, coffee and vegetables then go to the garden to dig. Without hard work you achieve less or nothing at all.
I did the supervision of the construction myself, that way I did not experience problems such as theft of construction materials.
Motivation
I have a very big family and just like all parents, I want to give them the best. My first house was very small. Since my income had improved, I decided to improve my standards of living by building a bigger house for the family.
Challenges
The construction materials are too expensive and at first I thought that the money I had collected was enough for the whole construction project. But to my disappointment, we only reached half-way.
Transporting the construction materials is also a very big challenge because it is too expensive. If you are not well prepared you might fail to take materials to the construction site.
Advice to people
Work hard because hard work pays, and never despise any type of work because whatever you do with great effort you can achieve something from it.
Even if you have not had the opportunity to go to school and graduate with a degree, you can join farming and you will achieve so many things with the money as long as one stays focussed.
Five years from now
I will have completed my house, I want to put in tiles and give it a good finishing. I want to own rental houses in Jinja town and Kampala.The money I get from them will help in paying children’s school fees when they reach university.
I also hope to own a large farm of cattle and increase on the produce from my farm. This will mean I will be able to supply to more markets in the country. God willing I will also start exporting my products.