Lockdown: Teacher reaping from backyard farming

FARMING   LOCKDOWN   COVID-19

Freda Mudde Mugala is the deputy headteacher at St Elizabeth Montessori Primary School and a mother of five. She was left without work when schools were closed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) in March.

At the beginning of the lockdown, Mugala who is a resident of Ntawo, Mukono district, only woke up to do a few house chores and watch TV a lifestyle she wasn't used to.

"I was so bored until one day, my boss shared with me a video on backyard farming and this didn't leave me the same," she explains.

She had always wanted to do farming on a large scale, but little did she know that she could do it in the backyard and get good yields that could earn her a living.

After watching the video, Mugala reawakened her love for farming and she didn't look back.

"I loved what I saw and I felt like doing exactly what my boss was doing. She inspired me to start backyard farming," says Mugala.

"I then approached the school director, Elizabeth Kirunda Misango, to seek her permission to use the school backyard. She accepted and this motivated me even more," she says.

She immediately devised means of starting backyard gardening. She knew a gentleman called Muwonge, who was doing backyard farming. She approached him for guidance on how to mix the soil with manure, prepare the nursery beds and when to transplant.

"Such information was very vital for me and after getting it, I knew I would succeed as a backyard farmer," notes Mugala.

Since she didn't have the seeds, she got seeds from people who had stocked up. She was also referred to people who sell seeds. 

"I paid sh7,000 for each park of tomato seeds and sh5,000 for each park of Sukuma wiki (kale)," she says.

She then began by mixing soil with manure and planted some seeds in sacks and the others directly in the soil.

Today, she is a backyard farmer growing tomatoes and Sukuma wiki in the school backyard. She is killing two birds with one stone. She earns from selling her greens to the neighbours and also eats some at her home.

Why backyard gardening

Mugala notes that the lockdown stressed her, and every morning she wondered what she could do to keep herself busy and also earn a living.

She remembered the words of Dr Dan Ayebare, who occasionally encouraged her and her workmates to start up self-help projects.

Her backyard farming has been successful and she believes that her son, who will be joining university soon, will get tuition from the venture.

Achievements

Mugala notes that since she started backyard farming, she has peace of mind and has little to worry about. The garden is near her home, which is easy to tend to it.

She says along with learning backyard gardening, she has learnt best farming practices to get good yields like spraying plants to ward off pests. 

She has also realized the importance of self-reliance if you are to earn from backyard gardening. "Don't leave the garden to the children," she advises.

She notes that backyard farming has helped her make connections with people who are doing it on a bigger scale. They give her guidance and motivate her too.

Advice to other teachers

"Think outside the box and do something that can make you grow your finances. I used my small saving to invest in backyard farming but today I don't regret, it's more paying than I thought," she says.

She adds that people, especially those who have lost their jobs due to COVID-19, should consider venturing into backyard farming. 

"It's not hard to do. All you have to do is pay attention to your garden and tend to it. Source for good seeds to get good yields, spray your plants and you will reap," she says.

She adds that those who are not interested in backyard farming should do something that they are passionate about. 

"Even when you don't have the skills, look for people who could be skilled in that area and they would be of help. Also, the internet is a good teacher. Google and you will get plenty of videos or even literature on how to start," she says.

"It's time for us to get out of our comfort zone and do some projects that can help us supplement our incomes," she says, adding, "Make friends that can add value to your life, not those that discourage you."