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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe issue of not growing anything in Ndego is long-lasted, the end of last year 2021, during festive season, the government gave them food, and they say that it helped them a lot, but now it\u2019s finished and they are hungry again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Long yearly dry season<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Residents say that yearly, many seasons are dry and when it rains they try to grow beans, maize and cassava, but after that one season it\u2019s the dry season again, which don\u2019t leave them the possibility of saving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Donat Bimenyimana from Ramiro village has been living here for four years now, he says that when it rains they try to grow beans, maize, sorghum and cassava; but after that season it\u2019s over for the whole year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some became nomadic<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Bimenyimana says that some people came to live in Ndego from Umutara, Bugesera and Nyagatare, but when they found that nothing can be grown there, they went back leaving behind the land they bought and their houses. Others just come and go on season base;<\/p>\n\n\n\n Venuste Nzabarusha, 62 years old, resident of Ndego since 1997, he says that to harvest is like a chance for them, one time they plant and the dry season comes and burns their crops, other time they harvest but that never happens twice in a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nzabarusha says that many people came and went back in front of his eyes but he stayed there, he affirms that they live for God\u2019s grace. Sometimes the government gives them food like rice, maize and hard to cook beans, but still this is not enough to survive hunger in Ndego.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Irrigation as long-term solution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Residents have common wish about what can be the solution, as they are surrounded by lakes, Ihema and others, they say that if they are given irrigation infrastructures they can be able to harvest all along the year\u2019s seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs a long-term solution I think irrigation may do the thing, because if we can water the plants whenever we need, then we will not be afraid of the dry season any longer.\u201d Said Nzabarusha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNdego is surrounded by lakes, irrigation is possible, if the government could give the possibility of watering we can say bye to the catastrophic hunger that defines our Ndego sector.\u201d Said Bimenyimana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cit\u2019s good to give us food but it doesn\u2019t seem like a definitive solution, if the government can help us with irrigation so that we can water our crops, then we will solve this problem ourselves without burdening our country\u2019s leaders.\u201d Added Ayinkamiye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The administration says to know about the issue<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the issue being there since a long time, the administration says to know about it and to have plans to resolve it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The mayor of Kayonza district, John Bosco Nyemazi, who is in office for less than three months now, says that they are thinking about the irrigation technology that can help residents to water their crops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHaving water around is one thing, having the irrigation technologies is another.\u201d Said Nyemazi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nyemazi says that what\u2019s most important is to support these residents with food in difficult times which is what they always do; they even got sweet potatoes seeds that can grow fast. And for long-term solution they have big project in partnership with Ministry of Agriculture and animal resources, by which they even started the lands consolidation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the Rwanda agriculture board (RAB) says that the irrigation should be requested by farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Charles Bucagu is the Deputy Director General of RAB, he says that they have money to support projects that help farmers but still farmers should be the one to demand for it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhen water is nearby, it\u2019s very easy, we have what we call small scale irrigation in which the government gives some subsidies and the farmer contributes. That money is decentralized at the district level. The only thing needed is the farmer to fill the form which is found at the sector\u2019s office, it\u2019s even digitalized but for farmers who are not used to computers, technicians at the sector\u2019s level should help them to fill it.\u201d Explained Dr. Bucagu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe farmer needs to have land certificate. After filling the form it\u2019s sent at the district level, there\u2019s a jointly formed team with RAB that help to make the list of needed equipment. At the district level, there\u2019s a team called \u2018District irrigation hearing committee\u2019 led by the vice mayor in charge of economic affairs, they assess the request of famers and authorize it. They then orient the farmer to the equipment suppliers, they are everywhere. The farmer pays his contribution which is 50% and the technicians do the job and he RAB validates.\u201d He added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This program exists for many years now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr. Bucagu says that another option is for farmers to put themselves together and request for irrigation as a group; he says that they can even give them solar powers irrigation which is cheap and easy to maintain compares to the other one which use a lot of fuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He says that they have been informing about these solutions, that it\u2019s known everywhere in districts and sectors, unless maybe farmers don\u2019t know it\u2019s their rights and the money is there for them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Zelda Ayinkamiye, a 72-year-old resident of Ndego sector in Kayonza district, she was rushed back from Tanzania two years ago … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2229,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-agriculture","category-environment","latest_post"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fezaa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/IMG_20220112_113048-1024x766.jpg\")
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