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Oeganda
As the rest of the
world was battling Covid- 19 induced lockdowns between 2020 and 2021, Kunihira,
who was by then a fresh graduate from university, hardly felt the pinch of the
effects of a strange epidemic that claimed millions of lives and paralysed
economies globally. As most families spent most of the time indoors as it was
directed by the government to contain the spread of Covid-19, Kunihira spent most
of turbulent years practicing agriculture to make ends meet. He grew crops like
maize and beans. When the Covid- 19 dust started settling and the lockdown
eventually lifted, he embarked on an expedition searching for white collar
jobs. One of the market research organisations in Kampala attempted to offer
him a volunteer job, but he could not grab the opportunity.
“The company was
willing to pay me a monthly allowance of Shs 600,000 but I turned down the
offer, because I could not afford the high cost of living in the city,” he
says.
However, he never lost hope. He decided to
engage himself in small scale farming, as he waited for better opportunities to
knock at his door.
Last year, Kunihira
was selected to participate in the Work Readiness Programme whose aim was not
only to sharpen his agricultural skills, but also better his soft skills
including communication and teamwork skills. Like many other graduates who benefited
from the project, Kunihira was attached to Honda Enterprises Limited in Fort
Portal, where he was exposed to a more detailed practical part of his career.
The enthusiasm exhibited by Kunihira prompted management to retain him as an
employee.
“I have benefitted a lot. I can now process
organic manure. We tried to do it when I was still at university, but the
results did not come out well because we lacked materials to cover it,” he
says.
He says that most
universities offer less time for practical lessons and lack adequate materials
and equipment that students need to turn theory into practice. He believes this
kind of mentality must be changed if the education offered by tertiary
institutions is to remain relevant.
His experience at
Honda enterprises has been different. All materials used in practical work such
as dehorning, pasture management, parasite control, animal management were
availed to him. Besides, he has been able to invest part of his salary in
agriculture. He recently bought a cow at Shs 2.3m. He also invested in maize
growing. Last season, he got eighteen sacks of maize.
“I have been able to save some good money and
invested it. My target is doing business alongside my career. I plan to set up
a demonstration farm and offer agricultural advisory services to farmers so that
they can adopt better farming practices for better yields,” Kunihira says.
He says an
organisation dealing in herbal medicine has consulted him to use his
professional expertise to guide them on selecting the right and best herbs.
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