By Ritah Mukasa
Jean Paul Singirankobo’s garden merits admiration. It is neat, lush and organized.
The raised beds and reeds fence, complete with a gate, make it stand out in the entire neighbourhood.
Singirankobo is a resident of Kabazana C in Isingiro district. He is a refugee from Kibungo in Rwanda and has lived in Uganda with his wife and four children since 2017.
He says, he started his garden in 2021. He grows vegetables including; cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, green pepper and spinach.
Before, his garden was open and prone to invaders such as goats, birds and children. In addition, some neighbours used to harvest his vegetables at leisure without his permission.
“I used to invest a lot of time and energy only to make losses,” he says adding that, “I decided to fence the garden and since then, my yields increased.”
He warded off intruders.
Singirankobo harvests vegetables every day during the rainy season.
He sells the surplus in the nearby market and earns sh10, 000 every week.
“I use the proceeds to provide for my family. Besides, we no longer worry about food because we have a steady supply of vegetables all year round,” he says.
On how he maintains his garden, Singirankobo says, he uses organic manure (compost) which he collects from the pit he dug in his backyard.
He also opted for raised beds to retain water in the garden, more so, during the rainy season.
“The beds also allow for easy movement through the garden,” he says.
