Farming in the dry season

The families we support do not have any means to mechanically irrigate their farms. Water comes from rivers or community springs, and it is carried home in 20-liter jerrycans by hand - or on top of the head.

UKR’s families have started cultivating crops like cassava or hardy varieties of kale, as they always survive dry periods and return to full growth when rain returns. And through novel strategies that reduce water use and promote water retention, many families have learned that it’s indeed practical to manually irrigate a dry season garden. The keys are cultivation in raised beds or sack gardens that use less water, ensuring soil is rich in water-retaining organic matter, and mulching heavily to keep away heat from a scorching sun.

The result? Many UKR families are now eating well in the “hunger season” and even selling their surplus to others.

Above, small group workshops teaching how to make organic pesticide for spraying on crops. The recipe includes chilis, aloe vera, repelling leaves like marigolds, and two weeks of fermentation.

Animal agriculture continues in the dry season, but new projects are rare. At left, social worker Dorothy congratulates Getray, a mother of two boys, on the chicks she started raising when the dry season set in. Dorothy is an avid poultry-keeper herself and can’t help but smile as she observes the chicks’ growth and health.

Sack gardens are far easier to water by hand compared to crops in the field, using less water and efficiently utilizing scarce manure to promote growth and retain water.