Twinamasiko shows off his cow which he bought using proceeds from his farm. He intends to keep it and later sell it to buy a plot of land.

RAKAI. Despite his parents being able to pay for his school fees, Huzairu Twinamasiko was not academically performing well.

Consequently, the 19- year -old says he could not study beyond Primary Four.

“I was forced to drop out of school because I felt I was just wasting money and time since I wasn’t grasping what I was being taught,” Twinamasiko , a resident of Lwoyo Village, Lwamagwa Sub- County , Rakai District, recalls.

This was in early 2015. He says he wanted to learn something practical, with motor cycle mechanic being his top priority.

Unfortunately, much as his parents had bought his idea, they could not afford taking him to a garage as the amount of money needed proved too much to the family.

This saw him loiter in the village for some good months because he had nothing to do.

This he says heavily displeased his parents who felt disengaged.

But he says his uncertain future was brighten by Kitovu Mobile after the organisation traversed villages looking for school drop outs who wish join its farm school in Lwamagwa Sub- County.

At the farm school, the beneficiaries are taken through modern farming skills, counseling and bakery and craft skills.

As someone who had longed for a practical training, Twinamisiko says he welcomed this free opportunity with open hands.

He is yet to complete the four -year course ,but he has changed the garden and compound at his parents’ home .

The family earns money daily from the vegetables, passion fruits which he learnt to grow in small space-just in the backyard.

He says the organization gave them seedlings and taught them how to harvest rain water and use it during dry spells for constant supply of vegetables.

Twinamasiko in his flourishing coffee plantation, He says the good breed of seedlings were given to him by Kitovu Mobile.

“These basic rain water harvesting points were constructed by Kitovu Mobile and they are of good help in the dry season, ”he says

He was also skilled in organic farming which reduces on inputs as well as producing products.”We make manure using plant tea,”

Plant tea he says, is made by getting different weeds, put in a sack and let it hang in water which may be put on a bucket.

And after some weeks ,the weed decompose making the water good for plants.

“The brew is diluted and applied on plants which later flourish. This means you cut a lot on the costs which inflates profits,”he says ,adding

“Sack mound has helped me grow vegetables in small spaces which others without this knowledge cannot do”.

The once stranded youth says he now focuses on becoming a modern farmer with small demonstration gardens.

“If I use all the skills attained from the farm school I will surely get money and get out of poverty and the biting youth unemployment, “he says

He says from just passion fruits, he has managed to buy himself a cow which he will later sell and buy a plot of land .

“I’m dreaming big because of the wealthy skills I have in modern farming all courtesy of Kitovu Mobile farm school, ”Twinamasiko says

This makes him not regret for not going far with academics since he is soon becoming a skilled farmer.

“My parents, who were worried over my future shortly after dropping out of school, are now happy because they see me progressing, “he says

Twinamasiko draws water from the basic water harvesting point construucted for him by Kitovu Mobile to irrigate his crops during dry spells