Lubega making the passion fruit creep on the threads. KITOVU MOBILE PHOTOS

BUKOMANSIMBI. A visit to his father’s home in Mpalampa Village, Kibinge Sub -County, Bukomansimbi District, we find Pascal Lubega busy irrigating his crops.

It’s a dry a season, and the energetic young farmer could not wait for rain. Instead, he is using bottle irrigation, to keep his passion fruit garden flourishing.

These are some of the inventions Lubega has learnt since he joined Kitovu Mobile farm school in 2016.

The 2O- year- old youth and a Primary Seven drop out, says he is hopeful that the skills he is getting from the farm school are going to see him become a professional and prominent farmer.

“I strongly believe that farming is going to become my main occupation now that I even have the skills. I have seen men in the village who were doing well in agriculture and decided to emulate them after failing to continue with education,” Lubega shares as he attends to his garden.

He says after dropping out of school, he had banked on agriculture for his livelihood, “I didn’t have what it takes to be a good farm, but when Kitovu Mobile came looking for young people like us who had dropped out of school, I decided to grab the opportunity,” Lubega says

That is when Kitovu Mobile took Lubega and skilled him, in various farming skills, which he has started to benefit from even before completing his training.

He says, two years later ,he is a master in this trade ,yet he is still left with year to complete his training.

His passion fruit garden is a true testimony that Lubega has really mastered this, despite still having a year to

He says he even makes seedlings for passion fruits which has also brought him money.

Lubega in his piggery project.

Exporting the ideas

Also share the skills with the fellow farmers who didn’t get skills. Mr Moses Mutawe, says he has helped him to use manure and how to space when growing tomatoes

“Initially, I was doing it in a different way ,but he has guided me,” Mr Mutawe says

He wants to become, a serious passion fruit grower as well as rearing piggery project.

Mr Lubega says, he cannot be a prey to the biting unemployment affecting the youth, saying he now has a job, which is farming and hopes to do it for the rest of his life.

“I want to expand my piggery project and start using what is called integrated farming, by using organic manure from the pigsty to gardens” He shares.

Already ,Lubega has four pigs and plans to see this project grow bigger .

Lubega eyes commercial farming to fight bitting youth unemployment. KITOVU MOBILE PHOTOS

Lubega,doesnt live any space at the backyard vacant. He put up a small tomato garden as well.