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Wife and hubby grow yams to conserve birds
Mr Ebil at the yam garden. Behind him is the rice and eucalyptus plantations.
In Apach District, Ms Lilian Ebil, 26, and husband Mr Calvin Ebil, 40, are farmers who mind about conservation.
When they acquired 10 acres of land, about 200 metres from the town, they wanted to cary out farm activities ranging from growing rice, yams, pine trees and eucalyptus trees. However, the land with the most part in a swamp was also a bird conservation area. The couple however did not want to disrupt the lifestlye of birds, so they planted more trees to make them feel at home, and restricted it to growing yams and they look forward to making money from tourists who come to see various birds in one area.
The project was named Kechango Investment farm and National Forestry Authority has raised a sign post with a writing, “Protect Aroca wetland natural, habitat for rare birds”.
Ms Ebil said her husband bought the land at Shs2m, and they still have another farm at a nearby village called Nambieso. They planted trees on the land for purposes of preserving the rare bird species which used to lay their eggs on the banks of the swamp. “We saw birds, like the crested crane, Marabou stork, doves, saddle billed stork which live in the swampy water, and African grey crowned crane that come from Murchison falls.
The couple prevents fellow villagers from shooting at birds, while they grow yams and rice on the other side. Ms Ebil does most of the farm activities because her husband is engaged in selling their retail shop located within the town, to earn extra income. They say they will not cut or sell the trees because they hope to use the swamp to attract tourists who come to bird watch.
Ms Ebil said her husband is also engaged in growing rudimentary crops such as sorghum, cassava, millet, simsim, fruits ranging from oranges to avocado as well as tree planting. Mr Ebil said he has 10 acres of land in Nambieso Sub County, where he grows the crops above. He says a stem of yam goes for Shs2,000 and he has planted 13,000 stems on Kechango Investment farm. They couple earns Shs500,000 per harvest season from the crop.
Ms Ebil says they have managed to send their four children to good schools like their first born aged 14 is in senior one at Mbarara High School while others attend the best schools in Gulu, Masindi as well as Apach.
