Doubts to Delight!
The Story of Caroline Maleke
Caroline Maleke is a mother of 3 children and is married to Joshua Chitande, she is from Malenge village. When Caroline tried to grow food in the dry season her profits on the land she farmed were so little that she would make no more than MK10,000 (USD8.33) .
When she joined an irrigation agricultural club she doubted what she was being taught but practiced the new way of farming anyway and began to see that her yields were much better compared to the past. In the year 2021 she invested MK25,000 (USD20.83) and made a profit of MK80,000 (USD66.66), she used this money to buy fertilizer and livestock.
Caroline has currently planted maize in her garden and it’s ready for sell. Through irrigation farming she has been able to buy her own irrigation garden, pay school fees, buy uniforms and writing martials for her children. In the past she could not afford these things. She has been able to buy livestock such as goats and chickens. This year 2022, Caroline and her husband plan to buy more fertilizer for their irrigation farming, they are also planning to finish putting iron sheets on the house and they plan to buy more livestock.
It is interesting to note that the majority of the people in Caroline’s village practice irrigation farming. There are even plans for the club to split into two clubs so that they are able to accommodate the new members.
“I will share the knowledge which I have gotten about irrigation farming because we don’t have to suffer with hunger when there is a solution, we can actually make money and be food secure” says Caroline.