Experiences of an Older Farmer

By his own admission, Daniel Kamenya isn’t as young as he used to be. Born in 1948, he started farming around 1976, when he got married. But he barely managed to eke out a living for himself and his family.

Daniel knew all along his problem was water. For decades, he tried irrigating with watering cans; he tried creating canals to irrigate from streams; and at one point, he was so desperate he tried blowing water through pipes with his own lungs. By the time he reached his seventies, Daniel was too old to manage some of the more strenuous irrigation methods.

At that point, Africa Windmill Project came into his life. When Daniel was equipped with a windmill, he was able to irrigate vast areas of his acreage that he had never before been able to farm. He diversified his crops, adding cabbage, beans, and onions to the staple of maize. 

In addition to being able to feed his family, Daniel found he had income left over. He invested in livestock; he purchased much-needed household items like bedsheets and dishes. He gestures across his now verdant fields where his lively grandchildren are playing and says, “The windmill has carried me through the later stages of my life. For that I am grateful.”