AFIRD HISTORY STORY SERIES - Hon. Namuli Nuru
My experience as a beneficiary of AFIRD
​
My experience as a beneficiary of AFIRD
I am Hon. Namuli Nuuru, the LC 5 Councilor Mende sub-county and the secretary for production, marketing, and natural resources at Wakiso district. I am also a proud farmer.
I believe this exercise will bring about some sort of accountability for AFIRD to know the change she created among the farmers, how they improved livelihoods, and if the farmers are still working by the values AFIRD instilled in them.
​
I first encountered AFIRD in the year 2010, I had gone to visit an uncle of mine in Namayumba who was rearing chicken that he claimed had been given to him by AFIRD, which amused me to know that an organization that is actually supporting farmers in many different ways as my uncle had then explained to me existed. Fortunately, it so happened that one day when I was attending a certain workshop in Kakiri, there was also training that was happening in the same location, this training happened to be AFIRD training farmers in that area. On hearing it was AFIRD, I boycotted the workshop I had gone to attend and instead attended that training of AFIRD.
It was interesting, what they were teaching the farmers, things about conserving environments. I sat through the training and when it was over, I approached the team that was training, and requested them to bring the same trainings to my subcounty in Mende, which they agreed to.
They requested me to set a date, mobilize stake holders and farmers in my area so that they could come and talk to them about the organisation and the project. This meeting was held at St. Gerald secondary school. During the meeting, the team introduced AFIRD, what she does, how and the goal of AFIRD, they also told us they preferred working with farmer groups. Participants appreciated the initiative and formation of farmer groups in Mende subcounty then started.
I personally mobilized farmers in my village of Bukasa, we created a farmer group and AFIRD started training us. We were trained in Sustainable Agriculture, Animal husbandry, vegetable production, tree planting and nursery bed management, soil and water conservation and indigenous seed saving. Our group specialized a lot in vegetable production. AFIRD taught us to always avoid the use of synthetic chemicals in farming and to embrace organic farming. They taught us how to use locally available organic materials to make fertilizers, pesticides and pest repellents, which is a cheaper and safer way of farming.
When I first started these trainings with AFIRD, I did not even have a single chicken in my home, but today I am proud to call my self a farmer with goats, sheep and poultry in big numbers.
​
My most memorable events were the open days and exhibition that used to be organised by AFIRD, different farmers would come together and share their work and technologies and we always learnt a lot from each other. They also encouraged to be more active and innovative so that we would always have something new to exhibit in the next open day in order to win gifts that usually included wheel barrows, bicycles among others.
My becoming a councillor is something I achieved partly because of being actively involved in AFIRD’s activities. I was empowered, many people got to know me, and eventually I was entrusted with a bigger political position this was because of my role in bringing AFIRD into Mende sub county and active participation in mobilizing farmers to form groups in order to benefit from AFIRD.
AFIRD used to rent in Kakiri when I first encountered them, now she has her own home in Nkoowe, I believe this is such a great achievement. AFIRD will continue to grow because a firm ground has been set, a strong team in place with many farmers who are now good at what they do have been trained.
​
​
Narrated by: Ms. Namwebe Prossy
Written by: Nakiwala Gloria
​