Victoria Eco-Farm is located in Dunga beach along the shores of Lake Victoria in Kisumu. The farm has been in existence since 2006 and produces different products like poultry for meat and eggs, milk from the dairy cattle, honey from bee keeping and also rear dogs for sale. The products have been generating good income while using a small piece of land since they don’t need huge chunks of land to keep.
Victoria Eco-Farm is an affiliate of OSIENALA which is a member of Kenya Nile Discourse Forum ( KNDF). The farm is involved in Bee Keeping, Poultry Farming, Dog rearing and keeping of Dairy Cows.
Victoria Eco-Farm hosts visitors and trains them on urban agriculture thought this has been cut short by the outbreak of the Corona Virus which made it difficult to host visitors. The visitors were majorly from learning institutions, community groups, farmers and potential farmers among other interest groups.
The project is generating good income to an extent that Nicholas who is working in a local FM station is currently more engaged with his farming project more than radio work. He says there is immense opportunity that is yet to be tapped by the residents when it comes to food production within Kisumu County.
Kisumu County is food insecure since it is being fed by the neighboring counties that supply most of its vegetables, cereals, and milk among other food items. It is time the residents wake up and take up farming seriously to generate both income and improve food security of the County. Youth and Women groups can take up this challenge to generate income thus reducing poverty levels while improving food security within the Nile Basin.
On 29th April 2021, Burundi Nile Basin Discourse Forum (FCBN) held a Nile Day celebration that took place at OSPIA COMPLEX, BUJUMBURA. This celebration is one of the many National Nile Day celebrations which followed the Regional Nile Day celebration that was virtually hosted by Uganda. Nile Basin Discourse participates as the main partner of Nile Basin Initiative.
34 participants including the representatives of central government and its institutions, the FCBN Steering Committee, public and private organizations that are partners of FCBN, FCBN member organizations and the media participated in the event.
The day's discussions focused on three main topics: (1) Rethinking National and Regional Investments in the Nile Basinwhich is also the theme for this year's celebration; (2) Approaches for effective resilience to the effects of climate change and; (3) The role of each stakeholder (State, Private Investors and Civil Societies).
Through group focused discussions, participants reflected on regional investments, national investments and the rising waters of Lake Tanganyika.
On regional investments, participants reflected on options which would lead to the success as follows:
Promotion of cross-border projects. Example ; the Rusumo Hydropwer project underway which will produce 80 MW between 3 countries (Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania)
Promote other cross-border integrated water resources management projects like the GIRET project (Integrated Trans-boundary Water Resources Management)
Find funding for regional and cross-border projects where feasibility study was conducted (construction of the Ruvyironza hydroelectric dam)
Construction of railways linking the countries bordering the Nile basin to promote circulation of goods and people.
Promote capacity building projects at the regional level to exchange knowledge and experiences (strengthening solidarity between Nile riparian countries).
Equitable sharing of benefits to avoid frustration.
On national investments, participants singled out options to ensure national investments are possible and hence suggested the following:
Irrigation / Marshland development:
Large-scale multiplication
Water retention dam
Rainwater harvesting
Exploitation of underground water by drilling and pumping
They also proposed solutions and strategies for the protection of the slopes of the Nile basin:
• Protection of river / lake banks
• Erosion control (AWF, reforestation, etc.)
• Development of tourist sites
• Rehabilitation of access tracks
• Fight against the pollution of water flowing into the tributaries of the Nile.
• Lighten the workload of women by supplying drinking water, using BIKIGITI stoves, rural electrification, etc.
• Installation of public bins and ecological toilets on public roads.
Participants also discussed on the current rise of rise of the Waters of Lake Tanganyika, its causes and proposed solutions to address the challenge as follow:
Causes:
Heavy rainfall in the region
Runoff
Geographical location (altitude)
Solutions:
Emergency actions
Start negotiations with the DRC on RUZIZI I
Respect the buffer zones of Lake Tanganyika
Strengthen cooperation between the riparian countries of Lake Tanganyika
Set up planning and management tools for the water resources of the Lake Tanganyika basin in all riparian countries
Strengthen the resilience of neighboring populations.
The discussions were very important and have helped to adopt recommendation centered on the topics of the day.
The chairperson of the FCBN recalled that the community has a very important role to play in the implementation of the projects developed for the protection of the water sources of this river.
Uganda joined the rest of the Nile Basin Countries to celebrate the Nile day 2021 on 14th and 15th of April 2021. The countries that share the Nile River Basin declared February 22, every year as the Nile Day and they commemorate the signing of the 1999 agreement that established the Nile Basin Initiative, aimed at equitable and reasonable utilization, Joint Corporation, and management of the waters of the river Nile.
The theme for this year: “Rethinking Regional Investment in the Nile Basin”, which aligns well with the importance of cooperation on trans-boundary waters as a key target in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals. (UN 2030 SDG).
The event was joined by various categories of participants including Central government authorities, Representatives of Nile TAC Uganda, Busoga kingdom, CSOs, media and the local community.
UNDF took this opportunity to raise public awareness on the importance of the Source of the Nile River as a special ecosystem for sustainable livelihoods, and the underlying threats to the biodiversity influenced by both natural and human induced effects; encouraging individuals, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Private sector, Ministries Department and Agencies (MDAs) to call for action on the loss of biodiversity using nature based solutions as an adaptation action in Jinja City.
Participants also discussed on the importance of trans-boundary cooperation, and the role NBD is playing to facilitate dialogues on coordinated programs and projects within the riparian states; showed case of good practices by communities and institutions surrounding the Source of the River Nile in the restoration and conservation of the ecosystem.
The Nile-TAC representative, UNDF Board Chairman, NBD Board Rep and NTSE endeavored to sensitize participants on the importance of getting involved in Trans-boundary cooperation, and the role NBD is playing to facilitate dialogue on coordinated programs and projects within the riparian states. This was evidenced by the importance of keeping the source of the Nile free from pollution because all water flow to the other 10 countries.
There was sharing of good practices, innovations by youth, women, communities and institutions surrounding the Source of the River Nile in the restoration and conservation of the ecosystem. An outstanding case was that of the owner of a Guest house who deeply stressed the devastating state of pollution at the source of the Nile and practically shared her disappointment with authorities concerned. She said that tourist have of late stopped eating fish from the highly polluted waters due to poor waste disposal and they have expressed to her their disappointment with the unorganized and expensive costs experiences of visiting the source of the Nile.
Opportunity for exchange and learning
According to the rapid assessment results confirmed with consultations and speeches from the City Authorities, there are several investments around the source of the Nile - both small and big including; Agricultural activities both at uphill and at the river banks, Fishing, Tourism, Manufacturing industries, Trading, Human settlement and Energy /Electricity generation among others. There have been good practices observed including; Municipal Solid Waste collection, Sorting of solid waste at the source, some Public Sanitary facilities in some public places and investment units. Interventions have also been made by several NGOs i.e. establishment of sanitary facilities, there is average adherence to SOPs for COVID-19 (it is the global new normal) etc.
However the bigger impact of investment is negative to the Nile/source of the Nile including:
Water pollution; (industrial effluent, heat from discharge water from the factories, poor solid waste management, water zoning – directly interrupts the natural breeding sites of fish, poor sanitation and hygiene).
Air pollution; (soot and smoke/ gaseous emissions from smoke and liquid emissions/ from the factories contributing to the Green House Effect, thus; increasing the ecological foot print, gives rise to acid rain which finds its way back into the water. This damages the marine/ aquatic ecosystem which in a long run affects human life, since it’s the same water that is used for domestic consumption and for irrigation of the crops on which we feed, and the green that we embrace. This gradually leads to ‘bio-accumulation’ which is a serious matter of public health concern).
Flooding; (nature claims for its way. Some institutions are almost submerging. The reptile park was swept away by the floods, snakes and poisonous spiders have invaded the place. What we contribute here affects other places along the basin.
Soil Pollution; Swamp reclamation and the bio-processing units for waste water is reclaimed for human settlement).
