Completion Report PROJECT TITLE: Development of an urban pilot

Completion Report

 PROJECT TITLE: Development of an urban pilot
     demonstration farm in Ssonde-Kampala

                                 Kampala, June 2021

Figure 1: A photo showing the 4 solar panels on the roof
Reference is made to the Grant offered to Meeting Point International for the project. “Water management
supply through rehabilitation of the borehole, plumbing, installation of the 5000ltrs, 3000ltrs water tanks
and the tower, installation of solar panels, solar backup batteries, and solar electric pump and an irrigation
system.” as of the effective project end date April, 2021.

We are pleased to submit here with a COMPLETION REPORT of the above-mentioned project.

The report summarizes the progress of the project as of JANUARY, 2021 and provides an overview of the
plans, achievements, challenges and ways forward.

Project title              Development of an urban pilot demonstration farm in Ssonde

 Location                   Ssonde farm in Mukono Municipality.
 Donor                      Support International
 Implementing partner       Meeting Point International (MPI)

 Reporting period           01.01.2021 till 30.04.2021
 Report compiled by         Joel Onen.
                            Projects Officer Meeting Point International
 Project duration           4 months

MEETING POINT INTERNATIOANAL (MPI)

Meeting Point International (MPI) is a non-government organization (NGO) registered with the NGO
board. It started its operation since October 1992 in some of Kampala’s biggest slums like Kireka, Naguru
and Nsambya. MPI has developed a comprehensive care program that combines monitoring and medical
care, nutritional and psychological recovery, psycho-educational activities and social integration. It is also
responsible for the care of orphans, providing credit for the revival of economic activities for the neediest
population, awareness and education to families and the community about these diseases. The methodology
does not reduce patients to their problems or diseases, it promotes awareness among them and helps to face
reality as the protagonist, contributing to a more communitarian society and reducing the stigma mainly
derived from HIV / AIDS. MPI has currently recorded 2,190 clients, mainly women and 1,027 vulnerable
children. MPI also has an orphanage that is called the Welcoming House and takes care of 60 children.
MPI manages a 2.45-acre area farmland located in Ssonde a small village in Misindye Parish in Mukono
municipality that was initially used for cultivating crops, rearing domestic animals and poultry. All the
activities that were carried at the farm were for the sustainability of the Welcoming House through provision
of food. And the children also used this place as a learning ground to practice new methods in agriculture
since they were directly engaged in the activity of farming.

Looking at the Agriculture Sector Strategic Plan (ASSP) which is the flagship plan for investment and
development of the agricultural sector, in line with the National Development Plan to be implemented
through a multi-sector wide approach involving the Government of Uganda. According to the government,
the Sector investment over the medium term will be channeled to the specified priority and strategic
commodities across their entire value chains focusing on: research; extension; pest, vector and disease
control; provision of inputs; promoting sustainable land use and soil management; post-harvest handling;
improving markets access and value addition. The governments investment strategy will target to achieve
four objectives namely: Increasing agricultural production and productivity, increasing access to critical
farm inputs, improving agricultural markets and value addition and Improving service delivery through
strengthening the institutional capacity of Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF)
and its agencies.

In line with the above development plans and objectives set by the Ugandan Government, with the
assistance from AVSI Foundation in Uganda, MPI is having different meetings to look at the possibility to
freely transform the farm into a modern demonstration and training institute. This will be aimed at training
the different youths, students and local farmer to learn new methods of modern agriculture. Putting in mind

of the available space at Ssonde, MPI has divided the farm into two parts that’s to say: training ground and
the productive area. However, in order to make this possible, there were quite a number of issues and
problems that were to be addressed ie:

   Insufficient supply of water to the farm (main gardens, workers houses, poultry unite, piggery unite and
    the rabbit unite). This is because the pump to the borehole was stole due to poor security and lack of
    personnel to monitor the available materials and equipment’s.
   Poor supply of electricity both to the farm buildings and outside for security purposes. This is because
    Ssonde has low power voltage that keeps on fluctuating. With this inconsistency many of the equipment
    were getting spoilt. However, this could not favor different production and worker’s safety since the
    houses would go dark in the night.
   Poor water systems of the farm. The crops were initially being water manually using a watering can.
    This activity was so tiresome and time consuming for the personnel. Looking at the above mentioned
    problems,
   Inadequate skilled personnel to run and manage the farm in terms of a farm manager, security and
    casual worker. Therefore, MPI decided to improve on the water management system, power supply and
    irrigation system as explained below:

This intervention initially proposed to address the above problems comprised of:
   Installation of a water network system and rehabilitation of the existing Bore hole: MPI planned
    to rehabilitate and install a solar pump to extract water from the existing bore hole located at the lower
    part of the land, that will pump water to the upper part of the land and which will be collected in tanks.
    The stored water will be attached to a water system network and through a drip irrigation system,
    servicing the Urban farm area, the open field productive area and the Demonstration training camp, but
    will also connected to the animal farm side.
   Installation of Solar system: MPI plans to install solar panels on the roof, install solar backup batteries
    to provide power in the farm houses. The energy from the solar panels will be used to run the water
    pump for the water to the tanks. This system will reduce the dependence on public power network
    (UMEME) and also improve power stability with in farm.
   Installation of an irrigation system both in the demonstration and production field. This is aimed at
    providing sufficient water for the crops by gravity force even when it’s a dry season. This will help
    save time because a small plot of land can be watered in a short period of time. This is also an important
    aspect that will help in educating the different youth, students, local farmers and youth from the
    different communities that we work with.
   Employment of farm managers, security personnel and a casual laborer to take care and manage the
    farm.

Figure 2: A photo showing the general layout of the farm and some of the activities that MPI is planning
to implement.

Activities implemented in relation to the project plans.
     MPI through the evaluation process managed to select and contract W. WATER WORKS LTD. This
     company is based Uganda and deals with solar works and they did the activities below;
Description                                    Photos of the works done
Activity 1: Pump testing. As reported in the
previous report, this was the first step to be
conducted by Meeting Point International, this
helped us to

1. To determine the reliable long-term yield (or
   ‘safe’ yield) of a borehole, and therefore
   whether or not the borehole can be regarded as
   a ‘success,’ and how much water it will be able
   to supply to the farm. According to the pump
   testing report, we realized that the borehole can
   supply the farm with 8000ltrs per day.
2. To optimize operational pumping regimes
   (especially from multiple-borehole sources),
   including selecting the most suitable pumping
   plant for long-term use, and estimating probable
   pumping and/or treatment costs. This also
   helped us to size the appropriate pump and tanks
   needed for the water.
3. To help determine the correct depth at which the
   permanent pump should be installed in the
   borehole.
4. To determine the size of the tanks to be used
   regarding the available water in the borehole.
   This helped us to determine and install the
   appropriate tank sizes.

Activity two: Water Pump installation including all
the accessories.
After conducting pump testing, we realized that the
pump can supply us with 1200liters per hour
(1.2m3/hr.). Considering the capacity of the water.
we have been able to install a Submersible solar
water pump (Nastic 4HS Multi-power pump) as
showed in the photo in (Figure 3). The pump has
been submerged into the borehole. The pump has the
ability to pump water from the lower part of the land
to the upper part where we installed the two tanks
(5000litres and 3000litres) in 3 hours using 4 solar
panels.
Figure 4 shows a black HDPE water pipe connected
to pressure meter and then connected to be pump
that is inserted below the borehole. The blue electric
cable is connected to the pump and runs to the upper
part of the land then connects to the Solar panels to
supply power.
                                                         Figure 3: A photo showing the Submersible solar water
                                                         pump

                                                         Figure 4: A photo showing the meter, electric cables and
                                                         water pipes from the borehole.

Activity 3: Installation of HDPE distribution
pipeline with all accessories from borehole to
tank:

From the borehole, the black water pipe and all the
electrical cables are clipped along the wall fence to
supply the water to the upper part of the land. The
pipe is laid on the surface for easy monitoring and
tracking in case of any leakage, also to reduce the
risks of damages especially during cultivation of
crops accept in cases where pipes are buried in the
ground which makes it difficult to monitor.

                                                         Figure 5: A photo showing electric cables and black water
                                                         pipes from the borehole clipped along the wall.

Activity 4: Installation of a metallic tank tower.

The tank tower has been installed to about 2.5meters
high to increase pressure, this is because we want the
water to flow by gravity to supply the different
distribution points. This method of flow of water is
reliable and cost effective when it comes to
irrigation because it does not require an external
power.

Activity 5: Installation of 2 water storage tanks,
Gentex (5,000Ltrs and 3,000Ltrs) with all
accessories:

After conducting the pump testing and realizing the
available of water, we decided to install two tanks
matching the capacity of the borehole. The water Figure 5: A photo showing the two installed tanks and a
that is pumped from the borehole is stored and ready tank tower
to be distributed to the necessary points. That’s to
say the 5000ltrs will be used for irrigating the farm
and also help in case of fertigation (Application of
liquid fertilizer). The 3000ltrs tank will distribute
water to different housing structures at the farm,
that’s to say: poultry unit, piggery unit, workers
house and rabbit unit among others.

Activity 6: Installation of HDPE distribution
pipeline with all accessories from tanks to the field
for irrigation, piggery unit, poultry unit and staff
houses. The water stored is then distributed through
the 3 installed taps as shown in figure 6 for other
uses

                                                        Figure 6:Photos showing the installation of the pipelines
                                                        and the installed water distribution points

Activity 7: Roof installation of solar panel
structure

Installation of 4 Astroenergy solar panel (4390wp,
1560watts). The capacity and number of solar panels
was determined by water availability and the need
for power. With the initial plan, MPI was to install
the solar panels at the lower part of the farm near the
borehole. However, we have instead installed them
at the upper part on top the buildings of the worker’s
house for security reasons and easy monitoring.

                                                          Figure 6:Photos showing the installation of the solar
                                                          panels on the roof of the buildings.

Activity 8: Installation of hybrid inverter 3kVA
Alpha and 2 Gaston batteries, 200Ah-12V and all
accessories including change over switches, 32A
and a battery shelf. The battery stores energy that is
used at the farm during the night. This is because
Ssonde has been facing a lot of power fluctuations
and blackouts.

                                                         Figure 7: A Photos showing Installed hybrid inverter 3kVA
                                                         Alpha and 2 Gaston batteries in a black battery shelf,
                                                         200Ah-12V and all accessories including change over
                                                         switch.

      Activity 9: Land Preparation the farm.
      This was an important activity that was done before installing the irrigation system. All the current crops
      were cut-down, collected of the land and piled in the reserved plot just near the dich at the lower part of the
      piggery for manure use both from the training and production part. This has been piled there because MPI
      is planning to transform the place into a modern zero-waste farm which is a type of sustainable agriculture
      that optimizes use of the five natural kingdoms, i.e., plants, animals, bacteria, fungi and algae, to produce
      biodiversity-food, energy and nutrients in a synergistic integrated cycle of making processes where the
      waste of each process becomes the feedstock for another process. optimizes food production in an
      ecological sound manner. This activity is also important because it reduces water consumption through
      recycling and reduced evaporation, reduces the use of pesticides through biodiverse farming. therefore, the
      other part of the land was left bear in order to lay the drip line and make beds for the crops. The two plots
      (training and production) have been ploughed using a tractor and the beds have also bed made as planned.
      Check in the photos below.

Figure 8: A photo showing the ploughed area in the production area

Figure 9: A photo showing the ploughed area in the training area.
Activity 10: Installation of irrigation Systems.
After installation of the borehole water storage tanks (3000L & 5000L) raised approximately 2.5 M high
with metal stands. MPI has now also managed to connect all the necessary pipes for the irrigation system.
The works have been finished from one of the company called HOLLAND GREEN TECH who are
specialised in installing irrigation systems.

THE TRAINING AREA
With this idea, MPI is in coordination with a variety of schools, institutions and local farmers who
are currently participating in agriculture. with the SAY program from AVSI, we will engage two kinds
of beneficiaries, that’s to say (youth and students) to learn and do internships at our farm in Ssonde. This
program will help empower them with practical agricultural skills. In order to achieve this goal, MPI
Support International and AVSI are organizing for a plan to arrange trainees to attain a certificate in DIT
(Directorate of Industrial training) assessment according to incorporate in the 3 years allocated for the
project SAY Project. Therefore the upper part of the land has been dedicated only for training purposes in
horticulture production as shown in (figure 9 and 10). The training will focus at:

Figure 10: A photo showing the training area with the pipes laid on the beds.
THE PRODUCTION AREA.
The production area will be mainly for MPI to increase production for both commercial purposes and to
also provide food for the children at the welcoming House. The production area has been divided in to two
parts i.e. part A & B with a walk way in the middle (Figure 11), A & B have been subdivided into small
plots for different varieties of crops. The laid Drip lines for A are starting just behind after the water dich
behind the piggery house meaning that plot has been reserved as planned.

Part A has the drip lines installed for all its plots, of 100cm spacing from one drip line to another, 30cm
between each drip hole to the next and 76 holes in total for a single drip line pipe, 23 M long for each drip
line pipe. Main reason for this spacing is because some crops like tomatoes, egg plants among others needs
more spacing for efficient growth.
Part B has the drip lines for all the plots, 60cm spacing to the next drip line, 30cm space between each drip
holes and 76 holes in total for a sing drip line pipe, 23 M long for each drip line pipe. This is mainly for
planting crops that do not require much spacing for example cabbages among others.
We have also managed to create a main walking path between the two parts that will help in monitoring of
the control valve/tap for each plot to be irrigated so each plot can be irrigated at different time depending
on the need.

Figure 12: photos showing the production are with the main pipes laid in the middle of the garden and the
driplines.
All the plots have been prepared in beds with each bed having drip lines and a simple walk path for easy
monitoring of the crops.

The lower part of the land having the orchard trees has drip lines spaced depending recommended spacing
for the trees,

Figure 13: A photo showing the production are with the driplines laid on the beds.
CHALLENGES.
Unfavorable climatic conditions in terms of heavy rainfall: This was major reason for delay of particular
activity, there has been heavy rainfall and cloud cover. This affected the solar testing to determine it
efficiency. Due to the heavy rainfall, workers were also unable to work. However, we have been
maximizing the available time when it’s not raining to finish the work.
Power fluctuations: Ssonde currently faces a challenge of power fluctuations and instability. This has
made it so difficult to operate machinery that required high voltage electricity for example welding
machines. Therefore, has also delayed the completion of the works compared to what was planned.
WAY FORWARD
Storm water harvesting: MPI plans to install rain water harvest from the buildings into tanks which will
be used in the animal section. This will help provide an alternative source of water during the wet season
when the sunshine is limited to pump the water.

Construction of a training area to implement the trainings for the students, local farmers and youth.
In order to create enough space for the training and conducting different agricultural lessons, MPI is also
planning to setup a demonstration camp and a training shade where the students will have the lessons from.
the shade is planned to accommodate different beneficiaries in the different trainings, for example:

Apprenticeship training for youth
The apprenticeship training will last for five months. MPI will skill a total of 80 youth selected from the
community. Out of these 80 youths: 50 youth will be trained in Horticulture production, 20 in poultry
production and 10 in piggery production.

After the intensive training, the trainees will be subjected to DIT assessment to attain a DIT level 2
certificate that is a nationally recognized certificate in agriculture. We believe that after the training the
youth will be self-employed and the remaining part will try our best to recommend them for employment.

Internship training for high school students
The internship training for the students of High Schools will follow the National Scholastic Calendar and
Holiday published for the years 2021 to 2024. The internship training at MPI Ssonde will support the
capacity development of motivated and selected students in pursuing the DIT certificate for the occupation
profile of Horticulture Farmer - Modular. The internship training will only be conducted for Horticulture
production only.
All the above mentioned trainings will be aimed:
1. To skill 80 youth Agripreneurship from communities in horticulture farmer, poultry and piggery
   production.
1) To host 94 High School students to improve their agribusiness competences in horticulture and
   undertake DIT assessment.
2) To equip the youth with entrepreneurial and business management capabilities.
3) To facilitate sustainable market system development between youth and relevant market actors.
4) Create linkages with private sector agribusiness companies for internship placements/ employment of
   trainees.

Compiled by
Joel-projects officer.
14th, 06, 21