Page 7 - Rotary DIM December 2017

village in Serere District. Betty was taken under were even able to dig a temporary well for water
the wing of a missionary who arranged for her to and the local people can use it at the same time it
go to University, the only one from her village is being used to feed the ponds.”
ever to do so, and she was awarded a degree in Among the challenges the villagers faced was that
Development Studies. the swamps completely dried out because of the
lack of rain and this was hindering the growth of
She became project manager for a fish pond, fish, meaning that the group had to hire a water
which was dug out and stocked with 6,000 pump; and, because the fish farm isn’t fenced-off,
fingerling catfish. She said: “I saw that water thieves from another village stole some of the
from a swamp was flowing, but, when the dry fish, not to mention lizards and birds who also
season set in, the women from the village would took some. Another problem has been that the
spend long hours there digging out catfish and villagers had to pay for the high cost of transport
mudfish to supplement their usual diet of green of fish food, which is manufactured in the capital,
vegetables and millet bread. There was much Kampala, around 300km from the fish farm.
poverty and malnutrition in the village and the More info from:
parents were unable to meet the basic needs of maatkinson@michaelandmaggie.plus.com
the children. The answer was to create a fish farm
in an artificial pond. Betty helping to dig the pond

“The aim of the project was not only to improve
the level of nutrition in the area, but also to
generate some incomes to support the families,
pay school fees, buy clothes and scholastic
materials. Some of the harvested fish is being
given to vulnerable people in the village, such as
the elderly and disabled, with help from Rotary
friends from the UK.”

The fish pond has since had a further 3,000
fingerlings added.

The project was begun with a donation of $3,000
and then a further €500 from Babbacombe & St
Marychurch Rotarians. The Rotary Club of Soroti
Central in Uganda became the local link. Betty
said: “I was able to purchase fish feeds and
scholastic materials for the school children. We