Performance Report for FY 2009/10 - UWASNET

Case Study 4.18
Ecosan: Farmer’s experience. Source: NETWAS ( U)
Performance Report for FY 2009/10
Background
Kasayi village is found in kyampisi Sub-county, Mukono district about 10km from
Mukono town. Coming from a family of nine children, Miss Kairu Agnes was introduced
to farming by her parents at an early age. Her parents had a farm from which they
upheld the family. They used to grow beans, cassava and coffee which they consumed
at home as well as distributed to the local schools for an income.
As a child, Agnes recalls that food was not bought but supplied from the family garden.
By then her parents initially used expensive fertilizers that were sprayed on the crops
and the ground. She however recalls that they later started using animal waste as
fertilizer in their cassava and maize plantations. Now as a grownup, inspired by her
parents, she has her own garden from which she gets an independent income to
provide for her own family. She has been farming for two years now since September
2007.
EcoSan experience, The introduction of EcoSan to Agnes’ Family
The farmer first encountered EcoSan toilets in her childhood. Her auntie who is
married in Ibanda district broke the news of an EcoSan Toilet to Agnes’ mother,
having come accross a banana plantation that was doing well because of using
urine from an Ecosan latrine. An EcoSan mason was introduced to the family and he
constructed the first EcoSan in the home. After seeing this EcoSan at home with her
parent, Agnes thought it was a good idea and she had one constructed for herself.
She learnt from her mum how to collect and mix the urine with water at a ratio of
either 1:4 or 1:3, and how to spray the urine on the crops. In addition she also
learnt how to make compost manure by decomposing faeces and green matter. She
is currently practicing small scale farming but with great hope of going commercial
with a pineapple project.
Access and Application of urine
Urine is got from Biina Primary School in Luzira and from the faculty of technology,
Makerere University, where she purchases a 20litre jerrican of urine at UGX 500
each. For now, she is using urine only but has plans of using the human faecal matter
in the future after her Ecosan Latrine opens for business. The urine is applied three
times before planting as a way of sanitising the ground.
The urine is applied using a knap sack pump to spray it on the garden. Before
application the urine is stored in containers for about a week. The farmer also uses
the animal feacal matter as a supplement to the urine. The urine has been sprayed
on pineapple, cassava, Matooke, and fruits including avocadoes and oranges, which
have all had good yields.
65 | NGOs in the Ugandan Water and Sanitation Sector