Last week, Ngoma District inaugurated a Rwf271 million hillside irrigation scheme to water fruits and vegetables in sectors of Zaza and Mutenderi, a green technology that uses solar energy to distribute water on 20 hectares of smallholder farmers’ lands.

Targeted to benefit around 1,200 residents, the project established solar pumping systems and constructed two water reservoirs of 500m3 each to irrigate 10 hectares in the Zaza and 10 hectares in Mutenderi, using Lake Mugesera water in Zaza and source water in Mutenderi.

Currently, farmers have planted at Zaza site crops including bell peppers, French beans, watermelon, and eggplants, while in Mutenderi site, there are bell peppers, tomatoes, cabbages, carrots, onions, and eggplants.

"The only role of the lake was water for home use,” declared Sophia Mukamukiza, 25-year old farmer from Nyakariba, Ruhinga Cell, Zaza. "We used to plant two seasons a year, but now we will plant anytime. This will help us grow financially. Of course there will be a big difference,” she added.

Denyse Nyiramahoro, hailing from Nyagahandagaza Village, Ruhinga Cell, Zaza Sector, has planted French beans, and this is the first time she ever goes into agriculture; and she hopes things will go well for them.

"Only strong people were in agriculture here, because irrigation was difficult, gasoline was too expensive for irrigation using pumping systems. But now, it is easy, you just connect a hose in hydrants and the crops are watered,” she said.

Faustin Sebahire Uwihanganye, from Ruhinga, Zaza Sector, has one hectare, where he grows bell pepper, chili and watermelon.

He has been in agriculture for about 15 years, but he used to do it traditionally, using watering cans. He later bought pump systems thanks to the government programme Nkunganire, where one pays 50 percent of the system’s price.

Since the establishment of the new scheme, Uwihanganye has already harvested bell pepper from his farm for the season C which runs throughout the dry season.

"On one hectare, we had to invest Rwf600,000-700,000 on gasoline and irrigation systems. Only people with capacity could do that kind of investment, no vulnerable farmer could do it, this project came to make it all easier,” he discussed.

To secure the sustainability of the scheme, the farmers were grouped into a cooperative, with the committee making sure the farmers pay maintenance fees at the end of the season, in order to repair damaged materials. He is the leader of Terimbere Muhinzi, the cooperative founded by 35 members, 14 of them being women.

The project was introduced to increase the capacity of farmers in terms of horticultural productivity, climate resilience, and access to markets for a better livelihood of vulnerable groups in the two sectors, implemented by Rwanda Rural Rehabilitation Initiative (RWARRI) and funded by Rwanda Green Fund (FONERWA).

"The sun that previously caused drought is now changing people’s lives as it is now the source of power to irrigate the crops,” stated Uwizeye Belange, the Executive Secretary of RWARRI.

Jean Marie Vianney Havugimana, from FONERWA, said this is achieved in partnership with Ngoma District under the Government Programme named "Small-Scale Irrigation Technology (SSIT)” led by Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB). "It came to help mitigate the effects of climate change, to transform smallholder farmers’ lives,” he mentioned.

Cyriaque Nyiridandi Mapambano, Ngoma District’s Vice Mayor for economic affairs, who admits that production cost was high for the farmers, insisted that this project is part of the country’s goal to use its natural resources.

"Here in Ngoma, we have many water sources, three lakes; namely Sake, Mugesera and Birira, which are somehow in the same area. We want to use them to the advantage of the farmers,” he announced.

Ngoma has another large irrigation scheme named Ngoma 22 located in Rurenge and Remera sectors, which irrigates on 300 hectares, 265 hectares being on hillside; where chia seed is the most popular crop. There are also two other schemes in Rukumberi and Rukira sectors, irrigating 20 hectares each.

Everywhere around the district, the farmers are able to buy small-scale irrigation technologies and get a 50 percent subsidy from the government. Around 400 irrigation systems were provided to the farmers in the district over the last two years, according to Vice Mayor Mapambano. Ngoma has a total of 1,643 hectares of irrigated land, and the government targets to irrigate 2,300 hectares by 2024.