FISH PONDS
The valley measuring 40 hectares which is owned by the Diocese in Shyogwe was a swampy area covered in rough scrub. In 1997, the swamp was drained. Channels were cut along each side of the valley, to take the run-off from the valley slopes, and a central drain running the length of the valley allowed the valley floor to dry out. The water in this central drain is used for irrigation.
These measures allow year round use of the land eliminating previous problems of drought and flood.Fishp
onds have been dug out and stocked. This is to help address the lack of protein in the diet of most people. Pisciculture is an important aspect of the work. There are fishponds in which animal waste is used to feed the fish. The ponds are populated with Tilapia, which are food for the larger Clarias. This enables families to eat non-vegetable protein more often than would otherwise be the case. Before the development of the fish farm, many families ate meat only once a year: at Christmas. The pond water is rich in micro- organisms for the fish to feed on as manure from the adjacent piggery enriches the water. The manure is placed behind a barrier of sticks in each pond. In 2002, the harvest was 170kgs of fish from 7 ponds. Continual training is required to maintain productivity of the ponds. There are now 9 fishponds.