Voices from the field: Experi Fustian Ngoyi

In this section we will speak to Experi Fustian Ngoyi, a farmer who farms at Mandaka Mnono, Tanzania.

Experi is part of a scheme where farmers grow mainly rice, maize and some horticultural crops (such as tomatoes). Farmers get access to irrigation water from the public scheme, and participate in its maintenance. Farmers irrigate rice from the unlined canal and at the same time obtain water from outside the scheme using motor-driven pumps to irrigate crops such as tomatoes during the dry season.

In the irrigated rice areas in the Kaloleni and Mandaka Mnono villages upstream of the government’s Lower Moshi Irrigation scheme, concrete intake structures and lined canals were built to control obstructions and prevent water losses. The aim was to free up water and reduce conflict between the Lower Moshi scheme and the upstream farmers

Farmers have developed irrigation systems upstream and downstream from the state-initiated irrigation areas. In contrast to the government irrigation schemes, farmers’ investments were gradual and responded to water availability, changes in technology, and emerging markets.

Experi explains the issues of sharing water in a community.

English subtitles can be turned on for the below video.

My name is Experi Fustian Ngoyi, also known as ‘Super Munyonge’! The main challenge affecting this project is the shortage of water.  During the dry seasons there is always a problem of water not reaching all the farmlands.  This is mainly because the carrying capacity of the water conduits is low; the conduits need to undergo reconstruction, as the existing ones are dirty and do not reach all the farms.   People are forced to go and dig water trenches during the evening and at night to direct the water to the farms. The other challenges are that the water channels are defective.

When there is less water flow the water does not reach the intended areas, because the pipes have not been well built, and the water channels are narrow, and therefore cannot transfer enough water to reach the people. During the dry season this causes problems, leading to serious squabbling and some people attack others using machetes. As the people take turns in the patrol, if one is found trespassing on others’ land, machetes are used to settle the incursions.

This project started in a small way but has kept on expanding. As water becomes available also people have developed the urge to expand the farmlands.  At the beginning the project went as far as the area where you see the banana plants.

As the availability of water increased, also people increased.  People started fighting over the water in the upper region, and some of the water was diverted to the lower Moshi irrigation scheme.  The rest of the water is shared, and diverted to this area, through Mwana-Ngurue. Currently you find that most people from this area have moved to the upper area which has increased water shortage on this project.  This is because a lot of water has been diverted there.