As the rest of the world was battling Covid- 19 induced lockdowns between 2020 and 2021, Kunihira, who was by then a fresh graduate from university, hardly felt the pinch of the effects of a strange epidemic that claimed millions of lives and paralysed economies globally. As most families spent most of the time indoors as it was directed by the government to contain the spread of Covid-19, Kunihira spent most of turbulent years practicing agriculture to make ends meet. He grew crops like maize and beans. When the Covid- 19 dust started settling and the lockdown eventually lifted, he embarked on an expedition searching for white collar jobs. One of the market research organisations in Kampala attempted to offer him a volunteer job, but he could not grab the opportunity.

“The company was willing to pay me a monthly allowance of Shs 600,000 but I turned down the offer, because I could not afford the high cost of living in the city,” he says.

However, he never lost hope. He decided to engage himself in small scale farming, as he waited for better opportunities to knock at his door.

Last year, Kunihira was selected to participate in the Work Readiness Programme whose aim was not only to sharpen his agricultural skills, but also better his soft skills including communication and teamwork skills. Like many other graduates who benefited from the project, Kunihira was attached to Honda Enterprises Limited in Fort Portal, where he was exposed to a more detailed practical part of his career. The enthusiasm exhibited by Kunihira prompted management to retain him as an employee.

“I have benefitted a lot. I can now process organic manure. We tried to do it when I was still at university, but the results did not come out well because we lacked materials to cover it,” he says. 

He says that most universities offer less time for practical lessons and lack adequate materials and equipment that students need to turn theory into practice. He believes this kind of mentality must be changed if the education offered by tertiary institutions is to remain relevant.

His experience at Honda enterprises has been different. All materials used in practical work such as dehorning, pasture management, parasite control, animal management were availed to him. Besides, he has been able to invest part of his salary in agriculture. He recently bought a cow at Shs 2.3m. He also invested in maize growing. Last season, he got eighteen sacks of maize.

“I have been able to save some good money and invested it. My target is doing business alongside my career. I plan to set up a demonstration farm and offer agricultural advisory services to farmers so that they can adopt better farming practices for better yields,” Kunihira says.

He says an organisation dealing in herbal medicine has consulted him to use his professional expertise to guide them on selecting the right and best herbs.