On her own feet

Abstract

Mrs Jessie Kaunde is proud to be one of the small, but growing, number of women who farm fish on their own. She recognised fish farming as an opportunity to provide herself with a better future back in 1999, when she heard a radio programme describing the technique. But what has made Mrs Kaunde so successful is that she really took to heart the idea of integrated farm management. So, as well as growing crops and fish, she also raises more than 500 chickens and ducks at a time, and uses their droppings to fertilize her ponds. Having sought expert advice from the World Fish Centre, Mrs Kaunde is now digging more ponds and improving the design of the first one she built. After all, as she said herself, "fish in the pond are like money in the bank".