Kikondo, UG – Recycled plastic containers become low cost watering cans – 3 June 2016

Wamukisa garden shop is helping families improve their lives through small, sustainable steps. They have created a garden watering solution to match their approach.

A slow and steady pace creates lots of small wins while minimizing waste, frustration, and mistakes. As part of this approach, Wamukisa is encouraging families to start their organic vegetable gardens by caring for a single bed.If they enjoy the work and find it beneficial, they can expand.

One challenge of starting with a single bed is that most equipment used to maintain gardens costs the same whether it will be used for one bed or a dozen. For example, a watering can will cost the same no matter how many garden beds a family has. This means the family must invest the same amount of money but they will have less beds, so lower earning potential.

To help reduce the cost of starting a garden, Wamukisa improvised a small, sustainable solution. They are calling it the Buganda Watering Method, after the local Buganda tribe they are a part of. Instead of spending 15,000 UGS (US $5.00) on a watering can, a family can adjust a 5 liter container to be used for watering. The solution costs nothing and is easier to use for small children.

As a family grows their garden, they will probably want to upgrade to a real watering can. However, the Buganda Watering Method is a great small, sustainable step that enables a family to learn the basics and decide if they want to continue with their gardening project before they have invested much.