Aromo women use local irrigation to fight drought,

25 July 2026, 8:51 am

By Agness Agilo.

As the sun beats down relentlessly across Lango, women farmers in Aromo Sub-county in Lira district have refused to watch their gardens wither.

Under their association “Can pe mito nyapo”, they have built a locally made irrigation system that is keeping crops alive and harvests coming in.

The group, formed late last year and comprising of 40 members,is offering hope to farmers whose maize, groundnuts and vegetables are threatened by weeks of prolonged sunshine.

Consolata Adoch, the group chairperson from Odoro Parish, Acanwiny Village, says the solution is simple but effective. “We fill water in a drum, place it at the center of the garden, and use tubes to distribute the water to the crops. We do the watering in the morning and evening hours,” Adoch explained.

The service is offered at an affordable fee. “For one acre, we charge 10,000 shillings. We irrigate three times a week, morning and evening, for four weeks,” Adoch said.
She noted that the locally made system has become a lifeline for many farmers struggling with the harsh weather.

For Christine Opake, a widow and mother of four from Apurber Village, the intervention came just in time. Her 3 acres of maize had started drying up. “I called Can pe mito nyapo when the sunshine became too much.I’m grateful because my maize survived and I had a good harvest. Without them, I would have lost everything,” Opake testified.

Constantine Opido, 48, from Walela Village, also credits the group for saving his 2 acres of groundnuts.”This local irrigation rescued my garden. The sun would have finished it. I urge fellow farmers to embrace this initiative because it really supplements the drought,” Odage said.

Patrick Alip, the Lira District Agricultural Officer, says such community-driven solutions are now critical. “The climatic conditions have changed. We are seeing longer dry spells and severe food shortages. Farmers must adopt initiatives like this to cope and ensure food security,” Alip urged.

Across Aromo, the drums in the middle of gardens tell a new story about farming in Lango. The rains are no longer reliable, the sunshine lasts longer. But with the innovations of locally made irrigation system, It has become a promise that even as the weather changes, the harvest doesn’t have to die.