Have you ever been scammed by someone who offered you a deal that seemed too good to be true? Well, that’s what happened to me when I tried to start farming in a remote rural area of Kwale County, Kenya. I was a teacher who had just been posted to a village that looked green and fertile. I loved farming and wanted to lease some land to grow maize. Little did I know that I was about to lose over 20k in broad daylight.
I visited him the same day after work (4 pm). He promised to lease me 5 acres of land for free, but under the following conditions:
A sympathizer visited me after realizing that I had been reduced to a village laughing stock without my knowledge. This is what he had to say, “Pole sana Mwalimu. Yule bwana alikuibia mchana peupe. Ule mchanga wake sio wa mahindi kabisaaa. Ule unaitwa COASTAL SANDY SOILS. Ni nzuri Kwa Kunde, Coconut, cashewnuts, cassava, na sweet potatos. Lakini mahindi hata kuota/ germination ni shida. Na yakiota hayazai. Mwanzo hayapiti futi mbili kutoka chini.”
I visited the farm after a month and couldn’t spot any maize, but a thicket of wondering cowpeas. Very GREEN and HEALTHY. I enquired whether he had uprooted the maize. I was told NOO, naturally kundes would overgrow the maize and the maize would disappear. THINK OF THE HEIGHT OF COWPEAS OVERGROWING THAT OF MAIZE.
That was 2007. Sijalima Tena. I lost over 20k in broad daylight.
Thank you for reading my rant! Please share it with your friends and leave a comment below. I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences.
How It All Began
I sent word around that I was looking for land to lease. The next morning, around 6 am, someone knocked on my door. He introduced himself and told me that he had over 40 acres of land that were not fully utilized. He said he could comfortably lease me 5 acres without any problem.I visited him the same day after work (4 pm). He promised to lease me 5 acres of land for free, but under the following conditions:
- That on the same piece of land, we would intercrop maize and cowpeas (Kunde).
- Kunde would be his but maize would be mine. I agreed.
- I would pay him 5k to plough (dig) the land. Meaning each acre 1k. He had the bulls (Oxen) to do the work. It shouldn’t go to an outsider.
- I would pay him 5k for planting using Oxen. Meaning 1k per acre. Again it shouldn’t go to an outsider.
- I would pay him 5k for weeding, meaning 1k per acre.
- I would buy a prescribed fertilizer and maize seeds, for my own use (though the kundes would still benefit because we planted in the same row with my maize).
How It All Ended
Wacha siku ya GERMINATION. All kundes germinated. I can say 100% germinated. I could only spot scattered weak maize seedlings.A sympathizer visited me after realizing that I had been reduced to a village laughing stock without my knowledge. This is what he had to say, “Pole sana Mwalimu. Yule bwana alikuibia mchana peupe. Ule mchanga wake sio wa mahindi kabisaaa. Ule unaitwa COASTAL SANDY SOILS. Ni nzuri Kwa Kunde, Coconut, cashewnuts, cassava, na sweet potatos. Lakini mahindi hata kuota/ germination ni shida. Na yakiota hayazai. Mwanzo hayapiti futi mbili kutoka chini.”
I visited the farm after a month and couldn’t spot any maize, but a thicket of wondering cowpeas. Very GREEN and HEALTHY. I enquired whether he had uprooted the maize. I was told NOO, naturally kundes would overgrow the maize and the maize would disappear. THINK OF THE HEIGHT OF COWPEAS OVERGROWING THAT OF MAIZE.
That was 2007. Sijalima Tena. I lost over 20k in broad daylight.
What I Learned
When the deal is too good think twice. Again, there is NOTHING for FREE. What looks free is actually very EXPENSIVE in the long run. I learned to do my research before venturing into any new business. I also learned to be wary of people who take advantage of newcomers and their ignorance. I hope you can learn from my mistake and avoid falling into such traps.Thank you for reading my rant! Please share it with your friends and leave a comment below. I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences.
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