Dennis Onyango, a fish farmer in Kadenge village, Central Alego Location, Siaya County, can now look back and smile that his decision to quit employment was right.
After getting his Diploma in Agriculture in 2006, he went to Uganda where he was employed at two fish breeding and processing firms, for five years.
Being the first born, his family relied on him for financial support and his Sh15,000 monthly salary could not help meet all his financial needs including paying school fees for his siblings.
“Being the first born and my mother as a peasant widow, I had to think of better source of income,” he recalled.
With only Sh10,000, Onyango decided to quit employment to start his own fish business. He used the money to buy fish fingerlings in Tororo, Uganda, thanks to friends who assisted in digging a fish pod.
Video: Airbnb owner shows status her clients left room in after wild stay
Nine months later, he harvested the fish, but most of it got rotten for lack of freezer and transport to markets.
“I could not even recover my capital, so I even thought of abandoning the business to search for employment again,” he said.
His mother however encouraged him to keep going and seek assistance from the relevant organisations.
Onyango approached the Department of Fisheries and the Agricultural Sector Development Support Programme Phase Two (ASDSP II) for support and was able to access funds which he used to dig seven fishponds, in which he breeds tilapia. He also benefitted from fish feeds, pond liners and nets.
“Currently my average profit per year is sh. 350,000 from the sale of tilapia fish at Sh.300 per kilo,” Onyango said.
He sells most of his produce to hoteliers in Kisumu and Nairobi, who pick them directly from the farm.
In 2019, ASDSP II trained Onyango on business planning, farm management, and fish breeding skills, all of which he said contributed to his success.
The organization has also recruited him as an extension service provider, to impart the skills to those interested in fish farming.
“From this I earn Sh.35, 000 for one week’s session,” he said.
