Late in 2021, BACHO started a fish pond, by digging a big hole in the ground, covering it with a tarp, and then filling it with water, young catfish (about 2 weeks old), and some water plants. The children and youth of the BACHO program took care of feeding the fish with waste (such as the intestines) of the fish that are harvested from Lake Edward. In addition, water hyacinth is added to the pond, which the fish also eat a bit from. It takes about 6-7 months for the fish to grow and be ready to be harvested.
Today, November 14, 2022, was the 2nd harvest! A total of 91 catfish were harvested. Some small ones were saved and put back in the pond afterwards. These fish are an excellent source of protein for the local community, including the many orphans and children/youth living with HIV. Because this project was successful, we hope to replicate this by installing more fish ponds, as they are relatively cheap to make, don’t require much input, and yet provide a high yield.
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