My name is William Lusige. My wife is Linet and we have been married for eight years. We have three children, Nicholas (7 years), Njeri (one and a half) and Joy (4 months) old. We are from Kakamega in Western Kenya where the rest of our extended family lives.
My interest in pig farming started when I was working for Farmers Choice Ltd, a company that keeps pigs, produces pig products and offers trainings to pig farmers. I was assigned to the Eldoret branch of the company for seven years. Initially, I just needed a job and a friend of mine encouraged me to apply but while at the company, I developed an interest in keeping pigs. I learned about feeding, cleaning, fattening, servicing and administering drugs to pigs of all ages.
I learned about TLAfrica from a friend I was working with at Farmers Choice. He told me that TLAfrica was starting a pig project and that they were looking for a caretaker for the farm. I considered it a good opportunity that will help me to sharpen the skills I had acquired in a different environment. One of the TLAfrica staff contacted me, hired me and on March 1, 2020 I moved from Kakamega to Nairobi to start the work.Since then, my experience has been great. I saw the coming of the first three pigs and since then two of them have delivered 15 piglets total. We are expecting more mother pigs and piglets in the coming days. We have also farmed the remaining land. We planted maize and vegetables to sell to the community. The experience is also great because of how we work. Where I worked before, everything we did with the pigs was ordered from the managers, but now I get to think and plan together with the Projects Coordinator about what the pigs need, when we need to inject them and so on. Participating in the decisions is making me more responsible. I feel like am also leading, not just working. It is an all rounded experience.
I have seen the hand of God through the kindness of the staff and Board members. Some of them have donated the personal stuff I did not have when I came. I am very touched by their actions. One time the CEO called me on my phone, I was very shocked but excited at the same time! Such things do not happen everywhere, and in some places, workers do not even know their bosses! There is no harassment here at TLAfrica. There is care and understanding and good order of things. Of course, they are strict, but this is a good thing.
This job has also enabled me to provide for my family, to buy food and other basic needs. I am grateful for the chance to work at TLAfrica. I pray that the farm grows bigger so that we get great results!
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Interviewed by Florah Kidula
Project Coordinator,
TLAfrica, Kenya Office
