By pemphero prince Thunde
At dawn, Kumbukani Jossam walks through his healthy vegetable garden. He checks the irrigation system that changed his life. The steady sound of water pumping from the nearby river tells a story of struggle and success. Three years ago, he was a very sad student who failed to enter university. Today, he is both a successful farmer and a new first-year student at Mzuzu University.
Kumbukani’s farm is in Dowa district. It is under the Traditional Authority Chiwere. Group Headman Silapa directly oversees the area.
“I dreamed of getting a university degree with honors,” Kumbukani says, fixing a water pipe. “When I wasn’t chosen after three tries, I had to find another way.” That way led him back to farming—a skill his father taught him.
He started with just a small vegetable area and a fishpond. Kumbukani worked very hard without stopping. First, he used a noisy generator to pump water. Then, his younger brother Saulen joined him. Saulen is a tailor. Together, they saved money. Kumbukani saved from farming and fixing phones. Saulen saved from his tailoring work. They bought a 250-watt solar water pump.
Their first try with solar power failed. “The pump could not pull enough water from the river,” Kumbukani explains. But after their next harvest, they got a better 500-watt system. This time, it worked very well. It changed their dry fields into good farmland.
Now, their farm gives jobs to three workers. It also supports their family. Kumbukani’s father uses their irrigation system to grow his own vegetables. Kumbukani pays school fees for relatives. “Kumbukani shows farming can make money,” says Group Headman Silapa. “Many young people here now follow his example.”
While building his farm, Kumbukani never stopped trying to learn. In 2022, he took his MSCE exams again. He scored 17 points. Though rejected again in 2023, he kept trying. This year, he finally received the acceptance he waited for. He will study for a Bachelor of Arts in Communication at Mzuzu University.
“Some young people give up after one failure,” Kumbukani says, watching water flow to his crops. “I want to show you can farm and study. Keep trying different ways to succeed.”
As he gets ready for university, his farm continues to grow. It is proof that with hard work and patience, dreams can grow in surprising places.
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