My first Irrigation project: -Installing 10*10m Drum irrigation system.

I know I have never really talked much about my profession. And most of those who have followed my blog from since I joined in December 2017, know me by my literary passion, writing short stories, poems and all sorts of such works. Well. That is my passion, just what I really ‘enjoy’ doing.

But did you know I am actually an Irrigation Engineer by training? I am. Except I have not really practiced it, from since I graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor of Agricultural Mechanization and Irrigation Engineering.

But one can never really run away from their profession, not in Africa where education is mostly for the purpose of ‘employment’, and sure enough, at the end of the day, you have to look for employment in line with what you studied. Here it is never about passion, it is about profession.

And so whereas I have spent the better part of the last 3-4 years trying to pursue my passions, I have lately had to return to my profession. And to look for employment. With so many bills coming up, I needed something where I am guaranteed some pay at the end of the month.

Good thing, I landed on a job. I got absorbed by some irrigation company, and quickly a week upon reporting, had my supervisor give me my first project to manage. I was last week tasked to install a drum drip irrigation system for a client on a 10*10m plot, for onions.

Honest to say, it had been such a while since I last practiced my profession, I frankly didn’t have the courage I could successful design and construct the system. But well, I would have to, else prove incompetence and risk losing my new job.

So first things first, I had to return to the ‘books’ and spent the bulk of the first two days ‘reading’ my long shelved lecture notes! Funny I know, but I did. I needed to keep the job.

48 hours, and I had the sketch of the design laid out. And finally off to the filed to construct it. The client, a middle aged woman and her few siblings would provide the labor. And so off I started.

First, I had to mark up the field, where to site the drum and the orientation. Notice if you are going to install a drip irrigation system, the terrain is always a key consideration. The lines must run down slope to ease the pressure which will be provided by potential energy of the drum.

So I quickly marked out the site, and chose my location for the 100litre drum up field. Next, I had to construct the ‘drum’ stands. I could use metal or wood. But well, a metal frame is expensive, and so I had to make do with wood stands.

a) Constructing the drum 'tank' stand

b) The base where the drum' will sit on

Now my 100 liter drum will sit on this frame, one (1) meter up. The recommended height for you to achieve the correct amount of pressure for the drip lines is 1 meter to 1.5.

c)Now the fittings for the main line that leads water out of the drum.

d) Time to lay drip lines on the onion field.

e) testing the system, and showing the client/farmer how to operate the system.
Now the complete system laid out

And there! My first job project is complete. Now i will for thew harvest which the client promises i will have a share off! Working with farmers can be a wonderful thing.