Paulus Hamutenya

Dynamic Aquaponic System Manager – Self-Employed Research Project
As a student managing a dynamic aquaponic system in its experimental phase, I specialize in microbial sampling, water quality assessment, and nutrient level monitoring to optimize plant-fish-microbe interactions. I actively identify and respond to system issues, ensuring minimal disruption and contamination risk. My responsibilities also include maintaining and calibrating equipment, logging research data, and refining operational parameters to support long-term system stability and performance.

After losing my dad in 2021, it was tough for me emotionally and academically. This was reflected in my poor performance during my first and second years of university. Just before my second year ended, I began embarking on the journey of aquaponics in my backyard as a way to escape everything and breathe. What started as a personal retreat quickly became something more. I began to see its potential not just for me, but for my community and beyond. That’s when I decided to make it my life project: to work toward achieving, or at least coming close to, the Zero Hunger goal through sustainable farming. My aim is to reduce import dependence, promote local food production, and eventually expand this work to include medicinal plant cultivation. Gardening and urban farming have become more than hobbies they’re how I heal, grow, and create impact.

11 March 2003