While the losses are significant, the moment has sparked an urgent call for a shift in mindset—from lament to leadership, from dependency to dominion.

By Theophilous Ochang

Leaders in Kapoeta North County, Eastern Equatoria State, have raised concerns over widespread crop failure following a mass invasion of birds that damaged an estimated 140,000 farms. While the losses are significant, the moment has sparked an urgent call for a shift in mindset—from lament to leadership, from dependency to dominion.

Affected payams include Chumakori, Lokwamor, Najie, Paringa, and Nakarikomuje, where farmers had invested months of effort in cultivating crops. The local commissioner, David Naye, described the impact as devastating.

“For almost three months, our people worked hard in their gardens. But just before harvest, birds came in huge numbers and wiped out the crops,” he said. “Now, many households are left with nothing to feed their families.”

But beyond the loss lies a deeper challenge—and an opportunity. If birds can routinely destroy livelihoods, how then can communities claim to be in charge of their own future?

This moment calls for more than another appeal to aid agencies. It is a chance for the people of Kapoeta North to rethink land stewardship, food security, and resilience. To ask: How can we protect what we plant? How do we rise from the soil with solutions, not sorrow?

Throughout history, farmers around the world have faced threats—from pests, droughts, and yes, even birds. But they have also innovated. From scarecrows and nets to community-based early warning systems and coordinated planting cycles, solutions exist. The question is whether the community is ready to take ownership of the problem—and the process of overcoming it.

This reporter spoke to Rose Ssali, a Pan African Development Analyst, who suggested that consideration be given to the use of tunnels and greenhouses.
“This is an easy but practical solution to this huge problem,” she said. “It protects crops from birds, improves yields, and increases food security—even in harsh climates.”

Commissioner Naye noted that the county is counting on external partners to respond with food aid. But that, too, raises a question: For how long will the community depend on others to feed its families? Independence is not just political. It is practical. It begins in the garden.

If every family has land, as the commissioner stated, then every family also holds power. The power to plant, to protect, and to prosper. But it must be activated through unity, knowledge, and bold leadership.

The people of Kapoeta North are not helpless victims. They are stewards of a fertile land. And like the birds of the air, they were made to rise. But unlike the birds, they have been given the ability to build, to plan, and to reign.

It’s time to move from lamentation to cultivation—with wisdom, strategy, and unshakable resolve.