In 2013 we began a pilot chicken programme with 22 families. We found that the programme was very successful for as long as we supplied all of the feed and vaccinations for the birds. Once we began to leave the families to care for the birds themselves, using part of the money from their egg sales, things began to change. We have realised that there are always more pressing needs for the poorest of the poor and so it is a challenge too far for them to set money aside each week to invest in their birds. These women have come up with an answer though...
Two of the mothers asked us if they could sell their chickens and buy a goat as they are easier to care for. They require less veterinary care and can simply be tied in any patch of grass to feed for free. Three times in every two years they can produce kids and so they become a “savings account” for these families. It is not a daily income as we had wished but it offers a simpler and, more importantly, a sustainable way of boosting family incomes from time to time. For this reason, we have encouraged all of the families to exchange their chickens for goats. We will continue to support them with advice but we also hope to begin to buy fields for cash crops which can be sold to provide school uniforms and books. The children and their mothers will work together to achieve this using our high yielding, low technology farming techniques.
