Chicken project

The chicken project started in 2011 and is called ”Mkunde” which means cowpeas. About 100 people generate from the project that has 19 members. Chicken projects are not as expensive as many other projects and they last long. The families earn money fast and they are increasing their nourishing status. Apart from the eggs and meat the families also get manure for the gardens and can therefore also sell more vegetables. The money they earn they use for school fees, medical care for the family members and for the chickens and renovation of houses.

The members get 11 chickens (ten hens and one rooster) each and 25 kg of chicken food to start the project. They also got seminars to improve the project. When new chickens are born Miinjeni gets back 2 chickens from every hen. That means that Miinjeni gets back 20 chickens from one member and gives 11 chickens to a new member in the project.

Challenges that the project has are that the cost of chickens are high and the communities cannot afford buying chickens. At four weeks of age the chickens are bought to the members and it is very difficult to see the sex. This has resulted in more roosters then what is necessary and that means less new chickens and less money. Also the food and medical care for the chickens are expensive compared to the income from the project. Chicken deceases are many but no one has knowledge about the sources.

What the project needs now is to have more seminars that include different sectors, for example the government and entrepreneurship. This would improve their knowledge and will give them better skills, which will increase the projects outcome. The group it self has started three groups inside the project. Each group has six members and they are there to help each other and develop the project.