Empower rural women to build a poultry business

Over the past year, 115 people in Machubo and Bobole received poultry husbandry training, more than two-thirds of them women. Families received 950 hardy Boschveld chickens, providing a reliable source of eggs and meat, while ten newly trained community vaccinators are helping protect local flocks against Newcastle disease, which can wipe out a village’s chickens in just days.

In Bobole, all 25 poultry micro-enterprises reached egg production. During May and June alone, they recorded 4,478 eggs, with households earning an average of around USD 30 per month from poultry. We’re also trialling an affordable new chicken feed made from Black Soldier Fly larvae, which could help reduce the cost of keeping chickens.

There have been challenges, too. Cold weather, predators and flooding have caused losses for some families. But the knowledge and skills people are gaining are helping them build more resilient livelihoods.

For Isabel, the project has created an opportunity to support both her family and her community.

Isabel has kept chickens throughout her life in Bobole, where she cares for her two granddaughters. Through the project, she strengthened her existing knowledge and learned more about the threat Newcastle disease poses to local flocks. She decided to become a volunteer community vaccinator, helping protect her neighbours’ chickens as well as her own.

During one vaccination campaign, Isabel vaccinated 371 chickens. She has since expanded her flock and started a poultry business with her daughter, selling eggs to help cover the cost of feed.

“This opportunity has helped me gain knowledge, generate income and support my community. Projects like this should continue because they help families strengthen their livelihoods, develop small businesses and build a more hopeful future.”

Thank you for supporting Isabel and other families in Marracuene as they build skills, grow small businesses and create new opportunities for the future.