Chicken is the most common source of protein in Kenya, and still it is not available to everyone. Many people eat mostly maize and other carbohydrates in an unbalanced diet. A Spirit in Action Community Grant to the Matungu Community Development Charity will help them address this malnutrition by making chicken more affordable in their community.
full meal! Maize, rice, potatoes, kale, banana, and chicken (sources very locally!)
Last year when I visited the cooperative in the western edge of Kenya, they were in the early stages of building a modern poultry house to start a cooperative chicken rearing business. The building had cement walls to keep the space dry for the birds, thought the construction was delayed because of heavy rains. After completing the structure, they purchased 250 hybrid local chicks, in addition to chicken feed, water troughs, and vaccines.
A year later, the communal poultry project is thriving! They have sold about 150 chickens and the building is currently accommodating another 200 birds. A whole chicken can sell for $4-8 USD depending on the demand, with prices higher around Christmas time.
Healthy chickens at the Matungu Community Development Charity.
Part of the mandate of the cooperative is to make chicken meat and eggs affordable and to improve the diet of community members. Selling eggs at subsidized prices for less fortunate neighbors helps them meet this mandate. This access to protein helps with food security, hunger, and malnutrition, which are all big challenges within the community.
Sharing the Gift
The cooperative has used their profit to purchase 100 chickens to give to their 15 group members for their own use. In addition, as part of Sharing the Gift, they have given 20 birds and poultry-rearing training to five older women who are caring for orphans in the community. These women, often called guardians, care for extended family members whose parents have died from HIV/AIDS or other illnesses. What an abundance of generosity in the group!
Evans, Erica and Henry are cooperative members are selling eggs and keeping track of sales.
In his report, Vincent Atitwa, shared their dream for the future of the cooperative, “Our dream is to operate and manage a cooperative society that will support more community members access financial training and credit to promote their small businesses, and to create livelihood opportunity for participants through large scale production of poultry products.”
In the coming weeks, I’ll share a report about group members who are benefiting from the access to low-interest loans!
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