Strengthening Food Security and Economic Status Among Widows and Orphans in Rachuonyo District, Nyanza Province in Kenya through Crossbreed Chicken Farming Project

Project title:  

Strengthening Food Security and economic status among widows and Orphans in Rachuonyo District, Nyanza Province in Kenya through Crossbreed Chicken farming project

Summary

This project aims towards the improvement of food security and reduction of malnutrition and poverty among the widows and Orphans in the District   through crossbreed chicken farming project. The use of crossbreed chicken was selected because nearly every rural household or village in Kenya already keeps indigenous chicken but which have poor yield both in egg and meat production while a crossed breed chicken For example cross-bred pullets begin to lay at 24 weeks, with a genetic potential of laying 200 eggs per year. The use of semi free range system was selected  because nearly every rural house hold in Kenya use the free range system which is has disadvantages’ such as predators killing young chicks as they scavenged for food, disease epidemics ,low amount of food eaten while chickens scavenge poor, unproductive poultry breeds ,poor hatching of chicks.

This project is sustainable since chicken keeping involves simple activities which are easy to learn and therefore can be done by the project members with minimal support from a poultry veterinary. It requires a small space to rear a large number of chicken and materials needed to build the chicken shelter are cheap and locally available. Also there’s availability of a large market in the District; schools, hotels and the market during the market days.

The Africa Rural Connect Prize money would help in expanding the project so as to cover all the widows and orphans in Rachuonyo District, neighboring districts, the entire Nyanza province.

NEED ASSESSMENT

Rachuonyo district  is one of the poorest and most marginalized districts in Kenya. The 2006 national poverty index places this district in the bottom five out of 222 constituencies in the nation. Over 70% of the population lives on less than one dollar a day. The average life expectancy here is 38 years; the national average is 52 years. HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the district is 25% compared to the nation average of 6.7% .The district cover an area of 930 km2 of which 835 km2 are dry land and 95 km2 are covered by Lake Victoria. 744 km2 are arable land while 91 km2 are marshy, rocky and badly eroded or too steep for cultivation. 

Due to the high prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in the District there’s increase in number of households lead by women after their husbands have died from HIV/AIDS and more orphans being left behind by their departed parents.

Due to poor economic status amongst the widows they engage in risky behaviours’ such as prostitution so as to support their children as a consequence this has increased their chances of being infected with HIV/AIDS or re-infection if they are already infected and most of their children drop out of school. Most of the Orphans  drop out of school to seek employment to be in a position to support themselves and their younger ones. Some orphan girls engage in such activities as early marriages or prostitutions so as to support themselves and their young ones leading to teenage pregnancies and infections with HIV/AIDS and other STI’s.

Overall goal of the project
Contribute towards improved food production; and the reduction of poverty and improved health among thewidows  and Orphans in the District.

Objectives of the project
The overall purpose of this project is to provide a source of sustainable supply of foods rich in protein within targeted households and sustainable source of  income among the targeted households  .  Specifically, the project aims to:

·    Evaluate semi free range as a method for management of crossbreed chicken by small-scale poultry farmers.

·    Increase the level of poultry production within the rural communities in Rachuonyo District.

·    Enhance community members knowledge on poultry management, and basic accounts and business management

·    Determine the economic viability of semi-free range poultry production among rural communities

·    Ensure proper project management and sustainability

Target group
The project targets the widows and Orphans in the District.  However, the free-range poultry production system is a traditional method that is used everywhere in Kenyan rural communities and these benefits are expected to spill over to other people and areas in the country and beyond the Kenyan boundaries.

INPUTS FOR THE PROJECT

·        Piece of land (which is already available)

·        Capital: Rachuonyo District Constituency Development Fund and Contribution by community members in Rachuonyo District.

·        Source of  labour; Project members

·        Poultry house

·        150 Day old chicks (Donation  by Western Hatcheries LTD)

·        Water for the chicks

·        chicken feeds (commercial and locally available)

·        Supplementary feed, vitamins or minerals;

·        60 Wooden posts

·        20kgs of Nails

·        A 42 meters wire mesh roll

·        Vaccines

·         technical advice: District Veterinary officer

ACTIVITIES DURING THE PROJECT

·        Identification of target group; 200 widows and the 200 orphans as a start              

·        Mobilisation of  the target group

·        Training the group how to rear the cross bred chicken through the semi free range system by the District Veterinary officer.

·        Building the shelter for the chicken

·        Procuring the chicks, vaccines and chick feeds

·        Rearing of the cross bred chickens

 OUTPUT

·        Target group; women living with HIV/AIDS and the orphans was identified

·        Mobilisation the target group

·        The target group was trained on how to rear the cross bred chicken through the semi free range system

·        The shelter for the chicken was built

·        The chicks, chick feeds and vaccines were bought

·        The chicks were reared

OUTCOME

·        If all the process of the project are carried out in just six months, the project will start generating some income from the sale of chicken and eggs to market during the markets days, hotels, and schools in two major towns in the District i.e. Oyugis and Kosele also the diet of the households for the target group will also improved due to availability of protein through controlled consumption of chicken and eggs this will would help in achieving the millennium goal; halving extreme poverty and hunger.

·        The orphans will get a chance to access and complete education therefore putting them in a better position to secure better employment and a bright future. This would be possible since the returns from the projects would be used to pay for their school fees .this would be in line with millennium goal; achieving universal primary education for all.

·        It will serve as a social group where people meet and share their experiences and problems.