Improving Livelihoods Through Poultry Farming

Improving Livelihoods Through Poultry Farming
For more than two years, 17 farmers and entrepreneurs of Association of Entrepreneur Women (OAMES) in the town of Marañonal have spent their days around the pens in which they raise and sell their chickens.

The ANDA Program selected this group of women because of their organizational capacity and provided them with 78 chickens, feed and nets for their pens, which were used to reinforce their facilities and expand their operations. Additionally, the program provided training in topics like hygiene and breeding which helped them tremendously.
With the success of their project, the women have taken on new roles within their families and community. In the past their main focus was on household duties and childcare, but now they have expanded their roles to become players in the local economy. The income they are making from their improved enterprise has improved their overall quality of life.

Each time the group makes a profit, they reinvest a large part of that back into their business. As a result they have grown their stock from the initial 78 chickens to 116 chickens. Previously they lacked the knowledge and skills to be be successful chicken farmers, which was resulted in the loss of chickens from diseases and a resulting loss of profits. The ANDA program has helped give them the knowledge they need to run a prosperous breeding operation and organized business.

Although they still face challenges managing their growing business with limited resources, their will power and desire to get ahead always motivate them. They have become an example for the community of Marañonal and for the whole region which is slowly carrying out small actions that produce big changes.