Page 2 - The Daily Builder - Day 12

Sali has grown her flock to more than 500 birds. She can use fertilizer from her chickens to help her garden, and
she hopes to increase her production to meet local demand.
her training enabled her to increase enables the community members for poultry and she do not have
her flock to more than 500 chicks to access and eat more poultry. any. She also realized that some
with 140 mature birds—worth “One time, there was not beef people cannot buy a whole chicken
about $813, an amount close to meat in the entire community and for 2,500 West African CFA
Mbene Sarr can use her chickens to provide food for her family, as well as sell some of them to pay for school for what she once earned in an entire there were visitors, so the mayor francs (about $4), so she wants
her children. year. called on me to provide poultry, to purchase a freezer, which will
Reinvigorated farm which saved the community from allow her to slaughter poultry and
ChiCkens make life better has strengthened the family’s other Sali is trying to reach other sell it in kilograms. entrepreneurial
Success in the poultry business embarrassment,” Sali said.
Sali’s
With
economic endeavors, as well. They community members by passing endeavors has come the ability to
By Heifer International income was about $976. Her of meals on our table weekly, now use the fowl droppings to on the gift through her livestock save for the future. Sali recently
poultry business has increased and my children look healthy and fertilize their crops, which led to and knowledge. “I recently trained opened an account for her son,
We often say that chickens her annual income so far by 35% strong.” a 25 percent harvest increase in 10 women in the community and where she has saved 40,000 West
change lives for the farmers we to $1, 627. “I prefer the poultry New skills their off-season vegetables. They recorded the training and aired it African CFA francs, or about $65.
work with who struggle daily for business because it gives us money Before the project, Sali made also used money from the poultry over our local radio station that There are still challenges for Sali
sources of food and income— consistently without stress,” she peanut paste and occasionally business to purchase a machine for reaches about 7,000 members of to face, but she looks to the future
especially for women. said. volunteered at her community the peanut paste production. “The the community,” she said. with hope and determination to see
But how? Better nutrition radio station. Then, the project peanut business, which I scaled Despite representing half her goals through.
Salimata Drame, or Sali for short, Sali reports that she has seen a gave her three hens and one rooster. up with income of the poultry the population, women are “I hope to support my husband to
is one example. Heifer was able to significant improvement in her With no prior skills in poultry business, accounts for 10 percent disproportionately affected by build a decent house for the family
help her kick-start her own poultry family’s nutrition since she started farming, Sali lost one of the three of my annual earnings,” Sali said. hunger and poverty and their and educate my children to the
business, which has transformed raising chickens. They eat eggs hens. However, the other two “This poultry business is giving underlying causes. Learn more highest level,” she said. “However,
her family and community in whenever they want, and they have hatched 12 chicks. She soon had 13 my life added shape.” about how Heifer helps empower one has to be persistent, learn,
Senegal. Here’s how Sali says her chicken weekly instead of monthly, birds. Invigorated by this progress, Perks for the whole women around the world right practice and scale up.”
life has changed since starting her like before. “Before the project, we Sali invested in 25 more chicks community here. Thanks to Heifer International for
business: were mostly eating rice, and we and soon her flock had grown to This project has not only been Next Sali hopes to step up letting us share Sali and Mbene’s
More money seldom ate more than two meals a 50 birds. Sali’s newly obtained beneficial for Sali’s family, but for production to meet demand, as stories with you.
Before the project, Sali’s annual day,” she said. “We have a variety livestock and skills combined with the entire community of Pata, as it there are times when people come

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