CHICKENS TO CHANGE LIVES

CHICKENS TO CHANGE LIVES

ICI was able to support two young widowed mothers (sisters), one mother with three kids and the other with two. ICI started a poultry farm for both families, suppling them with cages and 35 chicks each. We want people, whom we sponsor, to learn a profitable trade, rather than relying on handouts. Most societies in the developing countries are not rich enough to provide people with a “basic income” without a work requirement.

We have learned a simple lesson through experience. The poor generally have good investment opportunities but little access to capital. If you bless them with capital, they tend to invest it, work more (not less) and raise their earnings. Poultry farming is one of the sustainable projects that we invest in to empower women.

If you were living on $2 or less a day, what would you do to improve your life? This is a real question for the nearly 1 billion people living in extreme poverty today.  We have met people who raise chickens.  We have learned a lot about the ins and outs of owning chickens. It’s pretty clear to us that just about anyone who’s living in extreme poverty is better off if they have chickens. They are easy and inexpensive to take care of. Many breeds can eat whatever they find on the ground.

Chicken farming empowers women. Because chickens are small and typically stay close to home, many cultures regard them as a woman’s animal, in contrast to larger livestock like goats or cows. Women who sell chickens are likely to reinvest the profits in their families.  Our evidence shows that when women control money, they are more likely than men to spend it on priorities that help fight poverty, like education, health, and nutrition.

If you would like to be part of this great work, you can contact us on +612 47226970.

You can make tax deductible donations to support similar humanitarian work through Imagine Compassion International Ltd (ICI).