Mothers Agricultural Cooperative Project
In 2009, we launched our Mothers Agricultural Cooperative to empower mothers to raise supplemental funds and become self-sufficient in a sustainable manner by gaining skills in poultry farming. Chickens are relatively easy for families to take care of and require minimal upkeep. Additionally, the eggs produced offer numerous opportunities for families to improve nutrition and maintain a consistent source of income.
For the inception of the project, we selected 25 patients, who were mothers, in the village and provided each with ten chickens and one rooster. The eggs were sold, traded, or maintained until they hatched. Eggs that hatched into chicks were then raised and sold for income, eaten for sustenance, or kept to produce more eggs. This cycle would repeat for all subsequent generations of chickens. Some mothers earned enough money to purchase additional livestock such as goats or cows. From then on, they could sell milk, butter, and other products.
Financial breakdown(initial):
Total Cost: $1,800
Per family: $72
$5 per Chicken(10)
$7 per Rooster
$15 Chicken Coop
Since then, we have grown to 36 women in our Mothers Agricultural Cooperative. However, the prices of chickens/roosters and materials for the coops have increased significantly compared to the start of the initiative.
