Nechety Hora and her poultry project
Nechety Hora lives in Angetok Kebele, Dibate Woreda of Ethiopia and is the sole supporter of her 6 children, ages 8 to 20.
Nechety’s household generates its livelihood from a combination of crop and livestock production. However, the 500 to 600 kg of food crops Nechety harvests annually from her small plots of land are not enough to support her family year round. As a result, the family often suffers from a shortage of food. Nechety used to have only 3 egg-laying chickens which provided little to supplement her household income. Then the Benishangul Gumuz Food Security and Economic Growth Project (BSG FSEG) distributed improved chickens to partner farmers. Nechety was given six young hens and participated in 3 days of training on improved poultry production and management.
Nechety put the chickens and training into action, and her and her family’s lives have started to get better. She is now able to sell enough eggs to earn about $17 in the span of just 6 weeks. This is a significant improvement. When asked about the project’s impact on her life, Nechety explains, “I am happy that I can feed my children eggs. They are simple to prepare and don’t take much time to cook. Eggs are the most delicious food and I could easily eat them when I was sick. With the additional income, I am able to pay some of my children’s school fees and my family’s medical fees. The income also helps to cover household expenses.”
Poultry projects are proving to be an excellent source of income for particularly poor female-headed households. Nechety Hora’s account is just one of the many success stories reported among 44 farmers (29 female) who have been supported by the project through income-generating activities. Considering the poultry project’s contribution towards increasing income and food security at the household level, its success is one that warrants expansion to additional households.
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Nechety is being supported through the Benishangul Gumuz Food Security and Economic Growth Project in Ethiopia. A project that supports communities in Ethiopia to grow more food, improve agricultural productivity and engage in sustainable income-generating activities in an effort to improve their food security and economic well-being. With financial support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the project is a unique partnership between Government of Ethiopia and six Canadian NGOs: Save the Children Canada, Food for the Hungry, World Vision Canada, Oxfam Canada, Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief, the Canadian Hunger Foundation and the International Network of Bamboo and Rattan.