Kidan Feleke had kept indigenous chickens for a while, but they did not produce many eggs. In the first part of our St Mathews Childrens Fund (SMCF) success series, Kidan tells her story of  how SMCF helped her change this.

When she became pregnant with her son Shawel, her family needed to find extra income to ensure her son grew up healthy and well. It was then that members of the community recommended her for training in poultry management, which is provided by JeCCDO thanks to funding from SMCF. After her training she was given a chicken and cockerel of an improved breed which lays more and bigger eggs, and help in building hen houses to keep her chickens safe from predators.

“Now I am trained I know better how to keep poultry and how to protect them.” By using a local chicken as a brood mother, she was able to hatch 18 chickens, which have then gone on the produce further chickens. “Every day I collect about 4 or 5 eggs, and when a hen stops laying; then we have a fowl for the pot.” Thanks to the eggs, Shawel has grown into a delightful and healthy two-year old who loves chasing the chickens round the family’s enclosed yard. Kidan also uses the eggs to sell, or to pass on to other neighbours who also want to keep chickens. “Five people now breed the improved poultry because I have been able to pass on my eggs and my knowledge too. Now the community has plenty of eggs for food or for income.”

Andrew one of the FMNA team will be running in the upcoming “Run To The Beat” half marathon in London (27th Sep. 2009 ) in aid of SMCF Ethiopia and also The Dublin Marathon on the 26th October 2009.

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