The Kuku Farm

   In August 2009, Moraa’s eldest son, Omari, a final-year civil engineering student at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology in Kakamega Town, Western Province, received a tender to supply 1000 t-shirts to his university. From this endeavor he was able to generate 50,000ksh (Kenyan Shillings). With this money, he built a corrugated-iron enclosure behind the orphanage, and purchased 200 one-day old chicks in February 2010. The plan was to start a chicken farm in order to create a consistent and reliable source of income for the orphanage.

Moraa with her eldest son Omari

   Unfortunately, one month later, around half the chicks died of infection, leaving behind 98 birds.    However, since implementing infection control techniques learned from an experienced chicken farmer, the birds have stopped dying. Daily precautions, such as adding disinfectant to the water, and placing a disinfectant tub at the entrance to the coop to disinfect the soles of the shoes, have brought  infection rates under control. The health of the poultry is also monitored by observing the color of the chicken droppings and the “alertness” of the birds every morning. An experienced veterinarian is called in to vaccinate the birds periodically, treat the chickens and give advice on poultry management as necessary.

   The eldest boys at the orphanage, ages 13-14, are trained to manage the farm. They feed the chickens every morning before they go to school, collect the eggs from the nesting boxes everyday to be sold to local shops in the nearby Ngong Town. Some of the eggs are also kept as a source of protein and meal supplementation. Today, the farm yields an average of over 60 eggs or 2 crates per day. Most of the profits are re-invested in the farm to buy chicken feed and to finish repaying debts previously accumulated from buying chicken feed on credit.

   The remaining profits are used to purchase some food for the orphanage, but are far from sufficient to help the orphanage become financially independent.

   With the viability of the current project Omari will finish paying his debts the week of August 16th, 2010. The kuku farm is supplying local retailers with fertilized eggs at 25ksh per egg and markets with unfertilized eggs at 7-8ksh per egg.