Crazy idea becomes reality

 

Following a family trip to India early last year, Maungaturoto Mum Juanita Ingham, together with India-domiciled friends, set about organising a chicken farming operation to employ, fund and feed the impoverished people of an Indian village.

Keeping tabs on such a scheme from afar has not been an easy task but the willingness of the village people towards success has kept things moving and Juanita now gives us an update of progress after recently returning from three weeks visiting the chicken farm in Manipur.

Juanita and three companions roughed it in temperatures ranging from minus-2 at night to 18 degrees during the day. Mud floor accommodation was simple but comfortable although the morning bucket shower in cold water was a shock to the system she said, though recognised the discomfort was really a small price to pay.

The farm has already raised and sold off the first 500 chickens and is now onto the second 500. Juanita notes with some pride that it was exciting to see a random dream become a reality.

“The profits from the first lot of chickens has helped buy a van which is used to take the chickens to the markets, transport the necessary chicken feed and also used by the villagers to get to medical facilities in the local town about 45 minutes drive away.”

The benefits of the poultry operation are also set to expand.

Always an ‘ideas’ person, while in the village Juanita had the brainwave to hire a digger and make a pond to raise ducks and farm fish. Although they take longer to grow, ducks are cheaper to feed than chickens, and their meat and eggs are very expensive to buy. The fish will be an extra source of revenue that requires very little work.

It has also been decided that future ongoing profits from the chickens will equip a medical supply outlet for the villagers.

“Villagers are often suffering unnecessarily due to the lack of basic medical supplies such as antibiotic creams and panadol,” says Juanita, “so our aim is to subsidise these expenses and encourage people to seek treatment when they are sick. Sadly in the past six months, at least one baby and two mothers have died leaving behind family who are now struggling to meet basic needs.”

During this visit the group organised three health seminars sharing a wide range of health issues and remedies, many of which seem basic to us but which have far reaching effects in an over-crowded society. Kidney infections and stomach pains were high on the list of discussions.
“We also ended up giving basic lessons on puberty and menopause,” she said, “and all this through an excellent interpreter who later said that he also had learnt a lot too.”

In the next couple of months the farm will be able to employ several people from the village, initially widows and widowers who are struggling to put food on the table for themselves and their children.

The villagers are mostly rice farmers who rely on the weather each year so it is hoped that the chickens, ducks and fish will help subsidise future food sources.

“My dream,” says Juanita “is that in a year or so, this village will be in a position to assist other villages in establishing a chicken farm so the cycle will continue on.”

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