From 300 layers, Manirareba earns million of francs from poultry

By Elias Hakizimana

Beatha Manirareba, young poultry farmers from Bugesera district is making a lot of money from 330 layers donated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The 3o year-old lady suffered from unemployment crisis after finishing her secondary school in 2012 and started looking for domestic jobs.

Manirareba has now saved about Rwf500million on her personal account, thanks to FAO’s project of promoting nutrition sensitive Agriculture Diversification to reduce poverty, fight malnutrition and enhance youth employment opportunities in eastern Africa that gave her the startup.

Manirareba said that since the inception of the project in 2014, she was given training, a well-built chicken kraal, feeders, equipment facilities and 33o layers.

 

In her own testimony, she is now assisting the community to address malnutrition and poverty through outcomes by poultry produce.

“I have made a significant step after suffering from unemployment crisis, I finished my secondary schools in 2012 and I started seeking for a job, unfortunately, I did not get any other job than domestic with minimized salary, this project came for intervention since 2014 and I was among the beneficiaries, they gave me 330 layers which I raised and they produced many eggs and I bought more hens, I saved Rwf5million on my account and I am now okay,” said Manirareba.

Manirareba said that she was selected among other secondary school finalists who were jobless.

She is now assisting his family and the community to fight poverty and malnutrition.

“I am at a good level as I manage to pay health insurance for my parents, I also grow goats, I plan to increase my layers to 1000 by 2019,” Manirareba said.

Despite some of her chicks died, she tried to buy some others and now she has 600. She said she cannot stop raising chicks, but encouraging other youth to try the project.

“I can earn around Rwf150,000 monthly after selling eggs, I pay four workers earning RWF8,000 per a month, and I give free eggs to my neighbours to feed their children,” said Manirareba.

The 3 year-project has been operating in Rwanda with laudable achievements where it contributed to youth employment, improved nutrition and agricultural diversification.

It operated in 4 districts which are Bugesera, Gakenke, Gisagara and Ruhango where 25 new young entrepreneurs (egg end-producers) and 200 selected female-headed households (egg end-producers were supported to establish small-scale egg production units.

Each beneficiary has therefore received a farmer kit comprising pullets, feeds, feeders, drinkers, vaccines and other drugs.

Beneficiaries have also been supported for the construction of poultry houses.

Other beneficiaries of the poultry component are private seed producers, feed producers, egg transformers and retailers as well as veterinary inputs dealers.

According to Alexis Ruzigana, FAO’s Assistant Representative Administration, the project benefited 225 beneficiaries in total including rural youth and women and 15 men underemployed from 18 to 44 years old in 200 rural vulnerable households to support them for eggs-production.

“The aim is to improve families’ nutrition by adding eggs to their diet, each group of women received 425 layers while individuals received 330 layers. In addition, the project supported the seed production to solve the vulnerability of poor quality seeds to sustain poultry value chain development,” said Ruzigana.