Micro Finance Program

The past ten-year success of the village poultry program in Ghana has now captured the eyes of the nation as the government of Ghana has recently adopted this model in summer of 2012 and has launched their first micro-finance nationwide poultry program.

CHI is planning to expand and replicate the program in remote villages in Cameroon.

As a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the Sub Sahara, thousands of women and children are left without any support or any means by which to provide for their families. In addition to the thousands who have died from HIV/AIDS, the largest segments of people most affected are those who are left behind.  Women whose husbands have died from the affects of HIV/AIDS often lose their lands and property and are unable to provide for an education for their children.

Children’s Hope International, Inc. is committed to providing sustainable, small-holder businesses in order to help these women and children.  The income generated from a properly maintained and well run poultry barn can provide much needed income for village families who live below the level of poverty.  Our experience tells us that many of these poultry businesses, when properly maintained provides enough income to provide an education for one or more children annually.

Smallholder, village commercial poultry is oftentimes characterized by poor animal management practices largely in part to lack of proper knowledge and limited resources.  Consequently, village chickens are left to roam with no particular attention and interest as to where the birds sleep or how they feed.  As a result, having adequate egg production to sell in order to support a family as a source of ready income is nearly impossible.

Children’s Hope International, Inc. is proud to partner with Ghana Poultry Network to provide a turn-key sustainable, minority-owned, poultry business. This is done through a two part approach to sustainable, income producing businesses. The first phase is comprehensive training of sponsored beneficiaries in proper techniques of poultry housing, nutrition and poultry health care management.
The second phase is by providing a complete, turn-key, start-up poultry business.  All sponsored attendees will be provided the building supplies, medicines, feed and approximately 50 start-up chicks coupled with two weeks of in-depth training which will equip them to start and sustain their own small holder poultry project.  Follow up assessment is also provided for a four week post conference time frame. There are also monthly periodic visits conducted. This conference contains comprehensive training on timely topics of all aspects of Poultry development in the small holder environment.

This conference is conducted by a US/AID poultry consultant and veterinarian, Dr. Anthony Akunzule.  Dozens of women have already registered for this program hoping that someone will sponsor them.  The cost of sponsoring one woman beneficiary for this complete two week program is $1,000.00.