Ms. Nansamba Christine is an active member of the Kiringente Epicenter and is proud to be one of the first partners of The Hunger Project (THP)-Uganda in her village. Here, she narrates her success story.
“My fortunes began when I became a member of KFFI SACCO (Kiringente’s Savings and Credit Cooperative Society) where I got a loan of UGX300,000 (US$131) to start a poultry unit of 150 chickens in 2007,” explained Ms. Christine. She noted, however, that the beginning was not easy. “With support from THP-Uganda and the Animator Trainings I attended, I started to realize my vision and put in more effort and resources. I got an additional loan of UGX500,000 (US$218) from the Rural Bank and increased my poultry to 1,750 layers and 500 broilers.
To date, Nansamba has set up a semi-permanent poultry house which can house more than 1,000 chickens. She now plans to expand the business slowly as she studies the market and developes a plan for managing a larger number of animals.
Nansamba, a model in her village, works in advising other women on how to manage and market their produce. She was trained at the epicenter as an animator leader and attributes most of her success to the Vision, Commitment and Action Workshops (VCAWs) that “opened her eyes” at a time of personal resignation. “Microfinance Program trainings have empowered me to be what I am today.”
Prior to partnering with THP-Uganda, Nansamba was dependent upon her husband for everything. Despite being unhappy, she felt incapable of changing her situation. During this time, her children had inadequate schooling and were often without proper clothing. “My husband earned very little to meet our household needs. When I started attended VCAWs, I developed business ideas and started my poultry unit.”
Now, with a sale of 25 trays of eggs on a weekly basis, Nansamba is able to earn a weekly income of UGX137,500 (US$60). Recently, they sold 450 broilers at UGX5,000 (US$2.18), each fetching UGX2,250,000 (US$983), which helped to boost the chicken business.
In addition to raising chickens, Nansamba is now able to farm beans and maize for food, which she stores in her granary. Part of the maize is milled to make chicken food. Additionally, she has three acres devoted to sweet potatoes and a pig sty with eight cross breed pigs. The sweet potatoes and the leaves supplemented with maize bran are fed to her pigs.
Profit from her newfound business allow her to provide school fees for their four children, and the ability to provide good meals for the family, supplemented with eggs daily and chicken on most weekends. Extra money is used to pay labor fees to workers helping in the maize and banana plantation. “Actually, we now have many friends who come to visit and learn from us, and my husband is happy with me as well,” said Ms. Nansamba.
Nansamba looks forward to setting up a bigger and more modern poultry unit to rear over 5,000 chickens. “I am completing the third cycle of the microfinance loan I took from our Rural Bank, and thereafter, I will take an individual loan of up to UGX2,000,000 (US$874), to acquire two heifers for milk production to be able to increase on our family income.”
Nansamba looks forward to continuing her partnership with THP-Uganda and plans on joining the project for domestic biogas production soon to be started at her epicenter.
October 15, 2010
