Since the beginning of Cultivalia Senegaal’s activity, one of the main problems detected was the lack of protein in the diet of the Senegalese rural population. Although our activity is oriented towards agriculture, the women’s associations in the villages where we work requested training and financial support to develop a small-scale poultry farming project, with the double objective of feeding their own families and obtaining a source of income.
The women’s associations, with the collaboration of the entire community, have managed to adapt community spaces as pens for broiler chickens. During the training sessions, an expert in the sector provided them with information on suppliers, animal health and nutritional needs, and possible markets for surplus produce. Cultivalia Senegaal provided them with the necessary financial resources to carry out the first campaign, which was a resounding success and with which they more than recovered the money invested.
Currently, the three chicken farms are operating at full capacity, with spectacular results and a high degree of satisfaction on the part of the women of the three villages. The project is totally self-sustainable, with the proceeds from the sale of surpluses in the local market, they have the money to support the next generation and still have enough left over, thus increasing their family income.
The project started in the first quarter of the year and during 2018 two complete cycles of breeding and consumption or sale could be completed.
During 2019, the women’s associations, with the support of Cultivalia Senegaal, have negotiated the transfer by the municipality of a sales space in the weekly market of Nguéniène, the largest in the region, to be able to sell the surpluses, both of poultry production and the processing of agricultural products.
Thanks to this project, we managed to improve the supply of basic nutrients for all the members of the beneficiaries’ families, while involving the women of the three villages in the work of Cultivalia Senegaal.