Where have your donations been spent this year?
This year, funds raised have been spent on our Mozambique project which supports HIV and AIDS affected households through vaccinated village chickens.
Over 1.6 million adults and children in Mozambique live with HIV, with women making up an estimated 58% of the infected population (1). With the lack of resource access, education, economic empowerment and high levels of poverty, violence and socio-cultural norms, women are much more vulnerable to infection and the resulting effects of contracting HIV (2).
Thanks to many generous donations, KYEEMA has been able to help 240 of the most vulnerable households affected by HIV and AIDS in six villages of the Marracuene district.
Newcastle disease is one the primary killers of village poultry, and vaccination against the disease is one of the key ways to ensure that chickens provide ongoing economic support to vulnerable households.
The increased availability of chicken meat and eggs and income from chicken and egg sales will allow for households to purchase more diverse and nutritious food. What KYEEMA loves about chickens is that not only can they reduce malnutrition, but income from chicken and egg sales is often spent on sending children to school and other vital household needs.
1. UNAIDS
2. The World Bank: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTGENDER/Resources/Chap7.pdf
With project funds, Kyeema has also trained 36 volunteers from local NGOs in Marracuene as community vaccinators against Newcastle disease. As at March 2018, community vaccinators had vaccinated 18,056 chickens in 1,717 households (56.9% being female headed households), earning an average income of 269.7 MZN per campaign over 3-5 days for themselves in the process. In May, it was reported that from the 68 hens given out in the district in March, 891 chicks have been born.
Meet Mr. Figueiredo (left) who cares for his 6 year old granddaughter (right), whose mother died some time ago. Mr. Figueiredo is here with the technician from Health, Women and Social Welfare Services (middle).
Meet Mrs Arminda Alfanete Manhica, full time carer for her 4 grandchildren.
“My name is Arminda Alfanete Manhiça; I am living in Possulane village, Maracuene district, with my husband and four grandchildren of 16, 13, 10 and 7 years old respectively, who are mother orphans. The grandchildren’s father abandoned them before my daughter’s death and he is not looking for the kids. My 16 years old granddaughter stopped studying in 7th grade because I cannot afford tuition and school materials. I am lucky to be one of the beneficiaries of this project because my husband and I are unemployed and apart from farming, when the harvest is not good, we do not have means to support the kid’s needs.
In September 2017, I received four chickens (three hens and one rooster) and now I have three hens, one rooster and seventeen chicks of which ten were hatched in November 2017 and vaccinated and the other seven chicks were hatched in January and have not yet been vaccinated. Fortunately, until now all the chicks are alive. I think that the chicken numbers will increase even more because they are being vaccinated against Newcastle disease. In the month of December 2017, the vaccinator come to vaccinate my chickens and I paid 14 meticais, being 1 metical per chicken vaccinated. I am very grateful to this project.”
Left: One of the newly trained vaccinators visiting households to vaccinate chickens.
Middle: The vaccine is delivered by one drop in the eye. It is the most reliable, economical and easy way of making sure each chicken is protected against Newcastle disease.
Right: One of the chicks hatched by a hen distributed to Mr. Figueiredo, beneficiary of Mali village. Mr. Figueiredo keeps the chicks in a small box and feed them with vegetables and corn bran.
KYEEMA is incredibly proud of the impact made in the Marracuene district. Thanks for helping making it possible!
#kukuforthegirl #buildtheflock #chickens4africa
