Our Work in Buka: From little things, big things grow!
Donor: Perpetual Impact Philanthropy Program
Partner: Hako Women’s Collective
Location: Buka, Bougainville
In Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, a small pilot has grown into a flourishing community-led movement.
With early support from PiCCA, we trained our first Master Farmer, a young mother named Jessica, and established a small farm as a community demonstration site. Since then, through expanded support from Perpetual Limited, the work has scaled rapidly.
Today, Jessica mentors 51 outgrowers in her village. Each is raising chickens for both home consumption and sale to households, markets, and in time, restaurants and hotels. The group is now working toward establishing a local poultry cooperative with the ambition to become the “egg basket of Bougainville.” The program is strengthening local food supply chains in a region where access to affordable protein is limited and childhood stunting remains a pressing concern.
The impact has caught the attention of decisionmakers. Bougainville’s Minister for Primary Industries, Hon. Peter Koles, recently pledged 50,000 kina to support the cooperative and expand market opportunities for smallholder poultry farmers.
This has all happened within just one year of implementation. Kyeema’s role is simple: provide the tools, training, and connections and let local leadership do the rest.
Building Inclusive Village Chicken Value Chains in Papua New Guinea
Donor: DFAT, Australian Cooperation Program (ANCP)
Location: Central Province
Kyeema’s work with Master Farmers and outgrowers in Papua New Guinea is strengthening food security, building resilient livelihoods, and creating income opportunities particularly for women. We are scaling a successful model that places knowledge, ownership, and leadership in the hands of local communities.
The village chicken program in PNG uses a Master Farmer (MF) and Outgrower (OG) model that promotes peer-led learning and local entrepreneurship. Each Master Farmer maintains a small breeding unit and trains a network of outgrowers in chicken husbandry, feeding, housing, and business skills. Outgrowers raise chicks to market weight and sell them locally with support from their Master Farmer to access buyers and improve practices.
Importantly, this model also reduces pressure on marine ecosystems by providing an alternative source of protein and income, supporting our broader nature-based efforts to restore coral reefs and coastal habitats. It’s a harmonious approach that connects land-based livelihoods with ocean conservation, ensuring both people and ecosystems thrive.
