Launch a Dream—Give a Chicken

Shafiq is a man in rural Uganda who was given a “dream launcher”—and it’s changed everything for him and his family. 

Let us explain… 

 

Shafiq was at his breaking point trying to support his family of 16 through growing crops, but their land wasn’t big enough to produce both the food they needed and surplus enough to sell and support the family. He wanted to rent more land but had no money to do that. 

 

Then Shafiq was given 10 chickens from Bright Hope. Within a month, they were laying eggs and multiplying. He divided the eggs so that some were sold, some were eaten by the family, and some were left to mature and hatch and increase the number of his flock. 

In only about six months after the chickens began laying eggs, Shafiq was able to sell 20 chickens. Now he’s been able to raise enough money to rent the land he needed to increase his farming, buy seeds for planting, feed his family, and pay for his children to go to school. 

“We have named our chickens ‘dream launchers.’ They have helped us launch our dream of educating our children. We never lack seeds for our garden and we are able to make a source [of income] out of their eggs and boost nutrition in our home,” Shafiq told us.

 

Dream launchers. We think this is awesome. We love how something as seemingly insignificant as an inexpensive chicken has the potential to change a life—not just for one person, but for an entire family.

Chickens really are a “gift that keeps on giving.” Why? Because when the chickens begin to reproduce, some offspring are given to another family. Then, when their chickens start to reproduce, some offspring are given to another family…and on and on the cycle continues! The impact is exponential!

How does the chicken project work? We know you may have some questions, so here are the answers to some of your most Frequently Asked.

+ Where do we distribute chickens?

Uganda and Zambia—though we might be expanding to other countries soon!

+ How many chickens does a person get?

10 chickens

+ How do we decide who receives the chickens?

Our partner churches choose families that are the most destitute, but who are also willing to invest time and effort into an income-generating venture like raising chickens. 

+ How are the chickens housed and cared for?

The chickens are free-range chickens. That means they are free to roam during the day and just need a coop to keep them safe at night. Each family is free to construct the shelter however they want—sometimes it will be made of wood, while other times it may be made of mud.

+ How are the chickens fed?

Because these are free-range chickens, they roam and find their own food. However, some families grow corn and when it’s ground to flour, the husks are used as chicken feed to supplement what the chickens are finding on their own.

+ How old are chickens that we distribute? What types of chickens are they?

The chickens are usually between four and five months old, and they are a breed that can be used both for laying eggs and being raised for meat.

+ Do the recipients get training on how to care for the chickens?

Yes. Our in-country partners give farmers training on how to take care of their chickens. Additionally, they are also encouraged to form groups to share their experiences so they can learn and gain more knowledge from each other.

+ Do chickens need vaccines?

Yes, they do, and each family is responsible for vaccinating their own chickens. Having the families invest in their flock instills a sense of pride, ownership and responsibility as they are growing their flock, pulling themselves out of poverty and starting to live a better life!

+ Is there follow-up with the families who receive the chickens?

Yes. There are committees that are in charge of following up with the families. (And sometimes we even send our awesome reporter and photographer, Julius, to visit the families and capture the amazing transformation happening in their lives!)

We hope we covered your questions, but if you want to know more, don’t hesitate to email us at info@brighthope.org.

 

When we think about Shafiq, we smile with excitement at the way something as simple as chickens are changing the course of life for an entire family…and therefore probably future generations as well. We love playing a role in this story. 

 

You can be a dream launcher too! Give a chicken today and change a life forever.