Our chicken microenterprise project at the edge of the Amazon is changing lives for the better.
Samaritan’s Purse trains beneficiaries how to build and maintain chicken coops so that the chickens will grow at a healthy rate.
When Adolfo’s wife became ill, he knew he needed to find work closer to home so that he could care for her. But living on the edge of Bolivia’s Amazon Basin usually means that men in the region must often travel far away to find employment.
So it was an answer to prayer when Samaritan’s Purse began a chicken microenterprise project in Adolfo’s rural community of Puente Caimanes. Samaritan’s Purse identified local families in need and taught them how to raise laying hens and broiler chickens.
“The project is a blessing that the Lord has sent me.”
As project beneficiaries, Adolfo and his family received broiler chickens. Samaritan’s Purse staff taught Adolfo how to take care of the chickens so he could sell them locally.
“The project is a blessing that the Lord has sent me to give me the faith and strength to continue,” said Adolfo, 53. Now, he can earn income to provide for his wife and five children while staying close to home.
Proper food, light, shelter, and cleanliness are all factors in raising healthy chickens.
Adolfo’s dedication to the project soon led to his election as president of the local association for broiler chicken production, one of two microenterprise associations that Samaritan’s Purse has helped start as part of this project. These associations help unify beneficiaries and open doors for sales in more markets, thus turning a greater profit.
Already a recognized leader in his community and in surrounding villages, Adolfo was instrumental in establishing a poultry dressing center in his village.
“I know that it will generate economic stability for me and my family as well as for my community,” Adolfo said. Adolfo uses much of the income from the project to pay for his wife’s medical needs.
“It’s because of her that I dedicate almost every day to the construction of this dressing area and to the care of my chickens.”
