My story
In 2020, approximately half the population of Zimbabwe faces extreme poverty due to the combined effects of increase in the price of basic necessities, economic contraction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and poor harvests.
How Microlend helped
Microlend Australia funded the establishment of a chicken farm for a family in Harare, Zimbabwe in November 2020. With an initial loan of $1,000 USD the family has built a self-sustaining business.
The business now generates sufficient profit to provide groceries for three families, pay electricity and and water bills, cover transportation costs for the 350km journey from Harare to Gokwe, and fund a students’ school tuition.
The family has made inspirational success of the business despite facing a number of challenges. From the outset the family was sold the incorrect type of chicken, unknowingly receiving smaller ‘free-range’ chickens instead of the larger ‘broiler’ chickens (which are specifically raised for meat). Fortunately the family was able to sell the free-range chickens to recoup much of their initial outlay and replace them with broiler chickens.
Disappointingly, thieves broke into the family’s property and stole a number of chickens as well as farming equipment. Tragically two members of the family were lost to COVID-19.
The resilience shown by the family has fostered growth prospects for the farm. In addition to the initial chickens of the original farm, the family has established a smaller ‘backyard farm’ that increased capacity from 50 to 75 chickens, and is planning to accommodate 200 chickens in the future.
