POULTRY INVESTMENT
Goal: Protein has an obvious value, but raising chickens on a sustainable and efficient basis can be problematic in Sierra Leone. Veterinarian services are unaffordable, and the capital costs for an individual starting such a business can be challenging. This isn't a great example of development. On the other hand, the community benefit and restrictions we are placing on this project will make it a worthy experiment.
Community Benefit: The local availability of eggs, to be sold in the Rochen area and to be sold at Mile 91 (five miles away), benefit all in many ways. If sustainable, excess revenues can be used to support other investments and community projects.
Recipient Requirements:
CIP will be the recipient, owning the poultry project and managing it as well. They are required to use local materials whenever possible, and to use imported materials only if it can be purchased with revenues generated from the sales.
Capital Costs:
Construction of two buildings made almost entirely of local materials
1. Initial Grant from the FAO - Le 5,000,000
2. Investment from CIP - Le 4,000,000
Total investment - Le 9,000,000
Operating Costs:
Costs will include feed, labor and maintenance. Details are available if you are interested.
Potential Revenue:
An egg can be sold for Le 400. The facility has the potential of producing 18,000 eggs/year for a potential gross revenue of Le, 7,200,000
A facility will also produce native fertilizer with a potential value of Le 1,000,000/year
Annual potential revenue - Le 9,200,000
Loan Details/Concerns:
Replication is the biggest concern. This is a significant investment, so the concern is to understand what portions of this project can be replicated. Possibly the experience of rearing chickens, and the funds raised, could sponsor the experimentation of local methods of raising chickens at a more modest level.
Goal: Goats are a means of accumulating wealth, giving people the ability to pay for more expensive items or services while protecting their investment in the mean time. Goats replicate themselves, thereby paying a "dividend" to their owner. Goats produce native fertilizer if kept in a "goat house" at night, making the collection efficient and achievable. The decade-long war decimated the goat population, putting individual farmers back to "square one." Investing in livestock hopes to rebuild the available population, make fertilizer readily available and help individuals rebuild their savings (all at a profit).
Please see the video about goat houses by clicking here
Community Benefit: Lending to individuals to help build wealth benefits the community in many ways. If individuals have the means of saving, the community will have the means of building infrastructure.
Recipient Requirements: In order to qualify for a goat loan, a recipient must first build a goat house. This shows their dedication and commitment to the investment.
Capital Costs:
Five Goats @ Le 150,000/goat = Le 750,000/farmer
Operating Costs:
None.
Potential Revenue:
Goats produce offspring at the rate of about 1 each year.
The fertilizer available also has substantial value.
Loan Details:
A farmer is loaned four females and one male goat. At the end of the first year, they have to pay back three goats. At the end of the second year, they have to pay back four goats. They received five and pay back seven. One of the "interest" goats goes to an individual who manages the program. The second "interest" goat goes to CIP to increase their assets.
The six goats now owned by CIP will then be loaned to another farmer.
