In Zimbabwe, 25 Chickens Change a Life

The United Women in Faith Poultry Project helps Stella Nyaude grow a business, buy livestock, and become economically independent.

Poultry projects clearly have life-changing potential for women in rural settings. Recently, in the Marange District of the United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, Regional Missionary Finda Quiwa and the Zimbabwe Training for Transformation team visited Stella Nyaude and her family to assess the impact of the United Women in Faith-sponsored poultry project. From expanding her business to diversifying her income sources and planning ahead, Nyaude embodies the entrepreneurial spirit that these projects aim to inspire.

Nyaude began by expressing her gratitude to United Women in Faith and the country teams. She detailed how she initially received 25 broiler chicks along with the feed to raise them. With this first batch, she sold all the chickens with minimal losses. Using her proceeds, she purchased a second batch and a goat. After selling the second batch, she bought another batch of chickens and a second goat. Profits from the third and fourth batches funded her attendance at a women’s church convention and covered her children’s school expenses. The profits from the fifth batch, combined with her savings from previous batches, enabled her to buy a cow – her largest investment to date from the project’s proceeds.

To further invest her earnings, Nyaude joined a women’s annual savings group, wherein members deposit money throughout the year to buy groceries collectively. Her deposits came from the growing profits of her poultry projects, which have expanded with each successive batch. Her success reached the point where she was responsible for providing chickens for her church and community’s Easter revival this year.

A Brighter Future

On a personal level, Nyaude described numerous improvements resulting from the United Women in Faith-sponsored project. Although the initial gift began later in her life, it significantly enhanced her daily living and gave her a brighter future. Within one year, she transitioned from relying on her husband for basic groceries to purchasing most of them independently. She went from being unable to meet financial obligations within her church or women’s conference to comfortably contributing to church activities and attending conferences with other women.

She felt that the words “happiness and contentment” best captured her feelings about the project’s impact. Nyaude’s husband joined in thanking United Women in Faith as the project has uplifted their family status in their community. Since they now get manure from the chickens, goats, and cows, they are able to begin an organic garden which thrives and creates more income. This in turn improves the community.

Youth Chair

Nyaude also serves as the youth chair in her District Ministry with Women, Children, and Youth. Empowerment from United Women in Faith has transformed so many lives within the district. Many women who have received chickens have followed similar paths, diversifying their incomes and reinvesting their earnings. Stella Nyaude exhibits clear proof that women’s empowerment leads to excellence in leadership.

On behalf of United Women in Faith, Finda Quiwa congratulated the Nyaude family on the project and wished them well. She encouraged them to keep using their hands to continuously empower themselves, their families, and their communities.

Patience Chapata works as a Zimbabwe-based writer for United Women in Faith’s Zimbabwe Country Team.

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