“I will take very good care of these chickens” – The beginning of an animal pass-on loan
In the EU-funded Food and Nutrition Security project, Humana FPP is handing out 4,000 chickens and 4,000 ducks as well as 100 pigs and 150 goats. The animals are handed out to farmers under the pass-on loan scheme: Participating families commit to giving the young from their animals’ first litter to other families in their communities. These families, in turn, will do the same when their animals reproduce. In this way, the benefits of the new livestock are shared with a growing number of people over time. While initially a total of 1,700 families receive animals from the project, by the end of 2020 at least 2,500 families will benefit.
Mr Bounme Sengouthai, 59 years old, from Ban Phousaat in Khounkham District has just received chickens. He shares his experience:
“My family is big; we have seven children. I was interested in signing up for a Farmers’ Club because I like to learn in a group, and I would like to learn from the project. I am very happy now that I have received five chickens from the project. In a Farmers’ Club discussion meeting a few months ago, I asked for getting chickens, and now I have them. I trust FPP because they actually do what they say they will. I will take good care of these chickens because I will give the new chicks as pass-on loans to other families in my village in the coming months.”