Nutrition among school going children in Migori County is expected to improve if a program meant to boost chicken production bears fruits.
Hutching Hope program manager Chris Webo on Wednesday said they will work with school management so that students and pupils are taught nutritional benefits of eating chicken meat and eggs.
Webo spoke during the signing of a formal engagement with Migori County Government in a Migori Hotel
According to him, children need to understand the health benefits of consuming poultry products and learn necessary skills of boosting chicken production, adding that schools with planned feeding programs are expected to gain more.
Webo noted that students trained on chicken rearing skills will transfer the same to their parents hence improve production and consumption of chicken products within Migori County communities.
The CBO manager said students who may not continue with further education after primary level can venture into poultry farming for they will already be possessing pertinent skills.
“Having students tutored on embracing poultry production and consumption will have far reaching chicken rearing culture within Migori communities,” Webo said.
Webo said they will initiate ‘Egg Eating Days’ in schools where empowered farmers will supply eggs at affordable prices on specific days in a week for each pupil.
He said the ‘Egg Eating Days’ programme in primary and secondary schools is meant to boost nutrition among pupils and also demystify certain taboos on eating eggs and chicken rooted in the communities.
According to the signed agreement between Migori County Government and Hutching Hope, more than 8,000 poultry farmers are targeted for training to escalate chicken rearing and consumption in Migori County in the next three years.
Poultry farmers will be taught how the poultry market system works and how to package their chicken products in a competitive business environment.
According to Webo, advantages of collective food selling in groups or cooperatives will be encouraged. Business management skills among the farmers will be among key areas to be emphasized.
Migori County Executive in Charge of Agriculture Valentine Ogongo, who signed the agreement on behalf of the county expressed confidence that the program will improve the economic lives of the locals.
Ogongo promised his department commitment to enable Hutching Hope and the chicken farmers deliver their expected results in Migori County.
Hutching Hope is a poultry programme funded by Heifer International implemented in four Nyanza counties of Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay and Migori.
By Geoffrey Satia
