Setbacks Experienced by The Impoverished: Xiati’s Chickens

Our Chicken Farming Program aims to help families increase their financial income to support their children’s education and increase their quality of life. Our goal is to help families earn an additional CNY 3,000 – 6,000 (USD 420 – 840) annually through raising chickens.

Xiati Mefeizu is the mother of a family of six: herself, her husband, two sons, and two daughters in their government-subsidized home. She and her husband are the main income earners in the family. They make money through farming in their 8 mu (1.3 acres of land) where they grow potatoes, buckwheat, and corn. They also raise some livestock for additional income. In other countries, this much land may mean that a family is doing well—but in this part of the world, 1.3 acres of land is not much and is rather common for families in rural China. With their farming and animal husbandry work, Xiati’s household makes CNY 14,000 annually (USD 1,392).

To say that an annual income like that for a family of six is insufficient—is a gross understatement. Her three children are still in development ages, the oldest in first grade and the two others in preschool and kindergarten. There is still a long way for these children to be financially independent, and they are expected to be supported for at least a decade more.

When we asked about their annual expenses, we expected that it is way bigger than their annual income. However, we did not expect a whopping CNY 160,000 (USD 22,084)! Most of the expenses are due to Xiati’s Husband’s stomach issues which required seven hospital visits this past year alone. Over the past few years, his medical expenses have totaled CNY 300,000 (USD 41,407), partially shouldered by her in-laws. Illness is what keeps the poor in the same cycle of poverty in China. Many families fall into deep debt or spend all their hard-earned money on a family member’s healthcare. On top of this, their other expenses include school fees for the children, daily living costs, fertilizers, seeds, and social obligations.

When we visited Xiati’s home, it was a cold month. We first saw her and her daughter warming themselves by the fire, while her other daughter had a book in her hands, quietly reading. It could be the cozying effect of the cold season that created such a harmonious family image, but the family seems to be genuinely comfortable in each other’s presence.

Xiati invited us to sit with her by the fireplace to talk about the Chicken Farming Project. In the past, we gave her 20 chickens, all of which are still alive and healthy—with the largest fowl weighing about 5 kilograms. She told us of an interesting way she raised these chickens to prolong their lifespans. Xiati feeds them with potatoes and uses the family’s traditional free-range farming method. Although we taught her to raise them differently in the workshop, she said she raised them in a way she is more familiar with because of her difficulty understanding the training materials we sent. She had little schooling and had trouble with literacy. We appreciate her candor and commend her for trusting her gut instincts. Our methods are simply guides especially for those who are beginners in chicken farming, and not end-all-be-all rules for growing chickens.

Xiati plans to sell the chickens once they are fully grown, as her husband’s medical condition has prompted her to save money for future treatments. She also expressed her hope that her children will study hard and one day leave the mountains. She does not want them to face the same challenges she has faced due to lack of education.

That wish is not too far-fetched. As we observe Xiati’s eldest daughter, we know that there will be a bright future ahead of them. The girl is exceptionally sensible and mature for her age. At just seven years old, she helps her mother with household chores and frequently assists in chicken farming. Our help to increase their household income could help the children gain better opportunities through education, hopefully, and someday—breaking the cycle of poverty in the Mefeizu home.

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