Since 2023, we have helped 445 families with our Chicken and Pig Farming Program in China. 

As our 2025 program just wrapped up in December, we are happy to report that 180 families across rural China have been given sustainable livelihoods! After ten months of hands-on training, mentorship, and monitoring, our beneficiaries gladly use this additional income stream to support their households and, most importantly, their children’s education. 

 

Several individuals joyfully holding bags of food, showcasing community support and sharing.
A few of our farmers and their families receiving small incentives like cooking oil and household items to help keep morale high and encourage ongoing engagement in the program.

 

From March to December 2025, 90 chicken farmers and 90 pig farmers joined our structured training sessions. After these training sessions, we provided them with on-the-ground support to maximize their successes in this endeavor. There are some early challenges that first-time livestock farmers typically encounter, such as losing young pigs and chickens due to extreme weather conditions and unsupervised free-range practices. We recognize this, so we also added targeted coaching, refresher training, and regular home visits to the program. The result? Our livestock farmers improved their feeding, housing, and animal care practices. 

 

A bustling classroom scene with children and adults participating in learning and collaboration.
All families, village leaders, and the project team regularly meet to reflect on their progress.

 

These two programs are designed to support vulnerable households across rural China. We particularly encourage women with limited formal education to join our program to equip them with practical skills and provide them with a reliable source of financial security. As a result, the mothers were typically accompanied by a more literate family member, like their children. 

The results? They speak for themselves. 

By the end of the program, the livestock survival rates were staggeringly high. We only lost: 

  • 9 out of 1,800 chicks
  • 3 out of 180 piglets 

This survival rate is impressive because even the aforementioned factors that cause livestock deaths were surpassed. These numbers show that not only are the livestock of higher quality, but also that our participants were truly dedicated to applying what they have learned from our trainings. 

 

A group of farmers in a classroom, sitting at desks and looking at a screen for a lesson or presentation.
Both chicken and pig farmers underwent 3 formal training rounds (initial, midterm, final) led by a breeding expert.

 

And the incomes? 

  • CNY 66,530 (USD 9,631) Chicken Farming
  • CNY 139, 810 (USD 20,239) Pig Farming 

For the first cycle alone! 

On average, participants can earn 

  • CNY 3,000 to 6,000 (USD 420–840) from Chicken Farming and
  • CNY 5,000 8,000 (USD 700–1,120) from Pig Farming

While farming takes time and may not immediately let them earn “quick cash”, investing effort in these livestock helps them with long-term sustainability. 

 

Two pictures of people with chickens and one of a person happily standing beside a pig on a farm.
Two of our many successful chicken and pig farmers this 2025.

 

Beyond Income

Apart from the obvious financial benefits that this program brings, another intangible value from the program is the meaningful knowledge and change in practice. They have shifted from traditional methods to efficient and modern farming practices that increase the mortality rates of livestock. Many have formed informal peer support and knowledge-sharing networks to encourage each other to continue growing their small businesses. We are pleased to see that our beneficiaries have built communities of their own.

All 180 farmers have chosen to continue their farming activities even after we ended the program! This 100% continuation rate helps cement our program’s relevance, and it remains as proof that it truly has long-term potential. 

Chicken Farming Program China Pig Farming Program