Our Chicken Farming Program aims to help families increase their financial income, enabling them better to support their children’s education and overall well-being. We hope the families can earn a profit of CNY 3,000 to 6,000 [USD 424 to 848] annually.
We arrived at Jike Guxi’s (48) home through the lead of a school teacher in their community. In this part of China, it was quite challenging to navigate places without a guide. She let us in her humble home, and we started to chat.
After an hour of chatting, we learned that Jike has three school-aged children. Their family mainly relies on farming and poultry raising, and the financial burden is heavy. Fortunately, one of the children received support from an organization to attend a baseball training program in Beijing, which eased their financial pressure for a bit.
When we talked about the project’s impact, Jike shared how much she benefited from the training. She learned to feed the chickens three times a day using a new method: to soak the feed until it’s soft to aid digestion, especially for young chicks with delicate stomachs. As the chicks grew, they were gradually transitioned to a mix of cornmeal. This practical technique allowed all 20 to survive, with the largest now nearly 6 jin (~3 kg).
But it wasn’t all smooth-sailing for Jike, especially in the beginning. Initially, they were kept in an open, drafty area and fed the way she always had before. Ignoring the new guidance, she soon found the chicks becoming sick, with green droppings and are lethargic. Remembering what she had learned from the training, she moved the chicks to a warmer place, gave them clean water, and anti-diarrhea medicine. Within a week, they recovered and are now growing well. This experience made her realize how critical proper training is, and she expressed a strong desire to learn even more.
When asked about her future plans, her eyes lit up! She said the project not only provided chicks and feed but also offered valuable hands-on training. She fully intends to continue applying the feeding techniques she learned and is already thinking about applying the same methods to pig farming as well.
When discussing her children’s education, Jike Guxi said, “I didn’t go to school and don’t speak Mandarin. But I’ve seen the difference in my children thanks to the volunteer teachers from outside. Their habits, behavior, and even their language have changed—they can now speak Mandarin. That gives me hope. Even if it’s hard, I’ll do everything I can to make sure they stay in school. I don’t want them to grow up like me, knowing only Yi.”
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