Abo Mu’erza’s Chickens That Increase Quality of Life

Our Chicken Farming Program aims to help families increase their financial income, enabling them to better 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.

Abo Mu’erza, her son, and a staff member

One of our aid recipients, Abo Mu’erza (53), belongs to a farming household. She, her husband, and her three sons live in a government housing. Every day, she and her husband farm in their neighborhood while her three children go to school. Their hard work in the field allows them to grow potatoes, buckwheat, and oats. They also have two cows to milk and some chicks to grow. They earn about CNY 30,000 (USD 4,212) annually.

The main family expenses include the children’s school fees and daily living costs. The school fees and living expenses for the children amount to nearly CNY 20,000 (USD 2,808) per year, and daily living expenses amount to CNY 5,000 (USD 702) yearly. In total, the family spends approximately CNY 25,000 (USD 3,510) annually. Emergencies are unavoidable, and if they happen, their remaining income can get washed off too easily.

We visited Abo Mu’erza’s home to see if joining our Chicken Farming Program helped her family gain more household income. Upon entering her home, a dog barked continuously at us. Although the dog was chained, she still instructed her son to firmly hold the dog, afraid it would frighten us guests. Once the situation was settled, she led us to the chicken coop, where she grabbed two chickens to show us. The chickens appeared to be very lively and in excellent health.

Abo Mu’erza’s chickens

As we talked with her more, she mentioned that the distributed chicks were easier to raise compared to the ones her family usually kept. The chicks grew very quickly, gaining nearly five kilograms in just over two months. She also added that the survival rate was very high, with all twenty chicks thriving. The feed we provided with the chicks also made raising them much more convenient. Abo Mu’erza expressed her great happiness upon receiving the chicks, as she also thanked our foundation for this.

We asked her if she would continue raising chickens in the future, and she said definitely! She would apply the usual methods and techniques we taught her during the Chicken Farming training. She is determined to thrive with our support. Once the chickens are grown, she plans to sell them. The money she will raise will be used for her children’s education, and then to grow her chicken farming business. Hopefully, this will ease the financial burden in her family.

As we left Abo Mu’erza’s home, we felt infectious positive vibrations. Her words and actions show that she is considerate, warm, hospitable, and dedicated to her farming duties. We feel at ease because of her thorough plans for cultivating steady growth with our chickens and long-term goals. We are rooting for Abo Mu’erza and may she and her children live up to their full potential!

Abo Mu’erza and a staff member

Our thanks to ZURU and the Annual Shenzhen Charity Auction supporters for sponsoring this project. Interested in learning how you can support this project? Contact our CEO directly, andrewc@captivating.org, for more details. He’d love to hear from you.