Food chama Rabbits ~ The Golden Plight

In 2021 Joyce Wanjiru, a single mother of four, residing at Mathare slums in Nairobi County, embarked on starting an animal rearing business courtesy of a loan she got from a food chama group. Having joined the group in June, 2020, Joyce had no source of income neither was she employed, she had tried everything to help her provide for the family, but things were not working untill when she got briefed by one of her friends about the food chama, and that's when her life started changing for the better.

Barely, a half a year into the group, Joyce successfully got a loan from the food chama and having weighed her options of investing she realized that she had to venture on a farm produce that did not need much of monetary investment. She decided for a start she would try and improve her animal rearing business, and so she took up rabbit and chicken farming as well, and this two as well as her membership in the unique food chama group have helped her to take care of her four children.

“At first I did not think that I would be able to withstand the agreed payments to the group, as I barely got enough money in a day to sustain my family in terms of basic commodities like food, especially in the difficult times we were in at that time. But after having received great encouragement by how my friend was managing, I decided to give it a try, and less than a year later, I'm here engaging in my rabbit and chicken business as well as having enough food for my children in the house at all times,” says Joyce.

Through proceeds from the chicken eggs, Joyce was able to pay the daily amount required of her to the chama without delaying.

"My children are also healthy as they also get some eggs for themselves and meat from the rabbits occasionally. At least I now can try and give them a balanced diet thanks to unique food chama." She adds. "I am very proud of being a member of this chama, because it has helped me a lot. Now my kids can rarely sleep without food unlike before I joined the chama when we could survive with only one meal a day."

At a cost Kes. 10 each, Joyce on a good day walks home with four hundred shillings courtesy of eggs sold from her chicken. And these enables her to even pay her target amount in the chama for the whole week and still be left with some little for her savings.

She adds that taking care of rabbits is not as difficult as taking care of chicken. But lucky for them that the food chama always invites experts to come and help them understand more about there respective businesses, this has helped her really prosper in her animal rearing business. There are a few steps one needs to take in order to get robust profit from this venture.

At least once every month, we always invite an expert from various specialities to help us improve on our businesses." Alice Njeri Unique food chama group chairperson said, "The area leadership led by our MCA and the food chama enactors team, have also helped us get the expert services without having to incurre costs at all. We're really proud of having this group."

Upon attaining the age period of between five to six months, the Californian rabbits are rendered suitable and old enough for the purposes of breeding. However, for the male rabbits, also known as the bucks, there readiness for breeding is one year old going forward. Understanding and adhering to these facts, is an assurity of a farmer being able to get the best quality products for the market and commercial production to be precise. Notably, in situations of breeding purpose, one should always go for healthy rabbits with appropriate body weight. As well as being able to provide nutritious feed and take special care to the pregnant female and breeding male rabbits. The development period of rabbits is about twenty eight to thirty days.

“Rabbit business is a very profitable venture since I did not need a lot of money to start it, their feed is really affordable and easy to get and the rabbits do not need much tending to as compared to rearing of other farm animals,” adds Joyce.

Joyce concludes by advising her fellow women residing in the informal settlements not to just depend looking for jobs but to adopt the food chama initiative which upon maturity is a big guarrantee for availability of enough food for their families as well a pathway to one securing options of having alternative sources of income such as farming either animal or crop and engaging in business like shops and even hotels. She intends to increase her animal rearing business but specifically on the rabbits as she has realized that the rabbits are easier and safer to deal with than the chickens.