Smiles all round at Mbelopa
Members of the Mbelopa church group are successfully breeding ducks and chickens with the help of the Community Livelihood Improvement Project (CLIP).
After assisting the group, located in Hela Province, with the construction of a poultry breeding facility, the CLIP team delivered improved breeding stock of ten ducks and ten chickens for the group to commence nurturing and breeding.
Following the delivery, the CLIP team worked with local group members to deliver training sessions in good poultry management.
Three months later the first ducklings began to hatch - the first ‘new arrivals’ of any CLIP breeding programs across Project locations within Southern Highlands and Hela Provinces.
Regular visits from the CLIP team and refresher training remained ongoing after the hatchlings arrival to ensure the group members could demonstrate the skills learnt in good poultry management. During this period, group members were advised and mentored on the construction of their own poultry shelters in their home gardens.
The next step in the program was to distribute ducklings to members to begin their own breeding programs at home.
The group leaders and members established a set of criteria for eligibility to receive ducklings which included a physical inspection to ensure the shelters met the same standards set by CLIP during the establishment of the group's breeding facility.
Eight group members were the first recipients of a total of eleven ducklings and are now raising them within their own shelters. The group will continue to raise ducklings and chicks as they hatch and provide them to their members for breeding.
The Mbelopa church group is the first major success under the CLIP poultry training program, with additional groups now taking steps toward building their poultry breeding amongst their members.