VSF-Suisse, with support from the Swiss Development and Cooperation Office at the Embassy of Switzerland in Juba, Republic of South Sudan is implementing a three-year project (PROWIGA), currently in its third year of implementation. The project aims at improving food security, nutrition, incomes, and Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) for households across several regions of the country.
In June 2023, in collaboration with the State Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries, the project provided support to over 500 vulnerable households by distributing more than 3,000 hybrid chickens, primarily benefiting to women, youth, and individuals with special needs in Juba.
Dorcus Isaiah, a resident of Kapuri village in Luri Payam, Juba County, is one of the champions of the project. Mrs. Isaiah, 44 years old, is a mother of six children. Despite coming from a humble background, she and her husband work hard to support their family, engaging in quarrying and small-scale cultivation. She told us her moving story:
„Life in Kapuri is okay, except for the times when NGOs come to support vulnerable people in the community. I am always sidelined and not considered or even registered for reasons I don’t understand. One day, the information person of the chief announced the VSF-Suisse project, stating that they are looking for vulnerable people from the community, such as widows, orphans, the elderly, women, and youths, to be supported with ‘kuroiler’ chicken. I was excited and hoped to be considered for the first time. I went to the registration point; however, as usual, I was not registered. So, this time, I said to myself, ‘I will not keep quiet.’ I complained to one of the women leaders and left home feeling sad and discriminated against, as always.“
„I kept praying and praying while going back home. The following day, the women leader informed me to go to the registration point. The complaint was presented to VSF-Suisse staff, and after thorough discussions, the team decided to register me. I was registered, and one month later, I received 5 chickens, I immediately put them inside my rokuba[1]. I said, ‘No matter what, you will not die because I want to make a difference in my life and that of my family.’ This made me feel happy for the first time in my life“, continued Mrs. Isaiah.
Mrs. Isaiah asked her husband to help her with building the poultry enclosure, but unfortunately, he couldn’t find the time to do so. As a result, she decided to go ahead and construct a temporary structure utilizing locally available materials.
„Four months down the road, customers started asking to buy my chickens. I hesitated because the chicks meant a lot to me. However, in December 2023, a man came all the way from Juba and purchased two of my roosters. I told him each rooster is 50,000 SSP (CHF 27) and he did not negotiate but bought the roosters immediately. I was thankful and replaced these roosters by buying more from the market centers “, explained Mrs. Isaiah.
„I bought 5 more chicks to add to the remaining 3, and I kept rearing them. These chickens could lay more than 30 eggs in a month, which I sell each egg today for 1500 SSP (CHF 0.80). Many people like the eggs. I now have over 70 chickens. I also use manure from my poultry farm in my vegetable farm, which has boosted my vegetable production. My family now eats a balanced diet with poultry, eggs, and my vegetables. As you can see, we are all healthy! My children are going to school, and if they lack anything, I buy it for them, reducing the burden on my husband “, beamed Mrs. Isaiah.
Her husband now supports her with the business. He helps to get the feed, medicine, and sometimes cabbage for the chickens. When asked about the challenges she encounters in raising chickens, Dorcus explains that she has faced several difficulties such as snakes killing 10 out of 20 chickens she bought after selling the first two chickens, thieves in the neighborhood, and unexpected death of the chickens, especially with the new stock of 40 birds she bought from Juba. Dorcus is currently the secretary of the VSLA group comprising 20 women and youths in Kapuri. Since July 2024, the group has met four times and has saved 174,500 SSP (CHF 95).
„My advice to other women and community members who haven’t gone far with school like me is to never despise or take things for granted. The dirty, tiring jobs like what I’m doing can actually change our lives. I do give thanks to the VSF-Suisse team, the donor, and the community of Kapuri at large for supporting me. If it weren’t for the 5 chickens, I wouldn’t be where I am now. I promised myself that I have to make a different story for those people who didn’t want me to be given chickens “, she concluded.
[1] a hut/small house
MEAL/Gender Officer
South Sudan
