Improving nutrition and revenues

The project aimed to improve the living conditions of 580 rural households in seven villages situated around the towns of Kpalimé and Notsé. It combined training, the construction of animal shelters, and provision of goats, sheep, chickens and turkeys, as well as technical and sanitary support. The objective was to improve the families’ diet and increase their revenues by selling produce from their livestock. In each of the seven villages, according to ESF’s principle, “who receives…gives”, each family agreed to give a female born from the livestock to another family.

In total, 436 families benefitted from the project in 10 villages near the towns of Kpalimé and Notsé. By the end of the project, 1,345 animals had been distributed, of which 56% based on the principle “who receives…gives”. Three additional villages were included following requests from vulnerable rural families who witnessed the improved living conditions of families who had received support. The lower number of families who participated in the project was mainly due to animal deaths at the start of the project, delays in giving animals to other families and the sale of animals to cover basic needs. Beneficiaries constructed animal shelters and completed on-the-job training, alternating practice and theory in the management and conduct of animal husbandry. Eight veterinary aids were trained and went on to propose their services to the villages, contributing to a lower animal mortality rate (5.4%) at the end of the project. In addition, the family’s nutrition improved thanks to regular consumption of chickens, eggs, sheep and goats from their livestock. Their income from the sale of animals, on average 50 to 90 Euros/year, allowed them to cover their basic needs.

The French association Elevages sans frontiers (ESF) was founded in 2000. It aims to fight poverty by helping rural families and groups of producers to become more self-sufficient with a particular focus on Africa (80% of its funding).

Testimonials