PROJECT COMPLETED
Partner: The National Evangelical Outreach (NEO) Kenya
A pig farm project in Kijabe Town, Kenya created a sustainable source of income for families living in poverty and encouraged community members to return to and invest in their hometown as a place of opportunity.
With a population of approximately 5,000 people, Kijabe Town is relatively small with few viable income opportunities and even fewer educational resources. This lack of opportunity leaves many families in a cycle of generational poverty and without hope of a more vibrant and sustainable future. These desperate circumstances have led some parents to send their children to school outside of the community where better educational resources and opportunities are available. Oftentimes, these children don’t return to Kijabe Town, but rather continue to pursue more sustainable lifestyles elsewhere. Those who don’t leave town are stuck in a familiar cycle of poverty, ultimately seeking to survive rather than live in the hope of a better future.
THE PROBLEM AND THE SOLUTION
We believe the youth is the key to unlocking a new future for Kijabe Town. For generations, positive resources and the hope for a better life have only been found outside of this community. The solution is to create opportunities for the community itself, allowing space for learned skills and talents to be used to transform it from the inside out.
We want to change the perception of Kijabe Town from a place with no economic opportunities to one where the community is able to take ownership of its own future. Creating a pig project in this community provided hope for Kijabe Town and showed that it’s possible to rise out of poverty and live a sustainable life without leaving or depending on external help.
OUR PLAN
The pig farm shifted perceptions in the community. It employed three individuals and quickly became a profitable business. Through creative problem-solving, we even partnered with local restaurants to reduce the cost of pig feed.
During this time, our partners negotiated a contract with Farmer’s Choice, which is the largest pig meat supplier in Kenya. They had a contract in place to purchase a minimum of 25 pigs each month at the cost of $160 per pig. Farmer’s Choice was also willing to buy more as the project expanded. As the demand was there, the hope was that in a year, the project would be able to employ more people, supply a greater number of pigs, and eventually train some of the workers on how to start their own businesses.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost of pig feed rose tremendously and became more difficult to obtain. Our partners were working to maintain a smaller number of pigs while their resources were limited.
In 2024, we sold the remaining 20-30 pigs and used the profit to expand and repair a few issues with the ministry center in the community. With prayerful consideration and assessment of the current economy in Kenya, we have decided to discontinue this project. Though this business began with much success, we couldn’t have predicted the extreme hit the economy would take during and after the COVID pandemic. Feed prices and the cost to import raw materials have remained high without a clear indication of declining in the near future. We are grateful to carry with us the knowledge we learned from this project should the Lord provide another opportunity in the years to come. Praise God for this experience and the hope and renewed perspectives it brought to the community.
DESIRED IMPACT
Through this project, we were able to show community members that they and their children are the town’s biggest asset and solution to their own challenges. Ultimately, we ignited hope so the community could see Kijabe Town flourish in a new light. By creating more income opportunities, those who had left town for education could see the blessing of returning to their community and contributing what they have learned as doctors, teachers, engineers, pastors, and business owners. Thanks to your support of Mission ONE, the pig project created a vision for what else could be accomplished in the future.
OUR IMPACT
- Three jobs were created.
- Hope is restored as the community sees the value of investing in itself.