FOR 15 3000 FAMILIES TO GET OUT POVERTY

Kigezi Healthcare Foundation has been supporting families to get out of poverty using the Rabbit project. Our records indicate that 20 families have completed paying school fees for their children from the money generated from the sale of rabbits.Rearing rabbits is a highly effective way for rural families to keep children in school because it combines exceptionally low operating costs with a rapid financial return. In many regions, including Uganda, youth-led or family-run rabbit projects generate enough continuous income to pay for school fees, uniforms, books,and pens, preventing students from being chased out of school due to a lack of funds. Unlike poultry or swine which rely heavily on expensive commercial feeds and vitamins, rabbits thrive on locally available wild forages, weeds, sweet potato vines, kitchen scraps, and cabbage by-products. This keeps day-to-day management costs at almost zero. Rabbits have a short gestation period of just one month and mature quickly. A single female (doe) can reproduce up to 6 times a year, meaning a small initial investment multiplies exponentially into a sustainable stream of sellable livestock within just a few months, rabbits mature from about 100 days depending on the breed and the type of feeds provided. Highly nutritious feeds make them mature faster. Potato vines, kale, crushed soya beans elephant grass and many other nutritious feeds that are easily available. Rabbits do not require acres of land. They can be kept in simple, inexpensive backyards or elevated wooden cages constructed from local, affordable materials. This simple model can easily be replicated in other parts of the country and across different parts of low-income countries.