Happy Chickens for Fiji Cyclone Disaster Hit Areas

Simione Koto, our community officer, travels by ship to Koro Island every few months to visit the two community sites at Nabasovi Village and Navaga Village. The following is his latest field report.

Nabasovi Vilage

Since the Peace Corp volunteer left, there were some differences especially with the women’s group in Nabasovi that needed attendance urgently. We had a meeting with the women of Nabasovi and talked about ways to address issues related to the project. It was clear that the women wanted to improve as they all contributed freely to the discussions. The Turaganikoro also attended the discussions as he felt that the women play a key role in most activities in the community.

First to be discussed was the purpose of the project as they must all have the same vision on what the objectives of the happy chicken project. The women agreed that the project is to strengthen women’s roles in the community. Improve family diet and strengthen financial status of women after the severe cyclone has damaged so many resources.

How to manage the project: The women agreed on the following steps;

• Women’s Project Committee to take lead in the day to day management of the chickens
• Present project updates and report to the Village Council meetings every month.
• Seek support of the community especially men in improving chicken houses and support for chicken feeds.
• Improve chicken shelter to have proper shades and fence and to keep dogs and cats away.
• Complete chicken houses with the use of local resources like drala and vaivai tress as fences. Use old roofing irons and timbers to complete chicken house.
• Have a proper shed to store chicken feeds, tools and eggs as well. They need to find a proper place to store feeds and store eggs.
• Agree on how to distribute eggs for school children and prices of eggs to be sold to the community.
• Agree on who will manage tools, feed and sales of eggs when needed.
• Funds collected from egg sales to be invested for more chickens, feed and materials to expand project.

Navaga Village

The womens group in Navaga are united and they work together to support each other in managing their chicken house happy chicken project. The Men are also very supportive and help built a chicken house using old roofing irons and timber from cyclone destoyed homes in the village.

The womens group in Navaga planned to increase their chickens early next year. They plan to have more layers so they can have enough eggs for all their family especially for the school children.

Navaga village meeting discussed and support the Happy Chicken project as it will improve family diet and strengthen womens participation in the community.

Individuals are motivated to have their own happy chicken project to support their own family needs. Lessons learned are shared by the women and they look forward to days when they can have their own happy chicken project.

Agriculture Officer willing to support by providing training to the people of Navaga on any animal husbandry project the people wanted.

General Recommendations:

I am planning to do another follow up visit for Koro next week. It is critical that we follow up regularly to encourage these communities to work together and make their Happy Chicken Project successful so they can benefit and support their children and families during this difficult times. I will buy some chicken fence as that that’s what’s needed for these sites to extend their chicken house and allow their chickens to roam around and feed freely.

All sites in Koro need to move on to these stage so their chickens can learn to move and feed from other wild feed sources grass, compost, etc.

Like Nabasovi the people of Navaga need assistance for chicken feed for at least another three month as their coconut trees were damaged by the Cyclone Winston. The village are trying to find ways for them to pay their own food.  With most families still affected by the cyclone feeding their families is a priority right now. They hope that they can be given some support until their younger chickens lay eggs- then they can buy their own feeds.