A chicken farm initiated at a primary school in Ziriglou by Club P.A.N.
School micro-projects instill responsibility and pride
Director of Ziriglou school, Kolo Tuo, in front of the chicken farm
Every school participating in Club P.A.N. is motivated to carry out their own alternative livelihoods micro-project such as a fish, goat, chicken, cane rat, or snail farm. The schools are given a small budget for start-up costs but are then supposed to be self-reliant. Principals and teachers become heads of these projects while children are given the responsibility to build and maintain the project by caring for the animals. A sense of local entrepreneurship is seen in the children.
Success is dependent on having key individuals that are motivated and inspired by the idea of having their own farm within the village to provide an alternative protein source. It also requires dedicated and committed leaders to keep participation high, otherwise projects will fail.
Some animals are easier cared for than others, and depending on the species the start-up costs for a farm can vary. For some farms, such as fish farms, these require a larger investment of money and people so it is best suited for a large school and a big village. The major difficulty we still struggle with is keeping these projects going in the long-term. This is especially pertinent during summer holidays, since with no students or teachers around the farms and animals will be neglected. One must have committed and motivated teachers responsible for the management of the farm to ensure participation of former students and villagers in order to keep the farm running. Another difficulty is keeping people interested since profits from the farm are delayed and depend on allowing the animals to grow and mature. We are still struggling to find innovative solutions for some of our micro-project challenges.