Advertisement

This isn’t going to be an adventure story…rather it’s an advertisement… about the project that PCV Kattie, PCV Maggie and PCVme…initiated for the village of Kaja Paati ( Kattie & Maggie live in this village). The following couple of paragraphs are answers to two of the many questions asked on the “Peace Corps Partnership Program” form and should give you an idea of what this project is all about…and then…comes the kicker…

Question 3. Community Need
One of the chief complaints of villagers in Kaja Paati is the lack of protein. In the past, villagers would depend on bush meat and fish from the river. Now with the growing population, finding a consistent source of protein is increasingly difficult. Hunters now must go further into the jungle before they can find meat. Traditionally, men go on hunting excursions for their families. There are many women who do not have a husband living permanently in the household. If a woman is raising children alone, they are often overburdened with chores such as tending the vegetable gardens, beating rice, and producing cooking oil. Villagers, especially the village elders and women with young children, do not always have the option to fish in the river. As a result, of the constraints in obtaining protein sources, meals often consist of rice and a small portion of locally grown vegetables. During the dry season, meals of white rice alone are more common. The lack of protein sources in the diet poses a risk for nutritional deficiencies and illnesses. With well-maintained chicken coops (hen houses) in the village, food security for the families will be improved. Eggs and meat will also present income-generating opportunities for the participating families. Eggs will produce income for 18 months after which the hens can be sold for meat consumption. Old hens, in the interior communities, get a premium price.

Question 4. Community Initiation and Direction
The ICCA headquarters in Suriname came to the Sipalawini district to ask what educational programs would be of interest to the villagers. The village leaders of Kaja Paati told the PCV that it would be helpful to have some support raising healthy chickens because they cannot depend on bush meat anymore. Some families were interested in raising chickens but have become discouraged because the chickens that they raised became ill and died. Others were discouraged after losing chickens during the flood. Approximately 30 individuals have expressed interest in attending workshops so that they can raise healthy chickens for their households.

So…now here’s the kicker….it takes $800.00 USD to build, stock and feed the Hens till they start laying egg. Oh …and to transport everything out there…the cost is close to $150.00USD alone. . We plan to build 10 hen houses for a start. Our Hen House is designed to be more productive then any other they built in the interior to date and we put together learning workshops... that will really teach... how a Hen Houses needs to be managed in order to be productive. We called on and got the support of some of Suriname’s top experts to help in this project. Now…. I’m calling on you… my family and friends…. to support this project. Your donations Big or small is needed and will be appreciated by all… especially the children of Kaja Paati who won’t be going off to school hungry. ( pulling at your heart and purse string….I’m so bad)

Here what you need to do…if you want to help… Go to …www.peacecorps.gov….click on Donation Now…then click on Donate to a Volunteer...and then find Latin America and click on it…scroll to the bottom of the list where you will find “Suriname…Family Chicken Coop Project...fill in your tax deductible Donation amount and follow all the instructions…..Thanks...Have a Great Thanksgiving.