Poultry production is highly valued in Burkina Faso. Small-scale poultry producers generally raise traditional breeds with rudimentary shelter, diets low in nutrition and inadequate veterinary care, resulting in low-weight chickens and lower income. Known as “poulet bicyclette,” these chickens are often transported for sale by bicycle. They are believed to taste better than those produced on commercial farms, although supply is limited since free-roaming hens raise only a few chicks per year. A high death rate and slow growth due to genetics and scavenged feed sources limits their profitability. It often takes over eight months for the chicks to reach slaughter size compared to 6 to 10 weeks for improved varieties. The unmet demand for chicken meat is high and will only increase as the gap between production ability and consumer demand increases. 

Members of the Burkinabe Federation of Associations for the Promotion of Persons with Disabilities (FEBAH) were raising a small number of chickens for home use, typically with a high mortality rate. The Association’s president, Issa Palenfo, met with the USAID’s Farmer to Farmer (F2F) implementer in Burkina Faso, the Browse and Grass Growers Cooperative (BGGC), to seek training opportunities that would enable members to increase the size of their family flocks and to market the excess stock. Through BGGC’s, expert volunteers from the United States offer demand-driven specialized training, and cost-effective implementation of sustainable agriculture production, capacity building, and marketing in collaboration with local partners for rural livelihood advancement.  

BGGC provided a series of trainings in the capital city of Ouagadougou to FEBAH members, pairing U.S. volunteers virtually with expert local volunteers from the Association Burkinabé des Professionnels de la Vulgarisation Agricole (ABPVA) and the Institute for Rural Development (IDR). The training introduced the new entrepreneurs to technical information about nutrition, breeding, biosafety, incubator management, business planning, marketing, micro-financing, leadership and self-determination. The volunteer consultants shared technical information with 25 participants, advised on their chicken startups and provided ongoing financial and management coaching. In January 2023, two U.S. volunteers provided in-person follow-up training to the group along with other specialized training to groups in Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso.  

The results have been encouraging. These entrepreneurs have taken the initiative to share their new knowledge with others, ensuring sustainability and widening the reach of this intervention. Biosafety is being taken seriously, and the mortality rate for chickens has decreased significantly. Customers include restaurants, street grills and families. With the training and knowledge acquired, the FEBAH members have put together business plans, enabling them to apply for credit. In fact, five members accessed micro-loans to purchase chicks, supplies, equipment and incubators. The loans have been paid back from profits, and individuals have successfully raised more than 1,000 chicks. Sara Maiga, one of the entrepreneurs who received a loan, installed an incubator at her home and has hatched multiple cycles of 100 broiler (meat) chickens. 

Alpha Kone also received a micro-loan and is seeking a second to use his carpentry knowledge to build and market wooden incubators. Community members are seeking him out as an expert on poultry farming and to ask for his advice. He has already trained two people from Koudougou, including the president of the Burkinabè Association for the inclusion of Albino People (ABIPA). Mr. Kone shared, “It is a huge satisfaction and advantage to share my knowledge. I am confident that I will sustainably improve my living conditions thanks to the improvement and profit I am gradually and continuously making.”