A 29-year-old Public Health officer from Challa-Njukini Ward in Taita Taveta County recently traded his white dust coat and inspection files for the life of a poultry farmer.
Steven Paul told the Star that despite his qualifications as a Public Health officer, he finds greater fulfillment in raising chickens.
He said the change happened when he came across a project that trains youth in maximizing agricultural profits.
" I am part of a large cohort benefiting from the Drought Tolerant Crops (DTC) 4 Youth Jobs Creation project, implemented by Africa Harvest and ICRISAT in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation," Paul said.
He noted that the initiative focuses on semi-arid regions and aims to equip young people between the ages of 18-35 with the skills needed for profitable agriculture.
Paul said the project extends beyond increasing crop productivity to include poultry farming, providing comprehensive training on the entire poultry value chain—from egg incubation to market sales.
"This holistic approach includes teaching us how to make poultry feed from improved crops. In the end, it helps in reducing costs and increasing profits," Paul said.
Additionally, the project employs a Trainer of Trainers (ToT) model to reach a broad audience, and Paul is one such trainer.
He said he has gained extensive knowledge in rearing improved kienyenji chicken, covering aspects from brooding to disease management.
“As a ToT in the DTC 4 Youth Jobs Creation project, I have been fully trained on best poultry management practices that lead to increased productivity,” Paul shared during a recent training.
“I’ve learned to identify and treat common chicken diseases, something I was previously unaware of.”
27-year-old Felix Mushila from Bura Ward said he was a motor vehicle mechanic before he decided to focus on poultry farming.
“I used to fear chicken farming due to expensive feed, but now I can make my affordable feed,” he said.
Mushila said he plans to reach a target of 1,000 birds within a year.
The homemade feed he learned to formulate includes ingredients like sodium chloride, toxin binder, Dicalcium Phosphate (DCP), omena, pearl millet, green gram, sunflower, maize germ, whole maize, and amino acid vitamins.
Africa Harvest Project Coordinator Damaris Kagwiria said the poultry value chain pivots very well with the DTC crops to reduce the cost of production through feed formulation from the crops being promoted through the project.
Kagwiria said poultry rearing provides a sustainable source of income as poultry can survive even in harsh weather conditions in the face of climate change.
She noted that with the entry point being feed formulation, the project will support youth groups with a starter pack as an incentive.
“We also intend to link our young farmers in poultry production to the source of inputs and market and provide mentorship,” Kagwiria said.
Lilian Kare, 27, from Mwatate said she aims to grow her flock from 53 to 1,000 birds to ensure long-term income.
“Everything in a chicken is usable, even intestines, bones, and eggshells. The bones and eggshells can be crushed and used in feed formulation to provide the much-needed calcium” she said.
“I intend to use the knowledge gained to capitalize on my poultry business and make more money”.
Kare said the project has also trained her to grow drought-resistant crops like green grams, pearl millet, and sorghum, which she uses for making her own feed.
The DTC for Youth Job Creation project spans several semi-arid regions, including Taita Taveta, Homabay, Siaya, Busia, Elgeyo Marakwet, Makueni, Machakos, Kitui, Meru, and Tharaka Nithi, with a target to reach 120,000 young people.
The project focuses on eight value chains — sorghum, finger millet, pearl millet, green grams, pigeon peas, groundnuts, and poultry and fish which benefit from feed formulated through the DTC crops.
Benson Mutua, an off-taker and mentor of poultry in the project is the owner of Global Organic Chicken in Makueni County.
The company is operational in different parts of the country.
He highlights the importance of homemade feed over expensive commercial brands.
His outlet, which is a reliable market for over 3,000 poultry farmers whom he trained, also promotes other profitable ventures within the poultry value chain, such as selling eggs, chicks, feeders, drinkers, and incubators.
“I have partnered with Africa Harvest in the DTC 4 Youth Jobs Creation project to train young farmers through the ToTs on best poultry management practices,” he said.
He emphasized the opportunity to capitalize on the DTC crops cultivated in the project.
“The young farmers are already cultivating the DTC crops which offers a great composition for poultry feed formulation.”