Uzima Chicken’s innovative social enterprise approach is directed towards making smallholder farmers wealthier and healthier through the distribution of improved and resilient SASSO poultry breeds.
Support from IAP has allowed Uzima to expand further into the rural areas of Uganda, and they now engage some 342 male and 184 female smallholder brooding agents. With mature SASSO bird’s earning a farmer between 8€ to 11€, all of Uzima’s farmers have seen their incomes grow. Further jobs, and income generation has been created for over 1,396 male and 598 female distributors, at the same time Uzima have created 67 jobs for youths who work as district sales representatives to ensure quality service delivery.
Uzima support their farmers in managing poultry and provide training in rearing and vaccinating birds so that they can minimise losses. Aware of the financial hurdles that many rural smallholder chicken brooders face, Uzima have created an agreement with FINCA Uganda. This microfinance deposit Institution will guarantee startup loans, ranging from 251€ to 1,255€, with a 3% monthly interest rate to cover up to 50% of each brooders initial investment in chicks.
As they develop their distribution network, Uzima are exploring other financing options in the hope that their distributors will be able to purchase distribution equipment and personal protective wear. Currently, Uzima are looking at evaluating the performance of brooder loans with an eye to further scaling them to cover more smallholder brooders.