Penye nia pana njia is a Swahili saying which means “when there is a willing there is a way”.
Prisca John resides in a famous village called Mdaula besides the main road heading to Dodoma, the capital city of Tanzania. The town is very close to Chalinze town, 110 kilometers away from Dar es Salaam city. Prisca John was married to Sijali Mgoa more than 20 years ago. Prisca explained that before keeping Sasso chickens, life was not easy. As she had not had a sustainable source of income for making the living of her family temporarily, she relied on a small-sized land where she grew maize in the rain season. Last year (2018), Emil Tsingai, a woman brooder serving the Chalinze town and nearby villages, visited Prisca to explain about Sasso chicken but also to engage her as a customer for 28 days.
Emil told Prisca about the World Poultry Foundation program and the process of joining. The first thing was to build a chicken house and to adhere to the proper management of chicken as per the chicken training, which Emil attended in Iringa Tanzania before receiving chicks. Later, in the evening, Prisca discussed with her husband Mr. Sijali Mgoa; the conversation went well, and following weeks, the husband started to collect old coagulated iron sheets for constructing the chicken house. The house was ready, but Prisca didn’t know where to get money for purchasing chicken. Though she knew that she would get the loan from the women group, Prisca was not confident enough, if she could get enough money to pay back the loan by investing in chicken.
Nevertheless, Prisca consulted her group leader and explained the intention of borrowing money to purchase 30 chickens. Prisca succeeded in getting enough amount of equivalent of 59.28 USDs to buy chicken from Emil. She kept the chicken for two and a half months, and she sold each for 6USD. She cleared the loan and purchase another flock of 70 chickens, and then 250 chickens. Prisca and her husband expect to sell 150 chicken during the Christmas festival this year. The woman added that the earning from Sasso selling had helped them to pay the loan, purchase foodstuff for the family. And, they eat chicken and pays school fees for the children. Not only that but also Prisca added that “Since I started the Sasso business, my value is enhanced; I am respected with my husband and in the community. Today I have confidence, and I feel I am the champion of change in the family; I can borrow any amount in my savings group. I know to invest in chicken is not losing but its multiplication of money”. When I visited the family, Prisca’s husband was constructing a new chicken using blocks to get more space for additional chicken.
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