Luveve, Emakhandeni residents trained to rear chickens for profit

A QUIET revolution is underway in Bulawayo’s suburbs of Luveve and Emakhandeni, where a three-day poultry-rearing workshop has breathed new life into the community. Over 250 residents, youths, and teachers from 12 local schools gathered to learn the art of raising chickens, transforming ordinary classrooms into hubs of practical education.

Organised by the Samuriwo Foundation and expertly guided by Profeeds, the workshop, which ran from Monday to Wednesday, offered a hands-on masterclass in poultry management. Participants were shown how to care for road runners, egg layers, and broilers — the foundation stones of a thriving new project. This wasn’t just about gaining skills; it was about laying the groundwork for something bigger.

The Samuriwo Foundation, founded by Bulawayo businessman Brian Samuriwo, is spearheading the initiative. Each of the 12 schools in Luveve and Emakhandeni will receive an industrial hatchery and 5 000 chicks, along with stock feed and vaccinations, to launch income-generating ventures.

According to the foundation’s poultry coordinator, Nikiwe Sibanda, the initiative will be rolled out in two phases.

“In the first phase, every school will receive 5 000 chicks. Once the chickens reach maturity, the Samuriwo Foundation will buy them back, removing the burden of finding markets since we already have businesses lined up to purchase the birds,” she said.

Each school will also receive a hatchery, which has already been procured and is awaiting delivery. Teachers were included in the training to ensure the projects are well managed and sustainable. Sibanda added that the second phase will directly benefit community members. Residents of Luveve and Emakhandeni who attended the workshop will also receive chicks, feed, and vaccinations to start their own small-scale projects.

“The second phase involves residents of the Luveve and Emakhandeni suburbs who will also benefit from the disbursement of chicks, stock feed, and vaccinations. The Samuriwo Foundation made an open invite to residents of Luveve and Emakhandeni to come and take part in the training workshop and we are happy that 250 people participated,” she said.

To further support food security, residents will be allowed to collect manure from the school poultry projects for use in their gardens. Sibanda said that through this poultry initiative, the Samuriwo Foundation is planting the seeds of empowerment, ensuring schools have new income streams and communities gain the skills to build better livelihoods.

One of the beneficiaries of the training workshop, Rachael Shemunyoro, said the trainers taught them how to prepare chicken coops, vaccinate the birds, and maintain clean, well-ventilated environments to ensure healthy growth.

“The projects will not only benefit our schools but will empower us as school teachers because we also want to be economically empowered. The trainers also touched on the importance of keeping the chicken coops well ventilated and clean so that the chickens grow healthy,” said Shemunyoro.

Another community member, Edward Ndlovu, echoed her sentiments.

“As community members, we are eager to practise what we learnt in the training workshop through practical chicken-rearing projects. We are happy that the Samuriwo Foundation keeps empowering the residents of Luveve and Emakhandeni in self-reliance projects that will change our lives.”