From One Coop to a Thriving Poultry Enterprise: Mary’s Story
When Mary joined EMAC Climate Smart Farmers Cooperative two years ago, she kept just a handful of chickens behind her home. Today she runs a thriving improved-Kienyeji enterprise that supports her family and supplies the cooperative butchery.
“The training changed everything,” she says. “I learned proper brooding, vaccination, and record keeping. When I was ready to grow, the cooperative’s poultry housing loan helped me build a clean, well-ventilated shade.”
Through collective purchasing, Mary now buys feeds, vaccines, and chicks at lower cost, and sells through the cooperative’s coordinated market linkages at fair prices. “Alone, I was struggling. Together, we are growing,” she says.
Mary’s story is one of many — proof that climate-smart, member-owned agribusiness can transform livelihoods.