Bas Maro, The Poultry Farmer

We lived in Pakistan for more than thirty years and returned to Afghanistan around eight years ago.  We did not have anything here and didn’t know anything about Afghanistan. I am married and all my kids were born and raised in Pakistan. Later we were forced to leave Pakistan.” Says Bas Maro, 56, mother of 7, living in Hassan Khail Zorkot, a village just outside Aiybak city, Samangan Province.

Bas Maro used to be a housewife, her husband is old and can’t work, her eldest son works in Iran as labor and send money occasionally to feed the family. She says, “My son struggles in Iran because there is no work here.

His income is not sufficient to feed the family but we didn’t have any other option or idea until I heard about the poultry project, I joined Spozhmai group and everything started to change. I received poultry training and learnt about generating income staying at home.”

Hand in Hand Afghanistan implemented ‘Creating Future Economic Prospects for Reintegration of Returnees and IDPs in north and north-eastern regions of Afghanistan through the Layers Poultry Value Chain’ which is funded by GIZ and Bas Maro is one of supported to establish backyard poultry farms in Samangan province.

Bas Maro says, “I learned that a backyard poultry farm can generate me both income and food for the family, with support of my trainers I built a chicken coop and upon completing the trainings I received 25 chickens, chicken feed, feeders, water-pots and other necessary tools to establish my enterprise.”

Now Bas Maro produces around 10 eggs daily and she sells some to get income and consumes some at home.

She says “I collect eggs worth AFN 3,600 (US $48) every month. This poultry farm has helped us to have good food at home and also earn some money to buy flour or sugar and other basic needs.”

Bas Maro and all other women are trained to reproduce chicken using the traditional method. She says, “Now that I have experienced running a poultry farm, this will be my business forever, I will expand my farm to produce more eggs and earn more.”