Another Day...Another Project...that needs your help

Another project!? That's right. As our Peace Corps service comes to an end we are tying up loose ends over here. One project that we are trying to get off the ground is a poultry raising income generation project over at the Malindza Refugee Camp. The poultry raising project is under the helm of the Malindza Refugee Camp Development Committee, a development committee comprised of refugees from the four different countries represented at the camp: Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia and Congo. I have been meeting with this group for about six months in an advisory capacity. I sit in on the meetings and have helped them design a constitution and business proposal (which will be presented below). This a dedicated and SMART group of guys who want to start income generation projects for the benefit of the camp. The profits from this project will go to paying school fees of refugee families who cannot afford it as well helping other refugees set up other income generation projects to help the camp be self-sustaining and self-reliant.

Below is a detailed business proposal that details where your money is going to be spent as well as a link to an indiegogo site with directions on how to donate. Thanks for your time. Any help is appreciated.

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/poultry-raising-at-malindza-refugee-camp/x/2910989

Business Proposal:

My name is Ryan Hall. I am a Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Swaziland, Africa. I am working with a group of refugees who have formed a development committee to start and promote income generation projects at the Malindza Refugee Camp. The focus of this project is to lift refugees out of poverty and reliance on the Swazi government by creating a project that will generate income. Their initial project is to renovate a poultry house in order to raise chickens to sell on the market in Swaziland.The generation income will go on to address social needs at the camp such as paying school fees for residents. The profits will be used as seed money for other income generation projects for refugees. A number of these project ideas will come from women in the camp. A big component of this project is the training of the Development Commitee itself so as to assure the sustainability of this project. Below is a summary of their business proposal. You can help by donating money and telling your friends about this great cause.
Introduction

The Malindza Refugee Development Committee is an association comprised of refugees whose aim is to help the residents of the Malindza Refugee Reception Center. It aims to establish a variety of sustainable income generation projects to assist refugees in Swaziland to become self-sustainable. Our first project aims to raise chickens to sell on the market in Swaziland.
Refugees seeking asylum in Swaziland come from hardships including war, genocide, economic catastrophe and xenophobia. When they arrive in Swaziland they have little to no earthly possessions or means for employment. Many go hungry or rely on outside charitable organizations for food and assistance. The community is full of young parents who are not employed.
The Malindza Refugee Development Committee is a pioneer group working to change this paradigm by starting income generation projects that provide gainful work as well as emergency assistance to those in need. The profits from these income generation projects will go to a variety of ends including: assisting other residents to start income generation projects and paying school fees. This project has the potential to improve the general standard of living at the Malindza Refugee Reception Center. Our long term vision is to be a leading chicken producer in Swaziland to expand our operation to renovate other poultry houses on the premises as our business grows.

Objectives
The Malindza Refugee Development Committee hopes to:
            (a) raise 2,000 chickens per month to be sold on the open market with an emphasis on butcheries and restaurants that sell Halal meat products. A total of 500 chicks per week can be reared in our deep litter house.

Beneficiaries
The residents at the Malindza Refugee Reception Center will benefit from this project. Unemployed refugees will benefit by working as casual laborers. We hope to employ 12 people for the initial project. When this project is fully operational we will employ more refugees. After the project has shown to make a profit the Development Committee will hear and attend to the development ideas of other refugees in the camp. This project will address the camp concerns of idleness, food security and lack of gainful employment.

Input (in Emalengeni 1E = 9USD)

ITEM	QUANTITY	RATE	COST
Chicks	400	5.80	2,320
Starter Feed	4	265	2,120
Grower Feed	12	255	3,060
Finisher Feed	12	255	3,060
Vitamins	2	35.35	70.70
Fosbas (vaccination)	1	153.90	153.90
Casota (vaccination)	2	33.65	67.30
Gumbora (vaccination)	2	57.25	114.50
Feed Tray	8	39.90	319.20
4Liter Fount	8	40.50	324
10 Liter Fount	8	79.80	638.40
Tube Feeder	8	101.50	812
Sawdust	2	160	120
Wiring	2 x 100 m	300	600
Lamp holders	60	5	300
Globes	60	7	420
Heater	5	150	750
Gum Poles	10	50	500
Corrugated Iron	20	75	1,500
Doors	2	250	500
Bag of Cement	1	75	75
Nails	1 bag	25	25
Cleaning Supplies	5	50	250
Lulote Business Management Training	1 course	12,000	12,000

Grand Total Input:                                             30,000 (3,333 USD)

Return

Total Cost: 30,000 (3,333 USD)

Total Revenue after first five week rotation: 87,500 (9,722 USD)

Total Return: 57,500 (6,388 USD)

Every week through the production the project can manage to sell 500 broiler chickens (five weeks old) for the amount of E35 per chick. The total amount will reach E70,000 per month.
With this income after five weeks of our rotation the company will be able to raise 87,500 (9,722 USD) amount with 57,500 (6,388 USD)  profit. This will allow the company to pay its employees E350 per week and to establish a base of customers before expanding to meet the needs of an expanding market after the first harvest.

Community Group Contribution

The Malindza Refugee Development Committee is committed to a sustainable structure that will give long-term employment to Malindza refugees to ensure financial independence and nutritional improvement. To this end the residents of the Malindza Refugee Reception Center have contributed.

ITEM	QUANTITY	RATE	COST
Electricity			1,000 per month
Land	Held	In	King’s Trust
Structure	3	20,000	60,000
Water	1,000 L	15	1,500 per week
Labor for Rennovation	50	5	1,500 per month

A previous poultry project has afforded the Malindza Refugee Reception Center with a poultry house. In order for this to be operational it needs to be renovated to raise the chickens to sell. Otherwise, all other contributions have come from members’ private resources and outside private donors.

Timeline

April: Submission of proposal                      
June: Receive Money. Renovate and complete structure for chicken raising. Start raising chickens
July: First five week period. Sell first batch.
August: Second five weeks period. Sell second batch.
September: Third five week period. Sell third batch.
October: Fourth five week period. Sell fourth batch.
November: Fifth five week period. Sell fifth batch.
December: Clean poultry house. Start first batch for 2014.

Request
We are asking for donations to fund the start up costs of this project. After careful market research we are certain that after selling 2,500 chickens this will be a self-sustaining project and all incurring costs will be paid directly from the group’s profits.
Part of the start up costs include business management training by Lulote BMEP, a business management training organization that will provide training to the Development Committee and will oversee and monitor the project. This will ensure transparency, sustainability and wise management of resources.
The secretary, in liaison with the donor agents, will ensure proper project development by delivering a six month and annual report, as well as any reports the donor may require as the group’s constitution stipulates.
The Malindza Refugee Development Committee hopes to receive any assistance possible to ensure the livelihood of this project. This includes both cash and in-kind donations. We believe that implementing a successful income generation project we will change the paradigm at the Malindza Refugee Reception Center from one of helplessness and victimhood to hope and entrepreneurship.

Malindza Refugee Development Committee

Bushfire Music Festival Refugee Project - We Need Your Help!

-->Family and Friends –

Greetings from Swaziland! Once a year at the end of May the world descends on Swaziland. I am not taking about the Umhlanga ceremony (which if you google Swaziland will probably be the first image you see…try it), the Incwala Ceremony or the ever popular Marula festival, I am talking about the MTN Bushfire Music Festival which has the distinction of being one of the biggest music festivals in Southern Africa. About 5-6,000 people attend from all of over the world to see great international musical acts. This year we have a very special opportunity to make an impact in the lives of refugee women during the Bushfire festival.

As you know Addy and I do most of our work at a refugee camp. These refugees come mostly from Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi and Congo. These refugees live in destitute conditions at the camp, often not getting enough food to feed themselves. This multiplies if they have children, with many mothers skipping meals so that their children can eat. We are announcing a project that can help women put food on the table in a sustainable way.

If you have never been to Africa, it is massive. Each country has its own distinct culture, language and cuisine. Bushfire celebrates music, culture and cuisine from all over Africa and the world by renting stalls to vendors to sell their unique food. Last year there was Italian, Indian, American, German food being sold as well as stalls from Mauritius, Mozambique and South Africa. With my help, camp residents applied for and were accepted to sell food at one of these stalls provided by the festival. The stall will feature a unique dish from each of the major countries represented (Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi and Congo). This is an extremely exciting project. This project piggy-backs on a week-long income generation workshop that Addy is doing with the women at the camp to learn canning, baking and peanut butter making. The stall will be run and the food will be cooked 100% by refugee women and all of the profits will go back to refugee women themselves and to help them start a co-op to implement these income generation projects.

With that said selling at a festival of this size is a bit daunting. We want to make this funded 100% independently by outside donors or investors. This is where you come in. These women are refugees and we as Peace Corps Volunteers do not have the kind of capitol to raise this amount of money. We are looking to you to help cover the cost of the ingredients, serving trays, transport and decoration of the stall. We know this is going to be quite expensive. If you can donate anything, a little bit (thanks to a generous 1:9 exchange rate) goes a long way here. For example if you donate twelve dollars you have donated 108E this side. 100 dollars is close to 1,000 E.

The best way to donate is through my paypal account. It is easy. Click on the send money tab and type in my e mail address: dontsignanythingyet@gmail.com

I know you are probably sick of getting hit for money from your Volunteer friends but without your support there is no way we can pull this off. If you have any questions on donating or how to use paypal to send donations please let me know.

Ngiyabonga Kakhulu (thank you tooooo much)

Ryan and Addy