Forty-five-year-old Fungai Mugabe never dreamt of owning a house in her lifetime until her encounter with Hand in Hand Zimbabwe.

Mugabe, a widow is now a landlord at Chachacha growth point, Shurugwi district in the midlands from proceeds of a Hand in Hand Zimbabwe sponsored poultry project.

“I never thought of owning a house in Zimbabwe especially after I had lost my husband in 2014,” she said as she narrated her story.

“But together with other women in ward 10, we ventured into poultry farming so that we could look after our families and the project has been a huge success.

“Two months back I finished building my four-roomed house using proceeds I received from our project,” she said.

Fungai Mugabe in Brown with some of the group members 

She commended Hand in Hand for its interventions in Shurugwi district.

I’m really grateful to Hand in Hand Zimbabwe as it has helped us a lot as women, Mugabe said adding that she was not the only one who had built a house using proceeds from the poultry project.

“Three other women have managed to build houses and we are nolonger struggling to fend for our families,” she said.

Mugabe, together with other 29 members, formed a poultry group popularly known as Budiriro cluster at Chachacha with the assistance of Hand in Hand Zimbabwe.

Since inception in February 2015, the group has managed to sell more than 1000 chickens at US$5 and they currently they have 1500 chickens in stock.

Another group member Nelice Zhou (48) said she managed to finish building her 7 roomed house with proceeds from the group’s poultry project.

Nelice Zhou 

My husband and I have built a huge house and we are also planning on building a cottage and we are grateful to Hand in Hand Zimbabwe for its interventions,” she said.

Nelice Zhou’s house 

Hand in Hand Zimbabwe has assisted the group with training in business management, customer care, value addition, budgeting and marketing under its Market Linkages Project (MLP)

The organisation also donated 500 day old chicks and chicken feed after the group came first in the (MLP) competition.

As part of their growth strategy, the group members plan to rent a shop at Chachacha business centre where they can sell their products.