44-year-old Tapiwa Musenzo from Chirumhanzu district is on a mission to end poverty through poultry production.

Tapiwa diversified from tailoring to poultry production after realising that her tailoring enterprise was limiting her business trajectory.

“The income I generated from the tailoring enterprise was enough for me to provide for my family but I felt like I could do more in the business sector.

Through my trainings I got to understand that my income should not be seasonal and I should have at least two active enterprises. I was also able to conduct market research and realised poultry meat is on demand and it provides a better income,” he said.

Before Tapiwa came in contact with Hand in Hand Zimbabwe, she was already engaged in tailoring but she lacked skills such as marketing, money management and proper record keeping.

In 2020 Tapiwa came in contact with Hand in Hand Zimbabwe and she became a part of Kuwadzana SHG.

Tapiwa and the rest of her groups members went through business development trainings and they were taught how to manage money, market products digitally and record all financial transactions.

After the training Tapiwa was confident to engage in her poultry business. Tapiwa also had the opportunity to be trained on making poultry feed mix, which further motivated her to work on her poultry enterprise.

“Through my tailoring project I was able to raise $ 150.00 which I used to buy two separate batches of sasso chickens. Currently, I have 36 birds that are at 4 weeks and the other 35 birds are ready for market.  I am selling them at $ 5.00 each’’.

Tapiwa’s current fowl run is not enough to accommodate her targeted number of 200 birds.  She was encouraged to modernize the poultry housing so that she can accommodate more birds.  She also contacted a department of Agricultural Advisory and Rural Development Services (ARDAS) for livestock so she could get technical assistance. “I was motivated by the trainings I received from the Hand in Hand organization as part of a community uplifting project. I hope this project will continue to receive funding so that it can benefit everyone in the district,’’ he said