Aware of the cause-effect relationship between poverty and environmental degradation, this project seeks to effect a timely consensus-based intervention to the deteriorating environmental state of Gombe sub-county, which is caused and aggravated by poverty. In its endeavour to champion participatory environmental conservation responses in Gombe, TEEP-Initiative realizes that environmental conservation programs exclusive of income-generating alternatives are damned to be unsustainable. This Piggery intervention therefore, will be an alternative income generating activity, sought to ensure sustainability of woodlot/forest resource by empowering the vulnerable poor to break away from total reliance on forest/vegetation resource, which is often realized through charcoal burning, timber trade and brick making activities, all of which depend on forest exploitation. Piggery is an alternative of choice because, in addition to its fit into the community empowerment objective of TEEP-Initiative, the community is convinced that pigs are easy to rear and usher in high returns. Their short gestation period makes quick income realization possible and, the organic manure generated is supportive in vegetation/ environmental conservation. The educational and ‘pay it forward’ aspects of the project will ensure sustainability, collective responsibility and proper animal management. The monitoring and evaluation will progressively be done through the various phases of the project’s implementation.
PHASE 1: Construction of pig housing
Two pig housing blocks will be constructed.
PHASE 2: Developing a training manual for the project
The project steering team will develop training manuals that will be used as a guide for the training project participants.
PHASE 3: Training of project beneficiaries
Thirty beneficiaries will be recruited to receive intensive training on best practices in piggery farming, book keeping and entrepreneurial skills.
PHASE 4: Allocation of seed piglets and initial facilitation
Each household will be given two piglets. Once the piglets are mature and have given birth, the beneficiaries will then give back two piglets to the project& these will be given to new members.
PHASE 5: Piggery management
Over the first three months of the project, the beneficiaries will be given medication and partial dietary support.
PROJECT SUSTAINABILITY
To make the project self sustaining, it has been agreed that the project should have a commercial side, where it will be producing and selling piglets to established farmers and other farmers who want to grow their businesses. The project shall venture into pork production once the first batch of the piglets at the demonstration farm has grown. The project will also offer training to prospective and practicing piggery farmers at an affordable fee. The proceeds thereof will then be ploughed back into the project activities.
