John Walukano
Small Birds, Big Change: Poultry Keeping Transforms Butemulani, Uganda
In the Butemulani Community of Bumosomi Village, Uganda, John Walukano saw an opportunity in something small and unassuming: chickens. Walukano set out to help vulnerable families in his community build income, improve nutrition, and gain a genuine sense of confidence–all through small-scale poultry keeping.
He didn't do it alone. Walukano brought together the United Methodist Church, NOFA, and the African Rural Development Initiative, then connected these partners directly with the community members who would carry the project forward. Together, they introduced a practical, low-cost path to a sustainable livelihood–and to family businesses people could truly call their own.
Building From the Coop Up
Walukano started by mobilizing women, youth, and elderly community members into project groups, then trained them in the fundamentals of poultry management: housing, feeding, and record keeping. Each group received 150 poultry birds and 400 kilograms of chicken feed to get started.
From there, the groups took the reins themselves. Members maintained their birds and eggs to support healthy growth and prevent disease, while the women and youth involved went a step further–establishing their own savings system and a poultry committee to oversee group finances as sales began to grow.
From Chicks to Confidence
The impact has shown up everywhere from the dinner table to the household budget. Every group has boosted its income through egg and bird sales, and the women, children, and elderly members involved have built real business acumen along the way–skills that are strengthening their long-term economic resilience and chipping away at poverty in the community.
Nutrition has improved too, especially for children, who are eating more eggs and poultry meat than before. What started as a modest flock of chicks has become a genuine source of stability for these families.
A Network Built to Grow
Walukano's project has already sparked several thriving family businesses across Butemulani. By weaving together the church, community members, and nonprofit partners into one strong network, he's created something that goes beyond a single livelihood project–he's growing rural leaders, strengthening the local market, and helping ensure quality food and nutrition for everyone involved.
From a handful of chicks to a community of confident entrepreneurs, Butemulani is proof that sometimes the smallest investments hatch the biggest change.