Barnabas Aid has set the ambitious targets of providing a million pigs and a million chickens to marginalised and persecuted Christians. This new sustainable farming initiative has the potential to bless Christian communities around the world. Read on to discover more about where this idea came from and how it will work.
Andy, a Ghanaian evangelist, is among the first beneficiaries of Barnabas Aid’s pigs and chickens project
Why pigs and chickens?
It began with a simple meal of bacon and eggs, and a desire to help hungry and marginalised Christians around the world.
Pork is a high-protein meat. It is also a good source of B-vitamins and minerals such as iron.
Chicken eggs are also a highly nutritional food source. A boiled egg contains on average seven grams of protein. Chicken meat is also a good source of B-vitamins and protein (useful for those who cannot eat pork owing to dietary requirements or cultural preferences).
So you’re just providing food for Christians?
Yes – but there’s more to it than that.
A pig- or chicken-farming initiative can provide a long-term income for Christian communities who might otherwise have to rely on aid.
Chicken meat and chicken eggs are a valuable source of protein
Livestock can be sold, meat and eggs can be sold – in some cases even the manure is valuable as a crop fertiliser.
Are there any other benefits?
There certainly are.
Barnabas has provided 60 pigs for pastors and evangelists in northern Ghana. Here our project partners hope to use the income to fund their ministries, dig boreholes, improve medical care and send children to school.
Pig-farming initiatives can provide Christian communities with a long-term income
Some breeds of pigs eat snakes that pose a risk to humans. And, unlike other animals, pigs won’t be stolen by Islamist bandits who prey on Christan farmers in regions such as Middle Belt Nigeria.
How are you sending the pigs and chickens?
We won’t be sending any livestock ourselves.
Our pigs and chickens project will work in a similar way to many other Barnabas projects – we will supply the funds for our project partners to purchase pigs and chickens from local suppliers.
This is because of the cost implications, not to mention logistical and ethical questions, of sending animals overseas.
How are you fundraising for this?
The main way we are fundraising for this project is through our Barnabas Brekkie campaign.
Could you host a Barnabas Brekkie and raise money for Barnabas Aid’s pigs and chickens project?
Barnabas Brekkie is a way you can introduce others to the work of Barnabas Aid. You can invite your friends, family or church group and raise funds and awareness for the needs of suffering Christians around the world – all while enjoying a tasty meal together! Click here to learn more.
If you would like to give a gift towards the cost of pigs and chickens, you can donate to our Opportunity Fund.
