“This couldn’t have come at a better time to help these desperate families.”
These were the words of a Barnabas Aid project partner in Laos after 1,750 chickens and 50 piglets were distributed among 570 Christian families.
The families also received chicken and piglet feed, along with training in animal health and welfare.
Two of the chickens that benefitted more than 500 impoverished Lao Christian families
The pigs and chickens were largely funded through our Barnabas Brekkie campaign.
“I never met the person who gave me these chickens,” said a Christian mother with young children, “but God knows them and I thank God for them.”
Barnabas Aid supporters have funded pig and chicken farming projects for Christian communities across South-East Asia, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
Read more: Host a Barnabas Brekkie to create sustainable futures
The first and most obvious benefit of these projects is the provision of food. Eggs from chickens and meat from both pigs and chickens are a good source of nutrition and protein, and especially valuable in contexts of hunger and scarcity.
Crucially, these small-scale farming projects have a longer-term impact than immediate relief of hunger.
Pigs and chickens breed quickly; the chickens continue to lay eggs; the project ensures a continual supply of nutrition.
In crop-growing areas, manure from the pigs is an excellent fertiliser that helps in growing crops.
The breeding and selling of the animals, alongside the selling of eggs, also becomes a vital source of income for impoverished believers.
How you can pray
Praise the Lord for meeting the long-term needs of His people in Laos. Pray for the continued success of sustainable livestock projects funded by Barnabas Aid’s supporters. Ask that this work will also be a spiritual encouragement to believers throughout the world.
PR5001 (Opportunity Fund)
