Kitulizo Orphanage Pig Pens

BEFORE


AFTER

This is Ernesti

The Kitulizo Orphanage shelters about 13 young orphans and sends another 22 children from low-income families in the community to primary school. It is run by two HIV positive individuals, Anna and Ernesti. They are some of the kindest and most genuine people in the world. The orphanage is funded mainly by donations and sponsors abroad and so it doesn't always have a constant source of income. It can barely put two meals a day on the table for all of the children, let alone send all of them to school. As part of a team, Milla and I are helping build pig pens that will eventually turn into a business and return a profit for the orphanage. They already own two pregnant sows and a boar. We are building 5 cinderblock pig pens, writing a care and breeding manual, and putting together a business plan for Anna and Ernesti to follow so that when we leave, they will be able to raise and sell the pigs at the market. This project will not only provide a more nutritious diet for the children, but it will allow for Anna and Ernesti to raise money to help even more children in the community.

Here are some step-by-step pictures of our first day working on this project. My favorite part was cutting down the banana trees. You could cut through a whole tree with one swipe of the machete. Awesome. (This blog was written by Austin)

Taking out the Banana Trees. Jared, Matt, Faith, Austin and helpers

Faith and Courtney working magic with the machetes

Lauren and Faith

Austin holding a bunch of bananas from the trees we cut down. We ate these later. :)

Courtney, Lauren, Spear and Aust leveling the ground.

The whole gang (except me, Milla) :)

Stacy, Tanya and Jaclyn.

Anna (the woman who runs the orphanage) made us fried bananas and avocado slices after our hot, long day of working. But, it was so worth it!