THANKSGIVING IN UGANDA
Give Rabbits. Give Hope.
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ABOUT T.I.U.
Thanksgiving in Uganda provides rabbits to vulnerable, single-parent households with children at risk of malnutrition. The rabbits provide a source of protein and a secondary source of income that empowers the mother to provide for herself and her family. With the extra protein, the children have the nutrients necessary to grow and be healthy. With the extra income, the family can afford to send their children to school.
AREAS OF IMPACT
At $10 per rabbit and $250 per hutch, we can provide a family with a sustainable source of food security, financial stability, and educational opportunities for under $300 per family.
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS
We, a team of Ugandans and Americans working together, identify and select vulnerable single-parent (pregnant, lactating, and/or HIV positive mothers) families with malnourished children under the age of 5 (to preclude the developmental stunting that can begin in early childhood). The families we pick are located near each other in the Kigezi region to decrease time and cost of travel for when we conduct follow up visits to help ensure the program's success.
Each family is provided with a starter set of three rabbits: one male and two females. We provide the materials for the hutches and teach the family how to build the hutch and raise the rabbits themselves. The rabbits provide a source of protein and a secondary source of income that empowers the mother to continue to provide for herself and her family. With the extra income, the family can afford to send their children to school. With the extra protein, the children have the nutrients necessary to grow and be healthy. We always follow up with our beneficiary families to ensure the success of the program.
Today, we invite you to join us. At $10 per rabbit and $250 per hutch, we can help a single mother not only feed her children consistently, but pay for them to go to school for less than $300 per family! Everyone who donates receives periodic updates regarding the family that they helped as the process unfolds. This could be a fantastic learning opportunity for kids, a service project for your business or church, or a meaningful personal tradition for the holiday season.
RATIONALE
NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT
Food security
Few religious and other taboos associated with rabbit meat
Low fat and high meat content: rabbit is 80% meat and less than 20% bone
Can feed family meat once per week: a 5200% improvement!
FINANCIAL STABILITY
Low initial startup capital/cost effective
Each surplus rabbit can be sold for the equivalent of several days worth of pay.
Women are empowered to become entrepreneurs.
EDUCATION FOR ALL
With the added income, families are able to afford the cost of schooling for their children.
Emphasizes the importance of education for women.
Crushes the cycle of poverty.
EASE OF CARE
Rabbits feed on readily available grass and weeds
Rabbits easily adapt to a variety of conditions and climate
Easy enough that a child or grandparent can do it
Rabbits mature quickly (100 days from mating to maturity)
RAPID REPRODUCTION
On average, one rabbit has 5-8 fryers (babies) per pregnancy and gets pregnant 6-8 times per year.
Yields 64 rabbits in a year X 2 rabbits = 128 rabbits/year
ENVIRONMENTAL ADVANTAGES
The urine & droppings produced by the rabbits are gathered via a collection system in the hutch and can be used as a source of
natural pesticide and quality fertilizer
Greatly improves the yield from the family's pre-existing garden.
COST BREAKDOWN
95% of the proceeds go directly to the beneficiary family
$10 per rabbit (10x3=$30 for three rabbits)
$250 for cage materials
Iron sheets (4), Timber, nails, wire mesh
Carpenter to help build each hutch
Transport costs varies based on where the household is identified
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Total: $280 per family for completely self- sustaining nutritional, financial, and educational support.