|
Imagine trying to find buyers for a batch of 800 chickens in one 'fowl' swoop - that was the problem local field manager, Phirun Oum, was tasked with at the end of every chicken cycle. It's fair to say a few feathers were getting ruffled in the process. Now, in a quantum leap forward we've just nailed daily supply! We've managed to switch from sporadic large-batch sales, to selling up to 30 chickens each day, all made possible by the new production coops at the microfarm. We're egg-static that Phirun's hard work's paid off and we've now got five happy customers regularly buying from us. Three of these customers sell fried chicken on one of the busy highways from the capital city to the flourishing southern coast. As Phirun explains, "daily supply cuts out unscrupulous middle-men and we get better prices for the franchisees as we keep our customers". Regular customers also know that by choosing Catalyst chickens they're helping the poor in their community (franchisees receive 100% of the profits for the chickens they've raised). Profit payments
In Cambodia to explore market opportunities in the NGO restaurant sector, Gerard accompanied Phirun on a recent profit payment trip to group seven franchisees. Happy to receive their profits, they expressed new-found hope for their future, and had only one question for Gerard: "When can we raise more chickens at a time so we make more profit?". Over time, they'll raise increasing numbers of chickens, but to decrease their business risk they start small. Without the programme, Muth Sinath and Chrun Vannak (pictured above receiving their profit payments) wouldn't have access to fast growing commercial-breed chickens, as the chicks are normally only sold to large-scale producers in Cambodia. Franchisee profile - Chrun Vannak Chrun Vannak used to be a builder until a cow charged into his back a year and a half ago in a rice paddy, tragically leaving him paralysed and unable to work. The family borrowed money to pay his USD$6,000 medical costs while he was in hospital, vulnerable to unethical doctors who repeatedly told him if he stayed just "one more week" he would be able to walk again. He has two steel rods in his back and the same doctors are now advising him that he will walk again if the steel rods are removed, for which he would be charged another $600. Back home after the accident with four children to support and only $7.00 in savings things seemed bleak. His younger children weren't able to attend school regularly as the only household income was from growing rice on three hectares of land. But last year he became a franchisee, once again able to contribute to household income. So far he's raised 157 chickens and earned a valuable profit of NZ$83.00, giving him renewed hope for the future.  Five things you didn't know about Cambodia
0 Comments
Three weeks ago our field manager, Phirun, was in a very serious motorbike accident. With 1,100 chickens to sell for the microfranchisees, Phirun was returning from a sales trip in heavy monsoon rain when he hit a pot-hole on the flooded road and came off his bike. He suffered a neck fracture and was completely paralysed from the neck down. As a small close knit team this was devastating news for us and we rallied to support Phirun and keep the programme going. After two nights in hospital in Cambodia, his family moved him to Vietnam by ambulance for better medical treatment where he stayed for a week. Since then, his healing has been miraculous. From being completely paralysed, every day Phirun has made a little more progress toward recovery... First he could sense touch on his legs, then he could move his feet a little. Next came some movement in his right hand, then his left, and then he was able to move his legs and arms a little. When they were able to move Phirun out of bed, initially he could not hold his own body up in a chair. With further improvement he could manage to hold his own body weight whilst sitting. And then, late last Saturday night we received a short video showing Phirun taking his first steps. Yep he is now starting to walk! Click here to see the video. Throughout this ordeal Um Phor, Phirun’s father, has been a pillar of strength, firmly and resolutely declaring his son's healing "with God's grace". The local user-pays healthcare system means Phirun's medical costs have totalled $2,800 to date, equivalent to a year's wages for a local NGO worker. To take this additional burden off Phirun’s family, who’ve sacrificed a great deal to work with us helping the ultra-poor, we've contributed $1,200 toward Phirun’s medical costs, and we'd be so grateful for any contributions you can make to help cover the balance of $1,600. It’s easy and will take less than 2 minutes – click here to help via our give-a-little page. With more recovery time, we're looking forward to Phirun's eventual return as a very valued member of the team. Thank you! Gerard & Hana
|
our storyWe founded Catalyst social enterprise after living in South East Asia and seeing first-hand the daily struggle rural villagers face in meeting their basic needs. Archives
December 2017
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed