My name is Eyob Belete Demeke, and I am the manager of Yirga Ayalew and Friends Poultry Production Enterprise. Our team of six members are returnees from Saudi Arabia, and we had the opportunity to receive poultry production training at ESD’s Birhan Training Center.
After completing the training, we received 90,000 birr as startup capital and started our business with 1,500 chickens. Today, our farm has grown to 6,000 chickens—5,500 egg-laying hens and 500 meat hens for sale during public holidays. Currently, we sell around 40,000 eggs per week. Since establishing the enterprise, all six members of our team have gotten married and started families, and we are earning about 200,000 birr per month.
We dream of establishing the MASH Layer Chicken Feed Production Company and have already secured an investment site to expand our business. We have created jobs for three additional young men and established market linkages, including selling chicken waste for cattle fattening. The government recognized our efforts, rewarding us as the best enterprise and inviting us to share our experience with others.
We are truly grateful to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) for the training and support that made this journey possible, helping us achieve both economic growth and community impact.