Work, Work, Work July 21, 2023

Not much time to write. Over this last five days, Mama Brandy's farm has exploded with action. But first, rewind to the beginning. Right after we bought the last of the supplies, Brandy and I sat down to run the numbers.  More than a few price spikes really had us concerned. He did the legwork just two weeks earlier and got accurate quotes from all the vendors. However, inflation in Kenya causes prices to increase every week. 

We calculated how much more would be needed to complete the work. This included labor, transportation, vaccines for the chickens, 5 months of feed and medicine (the time it would take before they start producing eggs), and an emergency fund. We had not even started the actual work, and we were WAY over budget. We brought Mama Brandy into the conversation and decided that we needed to spend the night praying and considering our options. Things weren't looking good at all.

I woke up the next morning to the normal sounds of dishes being washed, floors sloshing with mop water, and the ladies working in the kitchen to heat our water for the day. I was surprised to make my way out of the house and see Brandy already at work on the foundation for the coop. I sat to drink my morning coffee, and Mama joined. We were quiet for a while, and then she said, "We have a solution." I was still waking up, but I was more than ready to hear what she came up with: labor. We would save on labor. Mama may not have a lot of money or valuable resources, but the one thing she does have in abundance is boys. She said plain and simple, "They want to eat eggs....They work." This calm little farm has been bustling with all the boys and their families, pulling together to make this happen. More than that, community members would be passing by, hear about the work, and stop in to serve and work. One man stayed the whole day dressed in his off work clothes! 

From sun up to sun down, everyone worked. We are all dirty and exhausted, but it is finally done. The goal was to build a coop that could facilitate the 100 chicks and allow for growth for up to 200, but because of Brandy's ingenuity, the coop is capable of hosting WAY more. He included a cheap addition of an extra couple feet in height to allow for a  second level to be added. Mama's Kuku coop can hold over 400 chickens!!!! Check out the work that went into this glory, and the story of a community that pulled together.