Once upon a time, in a village in the outskirts of Musanze in northern Rwanda, there lived a father, Michel who was worried for his family’s future.
Looking over his small plot he felt downhearted. His one room makeshift house was far too small for his four children. There was never enough food to go round, and he was constantly worried about his five-year-old son, Pascal who has severe physical and learning disabilities. There just wasn’t enough money to feed the family, pay for the children’s schooling needs, keep the ramshackle roof from leaking, let alone pay for the medical care Pascal needed. The list of worries seemed to grow with each season.
One day, Michel was introduced to our local outreach team who told him that his worries could be eased with just one pig. This sounded like a fairy tale to Michel, it must be a trick. “How can one pig solve my problems, a pig can’t fix the roof, a pig can’t help my son walk”, he thought. But the team explained the Big Pig Project to him: We gift a family a pregnant pig. Once the pig gives birth, the piglets can be sold to other families and the pigs manure can be used to fertilise crops.
Still unsure but willing to try, Michel agreed to take the pig. John Paul, our Vet, helped the family construct a pigsty, vaccinated the pig and trained Michel in how to look after it. Within a few weeks the pig gave birth to a litter of ten piglets.
He gave three piglets to other families much like his, he sold some and made some money. He bred the pig again and the cycle continued.
So how did these piglets change Michel’s and his family’s life?
Well, 8 years on Michel now has a larger plot of land and has a larger house made of bricks. He grows plenty of vegetables for his family, and has chickens and a cow, all of which have provided essential nutrition to help Pascal, now 12, grow stronger. And the extra income the pigs bring in pays for Pascal’s medical insurance and transport to hospital.
In front of his house, Michel has an abundance of banana trees. When asked if they are for his family he laughs and tells us he sells the bananas.
“My family can’t possibly eat that many bananas.
They grow so abundantly because of the pig manure.”
So, thanks to one pig, a father has a sustainable, independent income. A family now has a safe, dry and warm home. Four children are well fed. A child has his medical and disability needs met. And every year, 10 little piggies are sold to other families who can then repeat the cycle and create an income for themselves.