Mt. Kilimanjaro, TZ – Pigs help family pay school fees stress-free – 13 Jan 2017

2017 is off to a smooth start for Laurenti after selling his four pigs at the end of 2016. The beginning of the year is usually a difficult time for families on Mt. Kilimanjaro because school fees are due for the first semester. Laurenti had cash on hand and was ready to pay school fees with no stress after selling his pigs.

In the past Laurenti used his salary for family expenses and school fees. This allowed him to use money from livestock and agriculture sales for life improvements. However, as his five school-age children have gotten older their school fees have increased and Laurenti’s salary is no longer enough to cover everything. The family is grateful that the pig-fattening business covered the children’s school fees.

Laurenti hoped the business would pay school fees and provide additional money so he could finish improving his kitchen with a new stove and cooking area. Unfortunately, he did not get as much profit from the pigs as he hoped. He kept the pigs in a local-style pig pen. This style of pig pen is less sanitary and less comfortable than Lishe Bora’s “Happy Pig” pig pen design. Poor living conditions increase stress and the likelihood of disease.

One of Laurenti’s pigs became sick and needed expensive treatment from a veterinarian. The others grew slower than expected which increased the total expenses of raising them. In the end Laurenti was still able to profit around 200,000 TZS (US $23.81) from sales of 750,000 TZS (US $357.14) for the four pigs combined. He paid his loan off early with bi-weekly repayments so the 750,000 TZS was a windfall that could be used entirely for school fees.

Not to be deterred, Laurenti is planning to apply for another pig-fattening loan and this time he hopes to use “Happy Pig” techniques to improve the profitability of his project.