Mini Grant from QED Family Fund for Duck Farming Project, West Sumatera

In January 2010, Hope 4 Our Children received a mini grant from The QED Family Fund in the amount of $3,000 to implement the Duck Project. Hope 4 Our Children proceeds with collaborating with Panti Yayasan Wanita Islam Orphanage (YAWI Orphanage) in West Sumatera in implementing the Duck Project. After September 30, 2009 earthquake in West Sumatera, the living condition in the orphanages at becomes increasingly untenable and demands immediate interventions. Some of the orphans have been evacuated by their family members as most of the rooms were destroyed by the earthquake. Hope 4 Our Children funds a duck project at Panti Yayasan Wanita Islam Orphanage (YAWI Orphanage) for a couple of reasons. (1) to provide egg as source of nutrition for the orphans, (2) to provide livelihood training for the orphans by involving them in the farm maintenance, (3) to help YAWI Orphanage be a self sustained institution.

With the funding, YAWI Orphanage built the farm to place the ducks and bought 100 ducks. The orphanage sets up a schedule for students/orphans to maintain the duck farm. The students/orphans learn that in order to produce eggs, ducks need a good quality diet, protection from the elements and predators, and a clean environment. In addition, ducks need a high quality feed on a regular basis and vitamins. Food should be protected from light and heat, as these can cause rapid breakdown of vitamins that are crucial to ducks health. Insects and rodents carry bacteria and parasites that can make ducks sick, and should not be allowed to come in to contact with ducks’ food. Any food that is moldy, moist, or old should be thrown out and ducks should get plenty of feed daily. These are some of the farm maintenance tips that the students learn as they take turn in cleaning the cage and feeding the ducks.

Hope 4 Our Children hires a consultant to oversee the implementation of the project and to provide expertise to the project. The consultant, Riza Andesca, is a graduate student majoring in Animal Husbandry at Andalas University. He provides his expertise in building and maintenance of the duck farm. He visits the orphanage once to twice a week to monitor the project implementation phase and to ensure that the project is implemented within the target.