Lots and Lots of Kukhuraa (Chicken!)

The past week I've really started getting into my work, tracking down the supply chain of backyard chickens. Kumar recruited his cousin Sandesh to translate for me. Sandesh is 17 and goes to school in Kathmandu, but he is home in Jhapa for a couple weeks. His English is spectacular, and he's been amazing help!! 

What I've learned: These value chains are among primitive markets that are oftentimes difficult to track. There is no fixed system, as I suspected. The non-fixed collector goes around in the villages to buy as many full grown chickens as he can find. For households, they are able to sell every 3-4 months, and all households I've spoken with so far have said their supply is not enough to meet the collector's demand. The collector either takes it straight to market and sells the chicken live to families himself or sells to butchers who dress and sell the chickens. 

If markets or butchers cannot sell all the chickens, they oftentimes sell to local hotels, with whom they have 'contracts.' I talked to two hotels, and again, it's a very informal system to obtain the chicken. The market vendor or butcher comes to the hotel almost daily to sell a fraction of what he has left from market that day. The hotels serve both backyard chicken and broiler chicken (broiler is a small, white, more commercialized chicken...different taste, too). The customer does not choose what type of chicken he or she is eating--the cooks just serve what they have, I suppose! 

There is also a middleman who collects from the villages and transports live chickens to Kathmandu, which is about a 12-hour bus ride. Supplying to Kathmandu is obviously more complex, seeing as the middleman has to worry about storing, transporting, and feeding the chicks so that they don't lose weight. Oftentimes by the time they chickens reach KTM they have already lost 100-200 grams. 

We visited a wholesale vet supply store and interviewed two Animal Community Health Workers (ACHW) at vaccines supply shops in the villages. Below, this woman and her husband have a shop to sell vaccines in the villages. This is their primary source of income. She has received training by Heifer! I plan to talk to a vet or two in the next couple of days as well as government entities in charge of chicken regulations. 

Upon leaving the villages yesterday we realized we were stuck there due to rain in the mountains flooding the river. There is a bridge half-built in this area, but there is no plan or timeline for it to to be completed. Sandesh said we could just wait it. One brave soul tried to cross on his motor bike but when he reached the other side his bike wouldn't start. You can imagine how often this happens during monsoon season! After about an hour and a half the current lessened and people started sloshing through pushing their bikes. Sandesh and I got brave and soaked and made it across! 

As for non-project related things, I've enjoyed spending time with my host family and the locals! There is a LOT of down time, so I've started playing solitaire with actual playing cards, and I'm on my last book that I packed. Yasoda (and everyone!) has been trying to teach me Nepali. I was sick for a few days, but thankfully cipro works like a pro! I probably should not have eaten that street food served on a newspaper with silverware they rinse off and share with every customer. Lesson learned! 

To close, here is a shot of the beautiful mountains seen from the villages! Namaste! 

Jhapa, Like Coming Home

I have made the move from big city to small town, and it feels. so. good. Dr. Keshav Sah, Animal Wellbeing Manager for Heifer Nepal, Sabina, who is also a vet for Heifer, and myself took a small plane from Kathmandu to Bhadrapur (Jhapa District) on Tuesday. Jhapa is in the very southeast corner of Nepal, bordering India. In Kathmandu when I told Nepalese I was headed to Jhapa they always said, "Jhaaaapa! Why you go there? So hot!" Stepping off the plane I felt it--that familiar wave of humidity felt in south Mississippi mid-August. But I could breathe fresh air! I could see trees! I could see mountains! Kathmandu, as fun and exciting as it is, is like lots of other big cities--crazy traffic, air pollution, ground pollution, screaming, honking, soliciting, scurrying.

A Heifer International driver picked us up in an air conditioned Toyota pick up truck--okay now I think I really am in Mississippi. Upon driving through the corn fields and tea gardens, "namastay-ing" to passerbys, I felt like I was coming home. I had arrived in the countryside. Peace, happiness, slow way of life, no worries mon! 

We drove about fifteen minutes to Birtamod, a fairly big hub of schools and shopping, then onward about 5 km to Shanischare-1 Khanipani, the small area in which I live with my host family. The number 1 denotes the Village Development Committee number. My home is beautiful and my family is even more beautiful and sweet and kind! I live with Ms. Rama Karki, her father, and her 18-year old daughter, Pranita. Ms. Karki has another daughter who is about my age...she is studying in Australia. Here is a picture of us! 

The first days in Jhapa were spent in the villages following a group from India filming a documentary. Recently, Heifer International Nepal partnered with GalvMed to pilot a Newcastle Disease vaccination project for backyard poultry in Jhapa. The evaluation of the pilot project turned out largely successful; there have been zero outbreaks of Newcastle Disease among backyard poultry in the target areas. So GalvMed came to film a documentary of the project's successes. It was a perfect way to be introduced to rural life in Jhapa--I was able to see and listen and learn...with no pressure! GalvMed's work overlaps beautifully with Cathrine's BYP project in India and Tyler's in Cambodia. Connection made! 

The villages are absolutely beautiful! Upon arrival, some women welcomed us with flowers and cooked us a yummy meal of dal bhat! It rained for hours afterwards, so we were stuck just sitting and talking (well, I was listening to Nepali). Here is myself, Dr. Keshav, and the Heifer International driver about to enjoy dal bhat in the village.

What I've learned in the field so far is that households with Backyard Poultry (BYP) have increased profit since the Newcastle Disease vaccination project. They have lost zero chicks due to ND. Women of the household are generally in charge of raising the chicks, and Heifer International coordinates women's groups that convene to talk about training and tactics. This initiative has led to increased women's empowerment in the villages, whereas before the ladies relied heavily on their husbands for their economic and social wellbeing. 

Every 3-4 months, a collector comes to pay for as many chickens as possible. For one woman I spoke with, because she sold 1 lot of chickens she could afford to build a new room for her family of 5. The houses are generally one bedroom unless the family has added on because of BYP sales or other sales. Many, if not most, households rely on BYP as their main source of income, though they oftentimes rear a few goats or cows as well. Here is a woman who is feeding her chicks. She is a member of a Heifer women's group!

That first day in the village is when I learned of the extremely laid-back, slow way of life here in the Nepali countryside. I thought Mississippians had a slow way of life, or even South Africans, but this is completely different. I have not seen a single person in a hurry for any reason. There are not really appointments, but more of vague plans that may or may not happen. Any time you visit a household, expect to sit to chat and have tea and most likely eat a homemade snack! Everyone is so hospitable! The population is somewhat small, so people know the gossip. Ms. Karki said that everyone around town is saying, "Who is that white girl on the back of Kumar's motor bike?!" I've gotten used to the staring. I just smile, and they smile back! 

Kumar is the director of a partner organization of Heifer. Heifer finds these partner organizations to implement and sustain projects in rural areas that do not have Heifer offices...great idea! So Kumar is my main contact here in Jhapa. His house is right next door, and the office of his organization is walking distance. He, his wife, and his two beautiful children had Sabina and me over for dinner last night. His son's name is Abhi, so it gets confusing...Abby vs. Abhi. Kumar is a writer, Tae Kwan Do master, and lawyer. I'm in good hands. 

Yesterday, Kumar's cousin took me around to the local markets to talk/translate to chicken sellers and butchers. My 'Rite in the Rain' fieldbook worked like a pro! It didn't stop raining, at minimum sprinkling, all day. I am attempting to stick to my work plan, but it's more of a go-with-the-flow work environment here. Any time I have access to a translator, I utilize that moment! 

It's now June 2nd, and I plan to be in Jhapa for about 3 more weeks. I will then most likely travel to Sunsari and Morgang districts, which are just to the west of Jhapa. Then I will hopefully visit Dang district in the midwest, then back to Kathmandu. I'm trying to plan a spare 1-3 weeks in KTM to visit more markets, write, and present my report. 

I will be really sad when I have to leave Jhapa district! Until then I will be enjoying the slooow way of life, my sweet host family, townies, BYP, momo, dal bhat, and tea! 

Namaste! From Jhapa!
Abby