Joint layer hen project delivers first affordable eggs

This media statement is also available in: Setswana

The joint layer hen project by AfriForum, Saai and the Princess Gabo Foundation, located on Blijdskap farm in the Thaba’Nchu area, reached a significant milestone in February with the first sales of eggs to local community members – approximately 20 dozen eggs were delivered. The primary aim of the project is to improve access to nutritious, protein-rich food at affordable prices for community members, particularly pregnant women and young children. The project forms part of Kgosi Gaboilelwe Moroka, Kgosi of the Barolong Boo Seleka’s agricultural development strategy, which is aimed at enhancing grassroots food security and creating opportunities for community members to earn a sustainable income.

The establishment of the Boschveld layer hen project in 2025 was made possible in part by a donation from the Internationaler Club im Auswärtigen Amt (ICAA) based in Berlin, Germany. In the initial phase, various challenges were encountered, including poultry mortalities, losses due to stray dogs and predators, storm damage and low egg production. However, these challenges provided valuable learning opportunities for the project staff at grassroots level and led to practical improvements in management, feeding and protection of the hens.

AfriForum and Saai are involved in the project through their agricultural development incubator, Resilient Regenerative Agricultural Initiative NPC (RRAIN).

“It is a sad reality that many pregnant women and young children do not have good access to nutritious food and especially to animal protein, which causes developmental problems in children. This project is a humble effort to make a real difference in children’s lives and I believe that it will inspire people to support the project so that it can grow as big as the dream we cherish. I would also like to express my gratitude to the ICAA, AfriForum and Saai for their contributions that make the project possible,” says Kgosi Gabo Moroka, founder of the Princess Gabo Foundation.

“This project demonstrates that sustainable community development is possible when role-players, grounded in shared values and vision, work together to promote food security and economic growth. The project enhances community self-reliance and self-sufficiency and actively focuses on avoiding the creation of dependency,” says Nantes Kelder, National Project Coordinator for Intercultural Relations and Cooperation at AfriForum.

“The project is about more than just eggs. It develops local skills, strengthens agricultural knowledge and builds a culture of self-reliance and responsibility. It contributes to economic activity and long-term community development,” says Leon Lourens, Development Coordinator at Saai.

According to Barend Uys, Head of Intercultural Relations and Cooperation at AfriForum, good relations and cooperation between different cultural communities, based on mutual recognition and respect, are essential to ensuring the prosperous and peaceful coexistence of communities at the southern tip of Africa. “It is a privilege for AfriForum to be part of the Cultural Communities Network that enables communities to find each other and work together to improve the lives of people at grassroots level,” concludes Uys.