Claude Mills, Staff Reporter
Two members of the Manchioneal Community Club Broiler project, feeding the chickens.
IN THE charming town of Manchioneal, Portland, it is the chickens that hold sway.
Home to the Manchioneal Community Club Broiler project, winner of the inaugural Michael Manley Foundation Award for Community Self-reliance, the running joke is that this project is for the birds.
It's no laughing matter for the 5,000 residents, though the project and its spin-offs have given this community wings. Residents have been using the fowl-rearing initiative to fuel economic activities and other projects in the community, and long-time supporters got the last cluck when it won the prestigious award earlier this month.
The community is still beaming from the achievement. "Mi proud of the whole thing 'cause nobody showed us what to do, this is something we did for ourselves," said Vernice Gray, a founding member of the project. "The project helps the community, and we are glad someone else has recognised that," said Miss Gray who tends the chickens daily.
The award, worth $100,000, is to be presented annually to a community-based project which most exemplifies the Jamaican tradition of community involvement and self-help. For the inaugural award, 18 projects from several parishes were submitted and were judged by a panel of seven judges, chaired by attorney-at-law David Coore, Q.C.
The presentation was made at the Little Theatre, Tom Redcam Avenue, Kingston earlier this month. Special guest speaker Randall Robinson, president of the TransAfrica Forum, USA, Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, former Prime Minister Hugh Shearer and Mr. Manley's widow, Glynne Manley, attended the function.
"The project helps to eradicate shortage of meat, supports local businesses through our 14-day credit facility, and assists in providing examination fees and lunch expenses for school children within the community," said president Denroy Palmer.
Helping young people
Founded in 1988 as a Bird Broiler Rearing Project, the Manchioneal Community Club had 450 birds at the outset through a grant from the Social Development Commission. Now it rears more than 2,000 birds a year helping young people to stave off temptations like drug-trafficking and other criminal dealings. Cattle-rearing is also a possibility, says the club.
The project is managed by clubbites (under age 30) who are taught how to manage a broiler project with the intention that they can take these skills to their own businesses, which they are encouraged to start. Leadership of the project is rotated monthly, giving members vital hands-on experience in various areas.
"We also give individuals grants to start their own project, and on slaughter day, we employ two or three persons from the community to help out," Mr. Palmer said.
The project operates a crop fertilisation programme which uses the poultry residue as organic fertiliser for farmers and some householders. "The Manchioneal Youth Club has brought a sense of purpose to the residents in the community," he said.
The club is also an engine that drives the educational improvement of youth in the community, providing grants for computer courses, financial aid for needy students, as well as financial assistance to the club's two football teams.
The Manchioneal football club reached the knock-out finals, and won a mid-season final as well as trophies for "Best-Kept Grounds", and "Most-Organised Club". It has about 107 members from age 10 to 60 and members are given the opportunity to lead its Sunday afternoon meetings as a way of developing leadership qualities.
When the news team last week visited the broiler project, located under a large almond tree, the project had been scaled down to 150 birds because of the lack of water.
"It is expensive to purchase water to feed chickens so we have been forced to cut back," Mr. Palmer said.
"However, in the next few months, when the water woes abate, we will expand the project using some of our prize money to get a bigger coop and more layers," he said.
"There is a growing demand for eggs in the community and we hope to tap into the market," he explained.
Mr. Palmer is trying also to get a Fishermen's Co-operative started so the fishermen can benefit from economies of scale by purchasing gear in bulk as well as accessing Government funding.
In the meantime though, Manchioneal is pinning its financial fortunes on the breasts of its fine-feathered friends.
