At 30 years old, Umuhoza Eugenie from Huye District has found success in an unexpected place—raising chickens. While balancing her daily job, she runs a poultry business, specializing in raising roosters for sale every three months. What started as a small idea is now changing her life in ways she never imagined.
Living in Simbi Sector, Cyendajuru Cell, Umuhoza always had an interest in poultry farming. However, it wasn’t until she landed a job through the CDAT project, which focuses on building terraces for local farmers, that she found the financial means to begin.
“This was my first job, and with my earnings, I decided to buy 14 chickens. I raised and sold them, then reinvested in 50 more. I had always wanted to do poultry farming, and I knew this was my chance,” she said.
Today, Umuhoza has 114 chickens, all raised with a clear purpose—to sell them at peak market value. She explains that poultry farming, particularly raising roosters, is highly profitable and easy to combine with other work.
“This business brings in quick returns. I bought each chicken for 2,700 Rwandan Francs (Frw), and in just three months, I can sell each for over 10,000 Frw. That means I’ll make more than 1 million Frw from this batch alone. The demand is always there—finding buyers is never a problem,” she said.
After covering feed costs, she earns around 6,000 Frw in profit per chicken, proving that even small ventures can be highly rewarding.
Umuhoza is determined to grow her business, setting an ambitious goal of raising 10,000 chickens in the future. She also wants to encourage young people to take action and start their own businesses, no matter how small.
“There is no such thing as a small project. You can start with just one chicken and build from there while still working another job. Keeping money in the bank without investing won’t help you grow,” she advised.
With the demand for poultry constantly rising, Umuhoza sees endless opportunities. While many farmers struggle to meet market needs, she is proving that with determination and the right mindset, success is always within reach.
