Orphaned and vulnerable youth across parts of Kenya often face an especially difficult set of circumstances: responsibility for younger siblings, no steady income, and limited options for continuing their education. Without some source of livelihood, many are forced to leave school early, cutting off longer-term opportunities in order to meet immediate survival needs.
Maryknoll is helping these young people build sustainable livelihoods through small-scale poultry farming. Participants receive chickens, ongoing veterinary support, and training in both animal care and basic business skills, equipping them to manage a small enterprise rather than simply receive a one-time handout. As their flocks grow, participants gain a renewable source of income through egg and poultry sales, along with improved food security for their own households.
This project reflects the Catholic Social Teaching principles of the Option for the Poor and Vulnerable and the Dignity of Work, recognizing that young people carrying adult responsibilities deserve both compassion and the practical tools to build a sustainable livelihood. It also carries forward Maryknoll’s charism of empowering rather than simply assisting, forming young people capable of supporting themselves and their families with dignity rather than remaining dependent on ongoing outside aid.
Gifts to this project provide chickens, veterinary care, and business training that help orphaned and vulnerable youth generate their own income, stay in school, support younger siblings, and build a more hopeful path toward adulthood.
