This is what family strengthening can look like.
Jimmy is a husband and father in Northern Uganda who participated in the second cohort of Otem Collective’s Parent Support Groups.
Like many families in his village, Jimmy and his wife have worked hard to provide for their children and build a more secure future for their family. Through the Parent Support Groups, they began learning new ways to strengthen their family—not only through parenting and healthier relationships, but also through saving, planning, and working toward goals together.
As part of the program, Jimmy joined a savings group (and even became his group’s leader!), where families save small amounts of money together each week and can access loans to invest in their households and livelihoods.
Over time, Jimmy began thinking about how he could turn those savings into a more sustainable source of income for his family. He saw an opportunity in poultry farming, and together, he and his wife began saving and gathering the resources they would need to start.
In May, they were ready.
Jimmy invested about $164 from their savings to purchase 200 chicks and start his own poultry business.
And just a few months later, that investment is already paying off.
By July, Jimmy had sold 100 of the mature chickens for $2.65 each, earning about $265. He is raising the remaining 100 birds until October, when he expects they will be worth between $8-$11 each.
For Jimmy, this is more than just a poultry project and a new source of income. It’s a sign that the small steps he and his wife have taken saving together, learning together, and planning together are beginning to bear fruit.
Jimmy shared:
“I feel more secure now, and my family is becoming more stable because of the knowledge my wife and I have gained through Otem Collective. Our home is becoming stronger because of the support we have received, ”
And he’s not stopping here.
With renewed confidence, Jimmy is now dreaming bigger. His next goal is to expand his poultry business to 500 birds, creating an even stronger source of income for his household. Eventually, he hopes to use what he has learned to mentor other families in his community who want to raise poultry and create income of their own.
Jimmy’s story is a beautiful example of what family strengthening can look like. It’s not one intervention or one moment that changes a family’s future. It’s parents gaining knowledge and confidence. It’s a husband and wife learning to plan together. It’s having the opportunity to turn an idea into a source of income that can help provide for their children.
Little by little, those changes add up to a stronger, more stable family—and a more secure future for children.