Oregon Non-Profit Starts Self-Sufficient Emu Farm in India to Provide for Orphans and Widows

"Give a man an emu and you'll employ him for generations"

EUGENE, Ore., Feb. 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- India Partners (www.IndiaPartners.org) was recently awarded a $46,300 grant by the Vista Hermosa Foundation to start a self-sufficient emu farm in Andhra Pradesh, India. The emu farm will help to support an orphanage, as well as poor families and widows in remote villages.  

With one acre of land and 100 emus, the pilot community will initially sell the chicks, and eventually raise the birds for their meat, skin, bones, feathers and oil. Emus can be productive for as long as 30 years, laying between 20 to 30 eggs in a season. With such a long production life, emus could provide a form of sustainable agriculture for rural communities throughout India.

"India Partners believes the emu farm is in line with the Chinese proverb, 'Teach a man to fish and you'll feed him for a lifetime,'" said Brent Hample, India Partners' President/CEO. "The farm requires the initial purchase of the birds and the land, but it has the potential to provide for impoverished rural communities for generations."

India Partners will launch the emu project with a three-year plan:

• Revenue from the first year of operation of the farm will pay the expenses for the second year of operations.
• There will be additional growth (purchase of an incubator) and expenses (higher feed costs as the birds grow) in the second year.
• The sale of the chicks from the second year of operations will fund the third year of operations. After the third year, annual net revenue will increase to support operations, in addition to 24 orphans/children, 12 families and 24 widows.

To help stock the emu farm, India Partners is requesting donations from individuals and foundations to help meet the total project cost of $93,550. One emu can be donated for $175, but gifts of any amount are encouraged. To donate to India Partners' Emu Project, visit www.IndiaPartners.org, or call 877-874-6342.

Photos are available upon request.

About India Partners:

India Partners is a conduit to a broad group of indigenous faith-based grassroots agencies in India focused on alleviating poverty and injustice. India Partners believes in helping the people of India help themselves, regardless of caste, religion, gender or creed. We seek support from others who share our passion to empower change.

SOURCE India Partners