Sustainability: Teacher's Salaries and The Pigs

At the farm, on this 32-acre plot, nearly 98% of the land is developed providing food for the orphanage and for market. There are experimental plots for teaching, and a Nursery for propagation. I saw corn, mangos, bananas, and vegetables growing. A maize mill has been built and is run as a small micro-industry providing milling to the local community. There are plans to install an irrigation system allowing the land to produce three crops a year instead of the two, which is established already.

Then there are pigs being raised and sold supporting the teacher’s salaries. At fours weeks, piglets are sold for $15. Others, when grown to full size at approximately six months weighing 80-100 pounds, are sold for $200 and more. A sow can be sold for $100 when she is done breeding.

Currently, Unit #1 has been built with 20 stalls and is 80% complete. Each stall holds up to 6 pigs. At a cost of $6,000, Unit #1 can be completed and Units #2 and #3 can be built. When this is in full operation Nserester will make $40,000/year covering 100% of the teacher’s salaries. If they had the $6,000 right now the salaries would be totally supported by the raising of pigs. They are on their way, with or without a donation.