Manitoba Donations Grow 200 Chickens, Feed 80K Kenyans

When Dale Friesen visited a small town in Kenya, he met a couple who started with just two chickens and a lot of hope. Today, they have 200 birds, sell eggs throughout their community, and run a growing business that feeds their family.

This transformation happened because Manitoba farmers donated crops to help people half a world away. Friesen works with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, a charity that turns donated grain and cash into life-changing projects across 37 countries.

Manitoba led all Canadian provinces last year with over $2.2 million raised through 40 farming projects covering 5,000 acres. When Canadians donate, the federal government matches it four times over, turning every dollar into five dollars of impact.

Friesen's February trip to Kenya showed him exactly where that money goes. He visited Marsabit, a town that went four years without a single day of rain between 2021 and 2024.

Despite those impossible conditions, Canadian support helped farmers learn drought-resistant farming techniques. One woman doubled her crop yield after receiving agriculture education. Communities started savings programs using their own income, creating financial safety nets where none existed before.

The Foodgrains Bank served more than 80,000 people across 12 projects in Kenya alone last year, with a total budget of $9.1 million. Worldwide, the charity helped over one million people facing hunger.

Why This Inspires

Only one person showed up to Friesen's presentation at a Brandon church last week, but that didn't dampen the message. Pastor Andrew Lortie came because his congregation supports the charity, and he wanted to see proof their donations mattered.

He found exactly what he hoped for. The renewable agriculture projects excite him most because they create years of support, not just temporary relief.

Friesen keeps returning to one thought from his trip. "These are real people in real places," he said, looking at photos of Kenyan farmers standing beside their new chicken coops and thriving gardens.

Fifteen Canadian churches fund this work together, setting aside theological differences to tackle a shared mission. They're making progress against a staggering challenge: 757 million people worldwide still experience hunger, with war driving most of that crisis.

Next January, Friesen heads to Bangladesh for another learning tour, ready to put more faces and names to the numbers.

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