For many rural women in India, keeping a few chickens in the backyard has been part of everyday life. The birds provide eggs, occasional income, and food for the household, but their potential as a reliable livelihood and source of nutrition often remains unrealized. Sonam Kumari and Kamlesh Kumari know this reality well. Both grew up around backyard poultry and saw how traditional practices, limited technical knowledge, disease outbreaks, and high chick mortality could prevent small flocks from becoming more productive. They also understood that with the right knowledge and support, backyard poultry could become a small, sustainable enterprise while contributing to better family nutrition.

Through Hatching Hope, HarvestPlus Solutions, working with its partners, is equipping women not only to improve their own poultry businesses, but also to share knowledge, strengthen community support systems, and create pathways for other women to participate in the poultry value chain. Rather than relying on external experts to reach every household, the model creates a local network of women with the skills to provide ongoing technical support. This approach enabled both women to become Master Trainers under the Hatching Hope program, empowering them to help other rural women adopt more scientific and sustainable poultry management practices.

Turning knowledge into change

For Sonam, the challenge was helping women move away from familiar practices towards approaches they had little exposure to. Vaccination schedules, balanced feeding, biosecurity, and appropriate housing were new concepts for many of the women she worked with. Mobilizing women for training was another challenge. Many had to balance training sessions with household responsibilities, while some initially expected the program to provide free inputs rather than technical knowledge. Sonam also had to manage the demands of travelling to remote villages while balancing her own family responsibilities.

Kamlesh faced a different form of resistance. Although she had kept desi hens in her backyard for years, poultry keeping was rarely viewed as a serious farming activity. When she began training other women on vaccination and deworming, some questioned whether a woman could teach them how to manage their chickens. Travelling between villages and taking on responsibilities such as organizing training, coordinating with self-help groups and government officers, and maintaining records also required her to develop new professional skills.

Neither woman tried to overcome these challenges through words alone. They relied on practical demonstrations, regular field visits and follow-up, allowing results to build confidence. When women began seeing healthier birds, lower chick mortality and growing flocks, attitudes started to change. For Kamlesh, women who had initially questioned her began encouraging their own daughters to attend her trainings. For Sonam, women who experienced the benefits of improved poultry management became advocates within their own communities.

“Through trust, hands-on training, and continuous support, we empowered rural women to adopt scientific poultry farming and improve their livelihoods,” Sonam said.

Building trust through community networks

A key strength of the Hatching Hope approach is its reliance on existing community structures. Sonam works closely with JEEViKA Self-Help Groups, Poultry Resource Persons and community leaders in Bihar. These networks provide trusted entry points into villages and help mobilize women for training and follow-up.

In Uttar Pradesh, Kamlesh works through self-help groups and coordinates with the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission (UPSRLM) staff and other trainers. This community-based approach means that women are not receiving advice from someone unfamiliar with their circumstances. The trainers themselves come from similar communities, keep poultry, and understand the practical challenges women face.

That shared experience helps turn technical knowledge into something women can see and apply in their own households.

Training trainers, not just farmers

Sonam and Kamlesh’s work is centered on the Train-the-Trainer model designed to keep knowledge within communities. Under the model, Master Trainers are equipped with technical knowledge, standard operating procedures, and refresher training. They then build the capacity of Poultry Resource Persons and other women who provide support directly to poultry-keeping households.

For Kamlesh, this community ownership is particularly important. Women are more likely to trust advice when they can see it working in the backyard of someone they know. For Sonam, practical demonstrations and household visits are more effective than classroom-based instruction alone.

The approach also goes beyond poultry production. Both trainers incorporate nutrition awareness into their work, encouraging families to consume eggs and poultry as part of their diets while also helping women understand poultry as a source of income.