The photographer caught Mr Bob Mwapinda selling the Livebirds chickens to customers, Mrs B Mtisi is a loyal customer of Livebirds and has just bought 5 chickens for a total of 30us.

Livebirds Zimbabwe

OCTOBER LIVEBIRDS UPDATES, prayer requests

OCTOBER LIVEBIRDS UPDATES.

The Livebirds team members managed to slaughter half the chickens that were at the farm with the remainder being slaughtered after a week.Bob, Gladys and Tonderai went to the farm with Donald Mashinge , the new driver, and spent the day slaughtering the chickens. 98 chickens were ready for slaughter, some were sold alive(we are LiveBirds after all) and the rest(77)were slaughtered. Most customers had already been sourced for the chickens and today is distribution day, where all the chickens are being supplied to customers. We thank the Lord for the taxi which is a great help to the poultry business.

Just as things were taking shape a month ago and we were busy closing the gap(a statement coined to mean having a weekly supply of chickens) we encountered a challenge, we got a call from the farm owner notifying us that he was venturing into mining and wanted to use the facilities that we were using . He had already contracted the Chinese miners who flooded the place within a week, the chickens were hurriedly moved to another place on the farm where they are being kept, we thank him a lot for allowing us to use the farm all these months..We are currently scouting around for a place to keep the chickens, we have gone to two places where we inspected to see whether we can move there.

We have not been buying chicks within the last 3 or so weeks since we are trying to find another place to keep the chickens. We are hopeful that we will get the place, should. We have 97 chickens left at the farm that are being kept by Tonderai, a very strong willed and hardworking member.

Please pray for Livebirds especially in view of this challenge facing us.

Misheck

Livebirds Team Leader, Zimbabwe

new batch AGAIN

We have managed to buy another batch of 100chicken that we delivered last Friday, the 14th of September.
Bob Mwapinda(a Livebirds member) and Joseph Musiya(Livebirds Driver) delivered the chickens.

The chickens came amid a time when we were still low about the chickens that had been stolen at the farm. We intend to deliver at least a hundred chickens per week(or every fortnight-should we face any challenge). Challenges are normally from the suppliers that sometimes fail to deliver the chickens on schedule.

We are currently selling the chickens that we slaughtered within the past fortnight and have a target of selling them all by the 30th of September, we shall give feedback on whether we have attained that goal or not.

Photo shows the chickens that were delivered last Friday at the farm.
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LIVEBIRDS TEAM Zimbabwe

Theft at the farm

It is with a heavy heart that we report of a theft that took place on Friday the 14th of September when 28 chickens were missing. The thieves broke through the planks that had been nailed neatly to close a door, permanently. The entrance was nolonger used and this is the entrance that the thieves used to break through.

We lost twenty eight(28) chickens. The chickens were almost ready for market , the photo attached shows the entrance that they used when it was still under construction in July. Hardlife Moyana , who was at the farm, is very demotivated at the theft. He feared that we may be strict on him and make him pay, something which he is incapable of doing. We met as team and decided to write off the theft(after reporting to the police, who are 26kms away).

We have moved the chickens to another room which is safer and under lock and key.
Pray for the success of the business, and the security as well as that we get customers for all our chickens when we slaughter them, we are targeting to sell all our chickens that we slaughtered recently by the end of the month(Sept).

Livebirds Team, Zimbabwe

yet another batch slaughtered!!

On Friday the 7th we managed to slaughter a 100 more chickens, we will slaughter another 80 next week.
We thank God for the healthy chickens, they are pretty big and our customers are very happy at the size.

We failed to buy a 100 more last Friday but this week we shall deliver about 100 chickens, as well as next week so that we have a constant supply again next month. The team members slaughtered 171 chickens a week and half ago, they still have a few left in the freezer and we added the 100 that we slaughtered last Friday. We hope we will sell all the chickens within this month, including the 80 that we will slaughter next week

Good day
LIVEBIRDS Zimbabwe Team

for that Live taste

This recent photo shows the chickens that are partitioned, we have managed to buy 5different lots of chickens, meaning that we are just a week away from "closing the gap", a statement that that was coined between the Livebirds Zim and USA leaders which means a situation where we will be able to slaughter a batch of chickens, which automatically means that we will be supplying businesses and individuals on a weekly basis.

We thank God for the taxi which is making life easier, we managed to buy three batches of chickens these past 3 weeks, and there is Hardlife who joined recently, a huge blessing to Livebirds. Hardlife is worthy a full article of himself which we shall upload soon. We thank God for the team and we pray that God's hand be upon this business venture. The main goal is to have at least 700 chickens in stock  and more than two taxis cashing in every week, Yes-we can
 
Good day
Livebirds Zim Team

new Batch

photo shows 110 chickens ,4 feeding troughs and some watering troughs bought last Friday. We are buying an average of a 100chickens every week so that we have a constant supply of chickens to our customers.
Gone are the days when we had to wait for another month to get another batch of chickens ready for sale.

We thank God for Hardlife who is looking after the chickens this week. We want to be the leading suppliers of chickens in Zimbabwe and we are optimistic and determined to make LIVEBIRDS a household name through consistent supply of chickens. Next time you have a party, a braai or any function think of our LIVEBIRDS chickens, our hotlines are 0772551432(Misheck), 0774038968(Bob), 0772929836(Floridah), 0773767115(Gladys)

Good day
Livebirds Team, Zimbabwe

SLAUGHTERING DAY

Today( Tuesday the 17th) is slaughtering day. We are slaughtering 168 chickens that are ready for the market. Photo shows Gladys and Florida slaughtering the chickens.

We are optimistic that this business is a resounding success and in the right trackMay GOD bless Livebirds!

Good day,
Livebirds Team.

Its Business as Usual at LIVEBIRDS

Photo show Gladys, Misheck , Bob and Da-da during a Livebirds meeting. We were deliberating about when to buy another batch of 100chicks and how to create more space for the new chicks.

Misheck Mlambo
(Livebirds, Zimbabwe)

Meet Hardlife Moyana, the new Livebirds Member

Meet the new LIVEBIRDS member, Hdrdlife Moyana. The photo shows Hardlife playing with his new phone that was given to him for easy comms at the farm.

He is captured attending to some chickens at the farm. Hardlife is hardworking and has brought some new ideas about keeping chickens.He brought a brilliant idea that helped stop the death of many chicks during these cold days that we are experiencing in Zimbabwe.
When Hardlife came in the picture we were losing chickens because of the cold spell in Zimbabwe, in June and July Zimbabwe is usually very cold with ground temperatures below zero in some areas, this results in many chickens dying especially when the chickens are still below 20days of age.
Hardlife brought a brilliant idea, he collected all the 2litre plastic bottles at the farm(we always have many lying around because of the Mazoe drink that we buy always).

Every morning around 3am(when it begins to be really  cold)he fills all the 13 containers with hot water , and wraps the containers with a newspaper to retain the heat for a longer period. The bottled,warm water provides warmth to the chickens for about 4hours and we recorded a very significant drop in the death of the chicks since two weeks ago when he started it. When he was questioned he said that he learnt that technique from his grandmother who used to rear 100 chickens for sale every two months.

We managed to buy some bulbs that provide warmth to the chickens but still some chickens were buying, Hardlife’s method proved effective-though it means putting a 25 litre container of water every morning around 2am. Last week Friday we delivered 110chickens to the farm and the 110 are all alive when I checked this morning. The idea is to have 800 or more chickens at the farm at any given time and we are closing the gaps, a statement that we coined recently which means that we have to sell a 100 chickens every week and we are buying a 100 chickens every week to close any gap after a month(ie closing a gap where we would have had  a week without slaughtering chickens)

May God bless LIVEBIRDS, and our friends in America.

Misheck Kugodah Mlambo
(for LIVEBIRDS,Zimbabwe)

LIVEBIRDS ON TRACK!

LIVEBIRDS Business last Friday bought another 100 chickens to the farm, we now have 440 chickens in 3different batches, the 1st batch will be ready for sale on the 15th of July, before then we would have bought another batch of 100 chickens.

Hardlfe Moyana(the new Livebirds member) is a responsible young man and has been at the farm for the past 10days-the chickens are very healthy and well-looked after, the brooders are neat and cleaned daily.

We thank God for moving with us so far, and for giving us such good friends as Warehouse 242 church in Charllotte,USA.

The recent taxi business is doing very well, we have received $240-00 yesterday(Monday) for the week, we have recepted over $1200 so far for this month and half that the taxi has operated, we thank God for the viability of this project. The driver cashes in $240-00 weekly  if we do not use the taxi but around $200 per week when we use the car for LIVEBIRDS business.


In Christ,
Misheck Mlambo
Livebirds Team Leader-Zimbabwe

LiveBirds' Expansion

LiveBirds is EXPANDING! Although not in the way you might think…

The iconic architect, Frank Lloyd Wright once said, "Regard it just as desirable to build a chicken house, as to build a cathedral."

We tend to agree with him.

 After a year and some months in our ‘live’ study of income generating activities, specifically, ‘LiveBirds,’ the hope-filled chicken business continuing as we speak on Zimbabwean soil, we continue to contemplate the reality that we are learning more radical lessons that we could ever digest while sitting behind the pulpit.  The highlights:  We’re learning how to link minds, hearts, and souls while rising above the challenges of communicating ideas, business plans, and even ourselves through Skype and instant messaging spanning time-zones, cultural differences, and spotty connections.  We’re learning that Zimbabweans are generally clothed in gratitude not in spite of but maybe because of their suffering—and that even across worlds, gratitude is contagious.  And we’re learning the truth that we are entering into quite fertile and sacred territory when the people on the ‘ground’ (in our case, our now beloved Zimbabwean friends running the business), start generating ideas themselves instead of relying on us for them. 

Enter: Headlights lighting the way on the beauty of expansion.

A few months ago, ‘Misheck,’ LiveBirds business manager excitedly came to us with an idea the team had been pondering while faithfully and persistently generating healthy chicks and hard-won yet growing sales amidst glaring obstacles.  You see, we’re also learning that any hope-filled, sacred venture joining minds and souls that has the potential to change generations of lives always presents obstacles… like pot-holes when you least expect them.  Previously, the biggest obstacle presenting itself to LiveBirds was transportation.  Cars are luxuries in Zimbabwe and the cost of transporting the team and chickens to and from the farm as well as delivery to the customer is steep, not to mention cumbersome.  What’s more, generating new sales is tough without means to present a pitch at the door of new prospects around and outside the city of Mutare, the team’s headquarters.  Remarkably, the team’s idea seeks to ingenuously solve more than one business obstacle simultaneously while transcending possibility in a whole new road of direction. 

So without further ado, we present you with the idea that is now a reality and can be seen traveling across roads in Zimbabwe merging LiveBirds’ chicken business with…

THE NEW LIVEBIRDS’ TAXI BUSINESS!

 Seated behind the wheel is our proud and newest employee, Joseph Musiya.  We’ve heard that Joseph can be seen in between jobs mercifully waxing the car, and frankly it’s the reality of employing yet another Zimbabwean that excites us most.  The deal consists of Joseph working to own the car after months of converting sales he derives from the taxi back to LiveBirds, creating dignity for himself and hope for his future.  Conjointly the money from Joseph’s sales creates revenue for LiveBirds’ chicken business at a time that demands an increasing supply of chicks while providing integral transportation needs to the LiveBirds team as a whole.  The taxi also serves as a marketing tool to get the word out about the LiveBirds business while building valuable relationships in the community.

We hope you can sense our excitement.  More than that, we hope you join with us in prayer and expectation for what is ahead.  This marks our expansion in business, employment, partnership, ownership, and most of all our awe of what happens within the sacred architecture of possibility.  We promise to continue to track with you on this road of expansion, knowing that God’s glory is spread across a chicken house and into the cathedral of our hearts that He seeks to reside in every moment of every day. 

Chicks at 20 days: Healthy and Growing!!

The Face of LIVEBIRDS: An Interview with Floridah

Meet another employee of LIVEBIRDS.  This time the spotlight falls on Floridah.  In this brief interview, you will meet a woman of compassion and commitment. 

§  How did you find about Livebirds?  

I first learned of Livebirds from Misheck, when he was working as Officer for
Orphans and Vulnerable children through SIM. I met him in the beginning stages, before Livebirds was established when a team from Warehouse 242 arrived to see how they can begin income generating activities in Zimbabwe.

§  What were you doing before?

Prior to Livebirds, I was volunteering my time as a caregiver who looks after orphaned children in the community. 

§  What role do you play in the Livebirds business?
I am a salesperson responsible for selling the chickens when they come from the farm. I also provide a refrigerator which stores about sixty chickens after they are butchered and which I then use to sell in the community around me.

§  Tell me about the rest of your life... I am 43 years old and have three children.  My husband used to work at a place called Border Timbers and was forced to leave due to cut-backs within the company.  At this time I was struggling to raise my children until last year when he eventually found employment and is now working and can afford to look after the family.

§  What does an average day look like for you?
I am a housewife in addition to being a salesperson.  When I am not at home or at church I will either be paying visits to the orphaned children in my community. I also meet many customers on my trips to and from Mutare to Chikanga, where I live.

§  Can you tell a little about your testimony?

I was brought up in a Christian family, and am married to a Christian man.  We both strive to raise our children in a Godly way. I also have a passion for orphaned and needy children and enjoy helping them through visiting them on a regular basis and by providing support and companionship to them.

§  What can we be praying for you personally about?
Pray for my family, and that my children will be Godly and bright in their schoolwork.

§   What do you love most about Zimbabwe?  

I love the many friendly people, who are so caring even when they have so little to give. I also love that our culture values an extended family system that seeks to look after the needy in our society. 

§  Lastly, please say anything you would like for us here in America to know about you.
I am a respectable woman, cool, and reserved. I love using my time constructively and seeking to help others.

Update about Progress(LIVEBIRDS ZIMBABWE)

Greetings Friends!
We apologise for infrequent updates on our webpage-we shall do better.
We thank God that we managed to sell all the 100 chickens that we had in February and March.
Currently we have 169 healthy, strong birds in inventory.

We are working hard that we secure sales so that soon as they are mature we will sell them in a week or two. The loss rate is at 16% vs goal of 7%. We are looking to improve in the next batch that we should buy within these next two weeks. We intend to have a steady supply of chickens in and around Mutare.
We thank God for the money that we received for the delivery truck-cum-taxi. We shall buy a strong vehicle which shall be used for deliveries as well as doubling as a taxi. 
 
We thank God for the very committed business members, we hope the enthusiasm continues...recently one of us(Bob) was struck by a scorpion whilst at the farm, we thank God that the scorpions around are not poisonous.

Mish
Livebirds Team Leader

THE FACE OF LIVEBIRDS: MEET BOB

Bob’s real name is Lucky.  For reasons I will never completely understand, I’ve been privileged to find the true ironic beauty behind his name.  At first glance, his life’s travails haven’t contained a whole  lot of luck in the traditional sense of the word— meaning the stars, even as bright as they are under the African sky,  have not aligned for him in the way Hollywood movies portend, and , he’s certainly not a millionaire (yet).  But, I’m learning life is more about perspective in regards to luck anyway…and thanks to Bob, his perspective continues to rub off on my soul too.

I first met him when I was working on a blog entry of all things (as if the beauty of Foreshadowing sat in the room with us).  My head buried behind my laptop on the end of a long wooden table in a room that is the office of ‘Hope for Aids’ in Mutare, Zimbabwe, my crazed, curly hair sticking out the sides of the monitor.  I wasn’t trying to be rude.  It was just that I found myself in a frenetic trance of architecting words into meaning.   I was quite preoccupied as is typical when I write, much preferring to be alone and away from any distractions, but resorting to the only place that I knew had wireless internet accessible to me in the entire city.  I came to the country to meet such dynamic souls such as Bob, yet in these moments, all I wanted to do was finish my first blog, so I could ‘ship’ it off to my loved ones, internet-posted, as a present to them on Thanksgiving Day, sharing with them my first week of adventures and gratitude in a land I had already come to love. 

Bob came and sat in one of the wooden chairs that lined three-quarters of the naturally-lit room.  To be honest, I’m not sure if I remember him entering, his lean figure somehow treading lightly past me.  But then when I looked up toward the ceiling, lost in thought as if hoping to catch the ‘right’ word in the breeze that could be heard in the rustling of the trees outside coming in through the open windows of the room, my eyes spotted him out of the corner of my eye.  As I introduced myself, instead of a handshake he offered me something called ‘tapenda’ the native Zimbabwean Shona term for dried anchovy that my senses immediately alerted me to.  Looking back, I think he was testing me... in his subtle yet appraisingly resourceful way I think he wanted to see if I was worth talking to—the privileged white American woman adventurer I all but claimed to be, but of which I stood out like a ‘privileged white American woman’ does  the same way a Zimbabwean elephant stands out in a room for us. Thankfully, I obliged even as I tried to hide my grossed-out expression as I expressly chewed and swallowed, proudly managing an awkward smile in the midst of my distasteful gastronomical experience.  He nodded back as if handing me an unspoken inclusionary ticket to his world.  I was in, and looking back, I covet my instinctual choice that would align our world together as friends.   

I soon learned that Bob, a twenty-four year-old native Zimbabwean is  Misheck’s right hand man…not only as a Livebirds' employee, but in life itself.  (If you don’t already know, Misheck is the young man heading up the Livebirds' chicken business on African soil that actually made my trip possible.)  If you didn’t get to meet him over this past summer when he graced our presence at the Warehouse 242/LIVEBIRDS Launch Party, you should know that Misheck is a jovial extraverted soul whose natural glow serves to light up a room in gaiety.  Bob, in contrast, is the understated version of Misheck.  While Misheck engages in mantras and with it exchanges the lightness of his authentic spirituality, Bob speaks to the point in plain wit, depth and meaning.  The two have become both dear to my soul, but in my five-week stay in Zim, it was Bob who I communed with most.   Misheck, in addition to overseeing Livebirds was at the time planning for his rapidly approaching wedding in which Bob became my dance partner in the bridal party.  By default, I found myself walking beside Bob during my time in Mutare.  I must say besides all the things I want to express about him, he is the best walking partner I have ever encountered. His gait is quick, and his endurance long, as if somehow kindred in step…and his feet mirror the perseverance he offered back towards the obstacles his life required.  Of all the things I miss about him, I yearn for our walks the most.

 On these treasured travels, along the shoddy roads of Mutare, our quick bodies making shadows on our path as the hot sun shone above, I learned a lot from my Bob.  I first noticed that he would usually begin his sentences with, ‘And you know…’ Yet as I listened underneath what I now refer to as ‘Bobisms,’ I took in his story—a life of faith, perseverance, and resourcefulness that is as rare as his name. 

Bob’s parents both died before he turned six of tuberculosis.  He and his siblings were shuffled between the care of their grace-filled grandmothers, and Bob began to climb adversity’s rockiness with them, not as a bystander, but with active, determined, never-complaining persistence.  He rationed food for his family during the drought that shocked his country as a young boy.  His body got so used to the piecemeal food that he still eats little today, preferring to stay lean rather than indulge in things he does not need.  He raised money for his school fees (Zimbabwe still has no publicly funded education for children) by drawing pictures and submitting them to a local hospital.  He eventually paid his way bit by bit through school to become a car mechanic by trade.  To prove the depth of his character, one day during my visit an unacquainted car broke down while Bob happened to be walking by.  Instead of glancing down and continuing on, like the good and talented Samaritan that he is, Bob, without hesitation, walked over and offered his services, repairing their car on the spot.  He laughed to say he did get a free ride out of it, but that was just extra for him.    

One day he showed up at the door of my home where I was staying and asked to come with me to the orphanage where I spent my days.  He couldn’t have known that I needed a friend more than anything on that day, but I think he sensed it.  As we walked toward the beloved children we would spend the day with, we spotted monkeys, and talked about his hopes for the future.  What was striking to me was that even in a country oppressed by dictatorship, Bob never revealed an ounce of cynicism in his words…his hopes existed because he believes in active waiting, staying loyal to all that he has, and looking to God for the rest.  That day at the orphanage, he illustrated his testimony through the metaphor of a ‘Tree of Life,’ talking orphan to orphan about how to glean fruit and throw out weeds and tangles in our life.  It was a message of transformation he gave away freely, and as I sat in the orphanage home, my head resting against the wall behind him, I saw the glory of Bob as he voluntarily shared truths with children that shared his plight.  I smiled in wonder, and still do.  What he gave them was a message of commonality in hope…as his ‘fruit’ metaphorically multiplied in the hearts of the children who sat before him.

In terms of the business, Bob’s role is to take care of the chickens.  He does the dirty work, often sleeping overnight on a mattress surrounded by growing chicks, continually monitoring their food and water.  He’s the one in the business that picks up the pieces, constantly staying alert to details that will keep the business alive, and quietly influencing his wisdom to Mishech and the rest of the team.  Even as he agrees not to get paid until there is a profit, he gives his heart and soul to the business.   He dreams of going back to school, yet he takes advantage of what he has in front of him, and waits expectantly. 

On Christmas Eve, 2011, I had the privilege of meeting his grandmother, Rachael.  While this is a whole other story, and other-worldly at that, I must tell you that he loves dearly the one that raised him and gives back to her every chance and with every dollar he gets.  He feels torn that he is not closer in distance to her, and yet his thoughts of her are always close to his mind and heart. 

This is Bob.  I forgot to say that he is really funny too.  He makes me laugh simply by watching his animated countenance displayed.  For some reason, with all of the wishes, and hopes, and obstacles, and duties on his plate, he made room for me in his life.  He accepted my ignorance of the culture, my difficulty with the language, and my inherent privileged attitude toward life.  I don’t know how to thank him for this, because in this acceptance, I found intimacy with my God, finding with greater clarity that God accepts me too. 

My words always fall short, but especially with Bob.  He is actively working at this moment, I believe, even in his REM sleep, making Livebirds a sustaining reality.  I ask you to pray for him.  I ask that you will know him one day too.  Pray for continued blessings on his life, and continued knowledge that He is loved and adored by our Creator.  Pray for his future with Livebirds and beyond…for his continued ability to care well for his grandmother, Rachael, and for his desire for a wife that shares his eye for life.  He will make a wonderful father, whose children will certainly carry on the legacy of luck in the truest sense.  ‘Bright fame’ is the meaning of the name Bob, and when you throw in ‘Luck’ anything is possible. 

LIVEBIRDS team at work..

Picture shows the Team Members at the farm, slaughtering the chickens and removing the feathers by hand.  The photo was taken in February.  Don't look down on this.  In Zimbabwe machines to slaughter and dress chickens are rare to come by and most of the time the whole deal is completed by our bare hands, and anyway we will get there, think of what the guy who started facebook had in hand when he started...probably a broken down laptop without a cent to rub between his hands...we are better off.
Pray for this business which has willing hands to make it grow

LIVEBIRDS-Celebrating a Year In Business!

The Livebirds poultry business celebrates a year in business providing quality chickens at affordable prices.

The Livebirds Zimbabwe team leader, Misheck Mlambo, has called for a meeting on Tuesday where all Salespersons shall attend to strategize and brainstorm about how to make the business thrive even better.

Most businesses face various challenges within the 1st two years when they start with most folding up operations-thank God that the business is still in business.



Misheck is preparing a brief report especially highlighting the sales figures and expenditure for the year thus explaining to the team how important it is for the team to increase sales.



The business suffered a major blow in January when the chickens at the farm perished when a storm resulted in a room caving in and falling on more than 200 chickens, which were all a complete waste, the remaining chickens were "relocated" to another room where they were raised till early this month (February) when they were slaughtered for sale.



The team members are still with one accord and set to make the business a success, challenges are still faced in areas like transport and also where we have some bad debtors, as a business we are also exploring different avenues to curb these challenges, we are also not giving out any chickens to the people who have not done any business with us or have no guarantor who will pay for the chickens, should the debtor fails to pay. We are currently following up a debtor with over us$500-00 in unpaid chickens, we are hopeful that we shall get the debt cleared within a month or two.



We have also sold almost all the 100 chickens that we raised; we have pegged the selling prices from $4 to $7 depending on the sizes of the Chickens. The HOPE for AIDS Zimbabwe Director (Mr. Ngarivhume) led by example and bought four big chickens at $7 each.



God bless Warehouse 242 for reaching to the team in Zimbabwe!



Misheck Mlambo