Macedonia
– April 20 2018
Empowering women in rural areas
Before enrolling in SOS Children's Village Macedonia’s employment programme, Ivana Lazarevska was an unemployed mother who depended on her husband’s income to support a family of four. Today, the 28-year-old is the proud owner of a thriving quail farm, which provides eggs to grocery stores in Skopje.
After years of ongoing health problems in her family, Ivana learned about the health benefits of quail eggs. To improve the nutrition of her family, the young mother wanted to introduce the eggs into her family’s diet, but the prices alarmed her.
With no intention of giving up, Ivana and her husband decided to buy a flock of twenty birds. They set up a small structure in their backyard and learned how to raise them with the help of online tutorials.
In time, the health situation of the entire family improved. This caught the attention of their friends and relatives who started to ask if they could buy their eggs. The young couple recognised an opportunity for developing a small business.
To secure money for the investment, the couple applied for a loan with local state agency for employment, who then referred Ivana to SOS Children’s Villages for additional support on running her business.
Today, the “Quail farm Lazarevski” has 2,000 egg-laying quails and 700 chicks. Ivana hopes to be able to expand her business in the future and employ more people in a rural area where there are few job prospects.