As part of the IEF’s partnership with Ceva Santé Animale, alongside our collaboration with OneEgg, a recent technical visit was carried out at Project Mercy in Yeteboon Werda, Ethiopia. This support reinforces our shared commitment to strengthening local egg production systems—providing practical expertise that helps improve flock health, boost productivity, and ultimately strengthen community nutrition and livelihoods.
Ceva veterinarian Robel Girma, met with Project Mercy President Bete Demeke to review flock management, biosecurity practices, housing structures, and opportunities to further increase production efficiency.
Bete (left) and Robel (right) inside the Project Mercy poultry houses.
Egg Production Supporting Daily School Meals
Project Mercy, a OneEgg initiative, currently produces 8,000–9,000 eggs per week—providing a reliable source of fresh, nutritious eggs that form a cornerstone of the school feeding programme. These eggs deliver essential daily nutrition to more than 1,800 students, many of whom receive two meals a day through the initiative.
This visit supports the broader IEF–OneEgg collaborative partnership to increase the availability of eggs in undernourished communities and ensure that local programmes like Project Mercy can deliver consistent, high-quality protein to the children who need it most.
Key Challenges and Improvement Opportunities
Several challenges were identified during the visit, including delays in accessing day-old chicks and structural limitations within existing layer houses—issues that affect flock rotation planning and egg supply reliability. With Ceva’s technical expertise, a tailored plan has been developed to guide future improvements.
Image 2: Bete (left) and Robel (right) outside one of Project Mercy’s layer house
Advancing the Shared Mission of IEF, OneEgg, and Ceva
This collaboration at Project Mercy showcases the impact of the IEF–OneEgg–Ceva partnership in strengthening systems that provide reliable nutrition to vulnerable populations. By supporting improvements in flock health, production efficiency, and long-term resilience, the partnership is helping communities build healthier lives through access to high-quality protein.
Through these combined efforts, IEF, OneEgg, and Ceva continue working together to expand access to nutritious eggs and reinforce local food systems.
