Marissa, 56, starts her day early. After her morning tasks, she heads to her poultry cages to collect eggs, her two-year-old granddaughter, Roshane, trailing behind her. "She is very happy. As I make my way here [to the coop] and as soon as she sees me, she follows along, already carrying a tray."
The little girl helps pick up the eggs, count them, and place them on the trays. It has become their shared routine—one that began six months ago when the 48-layer chickens first started producing eggs. Back then, Roshane was just as eager to collect and eat one or two.
During her early morning visit to the coop, Marissa collects half a tray of eggs. On days with peak production, she can gather as many as 46 eggs in a single collection. Paul John Domalaon/ Save the Children
Marissa and her husband are among the partner farmers of SAFE LAIR, a program by Australian Aid and Save the Children that supports small poultry raisers in building sustainable livelihoods. Along with 92 other individuals from Barangay Anastacia and San Pedro, Tiaong, Quezon, participants chose between layer, broiler, and native chickens to help them start their own businesses. The program also provided them with feeds and tools for a limited time, ensuring they had the necessary resources to establish their livelihood before becoming self-sufficient.
The poultry farm has been a crucial source of stability for Marissa’s family, especially after recent typhoons like Kristine (internationally, Trami) destroyed their vegetable garden and uprooted their fruit-bearing trees in October 2024. Previously, they also raised and bred domestic pigs, but a series of disease outbreaks forced them to surrender their livestock to the local government to prevent further spread.
"This is a big help, aside from being part of our food. It’s not like we eat eggs all the time. When we sell them, we can buy [other things],” Marissa said.
With the support of the program, the poultry farm has remained productive and continues to help support their daily needs. The climate-resilient caging from SAFE LAIR, using coco fiber cloth instead of plastic tarpaulin, improved ventilation, stabilized temperatures, and reduced chicken mortality. In six months, she lost only one of her 48 layers due to a pre-existing condition.
Sitting behind her climate-resilient coop, Marissa shares how poultry farming has helped support her family’s daily expenses since she started raising chickens six months ago. According to her, the additional income has helped them recover from the challenges brought by recent typhoons and issues with her piggery. Paul John Domalaon/ Save the Children
On most days, she collects a full tray of eggs and a half (45 eggs total), and even on a slow day, she gathers at least 24.
While some eggs go directly to their family’s table—much to the delight of her granddaughter—most are sold at Marissa’s sari-sari (neighborhood sundry) store. A piece sells for PhP 8 (AUD 0.22), with a full tray earning PhP 240 (AUD 6.51). Demand for her eggs is high, sometimes even outpacing supply. Marissa said some customers purchase in advance, leaving her with a backlog to fill once the chickens lay more eggs.
In addition to her layer chickens, Marissa received 25 native chickens. Though she has yet to see income from them, she is steadily raising more, preparing to sell either their eggs or meat in the future.
The earnings from her poultry business contribute to their daily expenses, including her son Paul’s college allowance. Paul, 20, is also involved in the program. As one of the 17 Save the Children scholars, he completed a Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)-accredited 232-hour course in organic agriculture production. The training equipped him with skills on organic poultry, vegetable, fertilizer, and supplement production.
On weekends and during his free time, he helps Marissa maintain the farm, personally preparing vitamin-rich concoctions to ensure the chickens remain healthy.
Marissa feeds her 47 layer chickens with locally sourced feeds made from organic ingredients, a more sustainable and cost-effective option compared to commercial formulations. Paul John Domalaon/ Save the Children
Marissa herself has participated in several training sessions, including financial literacy workshops. Through these, she became a member of a local savings group where she is learning to budget and collectively save for future needs.
She said she sets aside funds to sustain her poultry business beyond the program’s duration. With her savings and compensation from the local government for her surrendered pigs, she plans to expand her farm to accommodate more layers and native chickens.
"That's why we save, so that when their [SAFE LAIR] support ends, we have something to start with,” Marissa said.
But among all the training she has undergone, Marissa holds the positive parenting sessions closest to her heart.
With her eldest child Mary Grace, 35, living with a disability, Marissa values the lessons on understanding and patience.
“It is painful for a parent to have a child with a disability because you go through all sorts of [challenges],” she said. “That's why when we were learning about persons with disabilities, there were times I couldn’t speak. Because if I did, I might not be able to hold back my tears."
She shared that these sessions have helped her not only to take care for her daughter but also to manage her emotions better and respond calmly to hurtful remarks directed at her and her daughter. "I have learned how to accept other people's words, even when they hurt."
Initially, Marissa said some of her neighbors questioned why SAFE LAIR, a program primarily focused on poultry raising, placed such emphasis on regular meetings and workshops. However, Marissa has come to understand that the program goes beyond simply providing chickens.
"Here it is, everything has been given. Only a fool would not accept it. I am thankful to Save the Children that we are one of the chosen recipients. Out of so many barangays here, 31 barangays, we were one of those selected," Marissa said.
As Marissa and her granddaughter continue their morning routine, collecting eggs together, she sees the bigger picture. What began as a livelihood project for her has become a family effort to sustain not only their poultry farm but also their future.
Looking ahead, Marissa said she hopes that in the years to come, they will be able to collect even more eggs together.
“No one will just give us something like this. That's why we should nurture what has been given to us,” she said.