Two University of Saskatchewan veterinary medicine students worked with farmers in Ghana last summer to improve food security.

Working through the Veterinarians Without Borders program, Kirstin MacDonald and Steve Kuzienski stayed in Upper Western Ghana for three months. 20 to 80 per cent of the guinea fowl in the area died annually during the rainy season, which posed a major risk to the food supply.

The students initially built relationships with the farmers, so that they could identify problems and work together to find practical solutions. They focused on developing new care, cultivation and breeding of the native birds to stabilize their role in Ghanian life.

“Guinea Fowl is a type of insurance for a family,” said Kuzienski on a blog post. The birds bring in enough funds to help a family through illness, holidays, and paying for school.