March 12, 2025 • 22 mins
A simple yet profound question sparked a movement that continues to transform lives across continents: "What if I raised chickens to help my friends back home?" When 8-year-old Biruk Van De Stroet posed this question to his adoptive parents in Iowa, no one could have predicted the remarkable journey that would unfold over the next eleven years.
Having been adopted from Ethiopia where he once survived by rushing into restaurants to eat strangers' leftovers before being chased away, Biruk carried with him an unshakable concern for those he'd left behind. His childlike solution? Start with eight chickens (he was eight years old, after all). His farmer father gently amended the plan: "Raising eight, raising a hundred, pretty close." From this humble beginning, Biruk's Egg Project has grown to nearly 2,000 chickens, generating funds that have revolutionized life in his Ethiopian village.
The project now provides monthly allowances for 75 children, ensuring they can attend school and meet basic needs without resorting to the survival tactics Biruk once employed. Beyond individual support, the initiative has funded crucial infrastructure—a birthing clinic eliminates the need for pregnant women to walk an hour for care, and a vocational school teaching practical trades like woodworking and computer skills that create sustainable livelihoods.
Throughout our conversation, Biruk's wisdom belies his youth. Having recently spent a summer reconnecting with his Ethiopian heritage and witnessing firsthand the impact of his work, he speaks with profound gratitude and humility: "I get way too much credit. Really, we should be praising God." As he prepares to study finance at Iowa State University, his vision extends far beyond the chicken coops of Iowa. "My purpose is to help people," he explains, "and I feel like we all have that calling wherever we are in our stages of life. Either you're 80 years old or you're eight years old, there is always something for you to do."
What calling might you be hearing? What impact could your first step of obedience create? Biruk's remarkable journey reminds us that age is no barrier to world-changing leadership. Connect with Biruk's Egg Project on Facebook or at https://www.birukseggproject.org/ to learn more or support their mission.
Hosted by Brandon Mulnix - Director of Commercial Accounts - Prism Controls
The Poultry Leadership Podcast is only possible because of its sponsor, Prism Controls
Find out more about them at www.prismcontrols.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Brandon Mulnix (00:25):
Welcome to the Poultry Leadership Podcast.
I'm your host, Brandon Mulnix,and today's episode is a unique
one.
I'm in Northwest Iowa I canthrow a rock over to South
Dakota where I'm at, but I am inthe kitchen of a 19-year-old
chicken farmer and I'm excitedto share his story, because
(00:46):
there's a lot of connectionalready between his story and my
story.
How this all came about and I'mgoing to share this to begin
with is my word for this year isobedience.
And when I feel a calling fromthat feeling to say, hey, do
something about it, I dosomething about it.
And I was reading the NorthCentral Poultry Association's
(01:06):
website one of their spotlightsand here I found out about
Baruch's poultry and I went whatis that?
And so I jumped in and justsaid, hey, what is this?
And next thing, I know I'mreaching out, mom's connecting
me with and we're now talking.
We're talking about chickenswith a 19-year-old young man,
(01:27):
not kid, but we're going tostart talking about his story
and what came about when he waseight years old.
So, baruch, welcome to the show, thank you for having me.
So, baruch, it's got to becrazy, some random person
calling you up and saying, hey,let's cover your story.
Can you tell the podcastlisteners what your story is and
who you are?
Biruk Van De Stroet (01:47):
Yeah, so my name is , I'm 19.
As you've already said, I camehere when I was eight years old.
My childhood has not been thesame as most kids in my grade or
most kids in my village townright now.
So I'm from Ethiopia, whichI'll need to be more specific.
I grew up in poverty.
Most people think of poverty aslike poverty here, but no, it's
(02:11):
way different.
Like, for example, one of thestories I remember of my
childhood is my friends and Ifrom my village we would like
stake out a restaurant like adecent, nice restaurant, and
then we'll wait for someone toeat it and once they're done
eating, the consumer would getup, be ready to leave.
And then we have a littlewindow, a little time window,
(02:33):
where we would rush, eat theleftover before we get kicked
out and then leave, and so thoseare like little memories I
retain from my childhood istrying to survive without being
adopted here brings a lot ofguilt.
You know, when I came here Ihad everything, literally we'd
go out to eat, I had a nicehouse, I could go to school, I
(02:53):
didn't have to worry aboutsurviving.
My parents provided everythingfor me and then with it I did
not know any English and I toldmy parents I was with Fork in
English that I want to help myfriends out.
There are people in my villagethat are still waiting to eat.
I'm trying to make a living ateight years old or seven years
old that no kid should ever haveto do.
(03:13):
And so my parents God blessthem they just said, yeah, we'll
do it.
And then my method of doing itis raising chickens.
My village is small.
They relied on ox, goats,chickens, and so chicken, which
means doro in my native language, and so I knew the process of
(03:34):
chickens, where you raise them,they lay eggs once in a while,
you sell the eggs and then theyproduce more eggs.
My dad's a farmer.
I said I want eight chickens.
And my dad's a farmer.
I said I want eight chickens,and then that's a specific
number.
I was eight years old so thatmade sense to me.
And then my dad said raisingeight, raising a hundred, pretty
close.
So when I get a hundred?
(03:55):
And so we did it, we got ahundred, uh, we raised them and
then they start producingchickens.
My mom put on Facebook hey,brooke's trying to do a
fundraiser, if you need someeggs, please take some.
And so we did that for a littlebit.
And then our community reallyblessed, god really spoke
through them.
They reached out, they wantedeggs, they wanted to help the
(04:16):
cause and throughout God justtook it.
We could never imagine goingfrom 100 chickens to about to
have 2,000 chickens.
And we connected to Ethiopia,to my village how to get the
money there, and so the firstyear or so maybe raised $10,000,
which is a huge accomplishmentit really is.
(04:38):
And so we thought we're goingto be done.
Now it's been about 11 years,12 years, and we're still going
at it.
So we first gave the money toEthiopia, to the organization
which is a Christian church thatprovides for small villages in
Ethiopia.
We give allowances to about 75kids.
It wasn't 75 to begin with butit kind of progressed to now
(04:58):
being 75 kids.
We get monthly allowances forthem to go to school, have
clothes, just to eat, justregular essential things, so
they don't have to stake outrestaurants as I did as a little
kid anymore.
And then we also have done bigprojects.
Our recent project is buildinga vocational school.
So in Ethiopia a lot of peopledon't go to colleges.
They just can't afford, eventhough it's free, they just
(05:20):
can't afford to be in school forfour years without not getting
anything to eat or need to helptheir family, and so vacation
school would just give themtrade skills like woodwork,
computer, learn how to use acomputer, hair design, stuff
like that, so that way they canget jobs.
They can be verified to thegovernment for doing it.
(05:43):
And then we also built a clinicin about 2019, birth clinic.
My village is small but has alot of people in it.
They estimated to be around15,000 people live there, but
there's no clinic.
So if you're pregnant, don'thave any money.
You have to go about an houraway by foot.
It's not away from a car, so byfoot it will take you a while.
(06:04):
Especially being pregnant isnot the best situation, and so
God blessed us.
We are able to do that.
So that's where we're at rightnow.
We've just started building anew shed to be able to have 2000
chickens and try and put newequipments in.
So that's a little short storyof the progress that's not a
short story.
Brandon Mulnix (06:23):
You covered your whole life story.
But yet here's aneight-year-old boy.
Mom and dad come to Ethiopia,adopt you and your brother, yeah
, wow.
And then you find yourself inNorthwest Iowa, where you don't
(06:43):
speak English, you don't knowthe culture, you just know that
this is a complete life changeand you felt called to give back
to your people.
As you started, did mom and dadmake you do the chores?
They'll take care of thechickens.
Biruk Van De Stroet (06:57):
Yeah, so when we started I was very eager
to have chickens.
I'd stalk the chickens to seeif they laid eggs.
Yet my mom has a picture of meholding the first chickens and I
was just like so proud of just.
They laid eggs when we hadabout 100 chickens.
My brothers and I we had LajaTeresa and I we helped feed them
, we pick the eggs and as weprogressed I kind of slowed down
(07:22):
with it.
One thing about me is I haterats and mice and the chicken
shed.
There's plenty of them and sobecause of that I kind of
refused to go in the chickens inthe chicken house.
So I'll still pick up, you know, eggs once in a while.
But now it's really my parentsand my grandpa, my grandpa Gail.
He picks up the eggs everysingle.
He picks up like three times aday the eggs, and then my mom
(07:45):
washes the eggs almost every dayfor about an hour.
So yeah, my grandpa does a lotof it too.
So I've kind of been like thespokesperson.
Now I kind of backed away fromdoing the chores, as you can say
.
Brandon Mulnix (07:57):
So this has been going on for 11 years?
Yeah, and over that 11 yearsyou have invested back in your
community in Ethiopia.
You've given allowances toalmost 100 kids, you've helped
start a clinic for pregnancy andnow it sounds like you've been
back.
You've been back to Ethiopia.
(08:18):
Tell me about that experience.
Biruk Van De Stroet (08:19):
Yeah, so I've been fortunate enough for
my parents to be able to take meback at least five times or so.
Recently I just went with mymom.
My mom came with me for a weekand I stayed the whole summer
and, man, I don't know what tosay about it.
It was incredible.
I've always wanted my culture.
You know, at eight years oldyou grew up with your language
(08:39):
and your people.
But being in a village in a newtown in America with white
people which is not a bad thing,but you feel kind of empty,
like you don't know where youstand in and of who you are too,
and so I remember at a youngage I would go on YouTube and
then just search like Ethiopianmusic and then do like dances,
(09:00):
like skista and like just aculture.
I just always loved it, butI've never been able to have
this Ethiopian culture becauseit just wasn't around me,
especially in school or myhousehold.
So when I went to Ethiopia, Igot to be part of the Ethiopian
Egg Project and then Brooks EggProject and help work with it,
(09:20):
see how it's run daily, hang outwith the kids.
I played a lot of soccer withthem.
I got to share the gospel withthem.
The one thing I really wantedto tell them is Jeremiah 29, 11,
which if you would have told meat their age or in their
circumstances, I don't think Iwould have believed you that God
has a plan for me, and so Ireally wanted to make sure they
understood that God is with them, even through their
(09:43):
circumstances of not havinganything, going through poverty.
Your faith is shaken when youexperience that kind of thing,
and so I got to do that.
I got to learn my nativelanguage.
I had about two, three hourseach day.
I had lessons, which hasbrought me closer to my culture,
brought me closer to myidentity as oh yeah, this is my
people, this is how they speak,this is how I'm going to speak.
(10:05):
I got to learn a lot about thehistory of Ethiopia.
I don't know if you knew thatEthiopia has never been
colonized, so they have a richhistory.
It's amazing to know that Icome from a people of one of the
first countries to acceptChristianity.
They're very proud of it.
In all honesty, just it's veryhumbling.
I'm so happy that my parentswere able to let me go to
(10:26):
Ethiopia by myself for the wholesummer.
I don't know really how toexplain it, but that was
probably one of the highlightsof my teenage years, so this
project Burke's Eggs couldn't bepossible without your neighbors
, your community, purchasingthose eggs.
Brandon Mulnix (10:41):
Really, yeah, your grandpa, yeah, I mean.
What an experience to havegrandpa just do the work and
believe in it so much and seehow it's made you grow.
I sit here in awe because I'veactually been through the
village of where you come from.
Most of the listeners probablydon't know, but my son, who's
(11:04):
turning 17 this week when Irecord this, I told Burke I
wasn't going to be able to getthrough this week when I record
this, I told Burke I wasn'tgonna be able to get through
this.
He's from Ethiopia and he'sfrom just north of where Baruch
is, and so I've seen whateight-year-olds have to do in
Ethiopia to survive.
I've seen tending ox, , runningright in the middle of the road,
(11:24):
roads that are just absolutelysomething that would take us two
hours in the US to drive.
It takes 12 hours in Ethiopiato drive.
That village is on one of themain routes too, which is crazy.
Going towards the north Just tosee your message and to know
that you're positivelyinfluencing folks back there.
When farmers that I talk toevery day talk about feeding the
(11:48):
world, you're doing it.
Biruk Van De Stroet (11:50):
What does that mean to you?
I would never, at eight yearsold.
When I said this of thisproject a lot of people give me
credit for it, which I guess Idid say it, but I really do
think that God is the one thatspoke through me that day,
because I don't think I wouldhave ever been able to say I
want chickens, I want to raise Iknew the process and stuff, but
(12:10):
really God is the one that didit.
And to know that God got all mycommunity I don't know if most
parents would be willing to sayyes, let's raise chickens, let's
do this, and not knowing theoutcome or not knowing how long
you're going to do it and so gotmy parents on board.
It's incredible to see thewhole community behind us and
having this whole project thatthey say Brooks egg project
(12:32):
Cause it's my name on it, but Iget way too much credit.
Really, we should be praisingGod.
We should be praising that heactually let this happen.
And then to go back and to seepeople in my circumstance
positively benefiting from myidea that God gave me I don't
know how to explain it.
This summer when I went there, Igot to sit one-on-one with
(12:52):
families that are part of theegg project and then they just
break down and cry to me.
Because one story I have isthis woman who had been through
a lot.
She's during the wartime.
There's a lot of things thathappened to her that was really
horrific from both sides of themilitary.
She saw one of her kids diebecause of famine and that she
couldn't support him.
(13:13):
She qualified to be part of theegg project because she just
didn't have anything and whenshe was telling me she just
couldn't go through the story,she just started crying that I
was these people.
And then when we go to Dessie,which is close to my hometown,
which I stayed in there's onenight, I almost started crying.
Wherever you go, there's momsand son little kid.
(13:33):
I was on the side of the roadbecause they're trying to beg
for money.
That just hit me, because thatwas me.
I was the kid with my mom thatwould go in front of churches
and beg for money and I seelittle kids you know they may be
two years old barely standingup.
They're crawling half the timegoing to people tugging and
trying to get coins.
(13:53):
To see that God reallydelivered me from that type of
poverty, from that type ofsituation.
Man, that was a rough night,seeing a little kid that was
luring me, and now I'm heretrying to give back to the
community that I was part of.
In the circumstances I was partof, there's really nothing I
(14:16):
can say about it.
If that makes sense, no makesperfect sense.
Brandon Mulnix (14:20):
Burik, You're so full of wisdom You're living
out leadership.
You're a leader to yourcommunity here in Iowa.
You're a leader to yourcommunity here in Iowa.
You're a leader to yourcommunity back home.
What can the egg industry do tosupport your mission?
Biruk Van De Stroet (14:35):
To be honest, as my mom said earlier,
I would not classify me as afarmer, but if they have old
equipment that they want todonate to our cause, they can.
But just serving the community,like I guess it's an industry,
it's to profit, you know, getmoney, but also it doesn't take
much to, you know, help out.
(14:56):
I bet you there's a lot ofchicken farmers and stuff in
Ethiopia or maybe in the thirdworld country that if they want
to help out with that, there's away.
You know, god always has a wayfor you to do his mission.
All you got to do is take onefootstep.
That's what we did.
Just took one footstep with thechickens and God took it, and
we could have never imaginedwhat he would have done, what
(15:17):
this would be the result.
And so what I say to everyoneis if God gives you a calling of
a little hint, maybe you shouldhelp this, maybe you should go
this route.
What do you have to lose?
Just do it.
If you're trying to donate,we'll be happy to have your old
equipment, stuff like that, butif you have a different calling,
(15:38):
just take a step.
Brandon Mulnix (15:40):
You couldn't have spoke obedience better.
I mean your obedience to thecall.
I think of that call when I goto you know the drive-through
line at Starbucks, and I'm like,hey, pay for the people behind
you.
And you don't have no clue ofwhat that order could be.
But you, in faith, say you knowwhat, how can I follow that?
Do that, and that's.
I mean, that's everyday,practical stuff that you can do.
When you hear that on yourheart but you argue about it,
(16:02):
you say no, no, I don't need todo that.
I don't need to do that.
But what kind of blessing areyou not passing forward when you
do that?
Because my path to Ethiopia toadopt my son was because I felt
a calling to say, hey, go withyour pastor, go do it.
And I went.
Okay, what do I have to lose?
Next thing, I know my wife'shaving to have that same calling
(16:23):
and go hey, your crazyhusband's going to Ethiopia to
take pictures, don't let him bea third wheel, go.
And she went.
And next thing, I know we havea little boy that's coming home
to America three trips later tobe part of our family.
You never know where thosecallings are going to take you.
But so many times on a dailybasis we go nope, nope, not
(16:44):
going to bother with that, butwe just don't know what that
seed is going to plant.
And in your case, mom and dadhad to have a lot of faith to
support you.
At eight years old, I mean, Isee their faith because they
went to Ethiopia in the firstplace.
They felt the calling to go andadopt, which in itself is an
amazing blessing, because wenever know.
I tell my son every day God'sgot an amazing plan for you.
(17:06):
And you just never know.
I would have never known,starting this podcast, I'd be
sitting in your dining roomtalking to you about Ethiopia,
how to share that story.
So what's next for you?
Biruk Van De Stroet (17:20):
Me personally, senior in high
school, I'm just finishing mylast semester.
Next year I'm gonna go to IowaState University, study
somewhere in finance, business,somewhere in there, with
relating to egg projects.
We really don't know what Godhas for the egg project.
We don't know how long it'sgoing to last.
That's why we're kind of tryingto do more big-oriented stuff
(17:43):
in Ethiopia, like building aclinic, building a vacation
school that can remain thereeven past our time.
It's unpredictable, we don'tknow how long.
Maybe we have another 10 years,maybe we have 20 years, maybe
we have five years, and so we'rejust trying to do the most we
can with the egg project.
But my story I do.
I want to go back to Ethiopiafor longer time periods, maybe
(18:04):
after college, or even I want tolive there just to be able to
serve as a missionary after I'mdone with my degree, go into my
career, maybe for 30 years or so, and then just go back to the
origin place I was placed andthen help out.
You know, maybe my village orsome surrounding villages that
past summer being there, it justgave me fulfillment of the
(18:25):
swamps called to do.
My purpose in life is to helppeople and I feel like we all
have that calling wherever weare in our stages of life.
Either you're 80 years old oryou're eight years old.
That is always something foryou to do, and in this story of
mine, I was eight years old, butmy parents have as much impact,
or even greater, in startingthe egg project when they're in
(18:47):
their mid-40s or early 50s, andmy grandpa who's 70 or so.
God uses everyone.
I don't know how God's going touse me through my adult life,
but I know he will and I'm readyto listen and respond to
whatever calling he has for me.
Brandon Mulnix (19:04):
I want to let you know Iowa State's a a great
ag school, and finance isn'tjust about business finance.
Agriculture it's business.
Finance is important.
Being able to be good stewardsof the money is so important.
So I commend you forunderstanding your.
As we talk about youth in ourindustry, we talk about those.
There's so many opportunitiesavailable to kids and everybody
(19:26):
thinks it's in the barn.
We need people like you with thesame heart, the same vision,
because you could be CEO of anegg company someday.
Keep following God's plan foryou.
I know as you're obedient.
You're going to change theworld.
You're going to feed the world.
I mean you're already doing it.
From eight years old.
You've had more impact onnutritional value of that
community than you could everimagine.
I mean a lot of folks waituntil they're retired before
(19:53):
they start really gettinginvolved in these organizations
and volunteering.
You're doing some of this stuffat the beginning.
The value of eggs is soimportant.
I'm hoping that through thispodcast, we can connect you with
some of the folks that canreally 10X your mission, your
vision, because I think it's youthat's going to help change the
world and help change the eggindustry over time.
And so thank you for yourwillingness to be here.
(20:17):
How can people connect with youand your mission?
Biruk Van De Stroet (20:20):
Yeah, that's a good question.
My mom is very active, likemost moms, on Facebook.
So we do have Biruk Egg Projecton Facebook.
So if you just look up Brooke'sEgg Project, my mom's very
active in it.
So if you give us a message,we'll message you back.
If you just want to learn moreabout our story and the egg
project, we do have a web link,birukseggproject.
org, where we give monthly newsand you can read everything
(20:45):
about it.
Give us a call if you'resurrounding areas of Sioux Falls
, Canton.
If you want eggs, we'llprobably be delivering and then
we're hoping to be licensed tosell to businesses.
So if you have a small businessbakery and stuff like that in
the near future and you wantboxes of eggs, we'll be able to
provide for that.
So, yeah, just facebookorg orgive us a call too.
Brandon Mulnix (21:08):
Yeah, any last minute advice for the leaders
out there Back to Jeremiah 2911.
Biruk Van De Stroet (21:14):
God has a plan for you.
Gotta go for the calling.
Just make the first step.
Brandon Mulnix (21:18):
Well, poacher Leadership, listeners, you've
had an opportunity to listen tothe heart.
I'm a young adult that'schanging the world.
If that doesn't challenge you,I don't know what does.
He's feeding the world.
What are you doing about it?
That's the challenge I have outfor you guys today.
Just make a difference, beobedient to the callings.
You never know what that'sgoing to do, because it just
takes one blessing that canspark a fire in somebody else,
(21:40):
and so please share Brooke'sstory with your groups to see
what you guys can do to help,and also please share this
episode so others can learnabout this mission, this vision
and also the wisdom that is farbeyond his years.
Thank you for Prism Controlsand your sponsorship in allowing
me to be able to come andinterview this amazing young man
.
Thank you.
Welcome to the Poultry Leadership Podcast.
I'm your host, Brandon Mulnix,and today's episode is a unique
one.
I'm in Northwest Iowa I canthrow a rock over to South
Dakota where I'm at, but I am inthe kitchen of a 19-year-old
chicken farmer and I'm excitedto share his story, because
(00:46):
there's a lot of connectionalready between his story and my
story.
How this all came about and I'mgoing to share this to begin
with is my word for this year isobedience.
And when I feel a calling fromthat feeling to say, hey, do
something about it, I dosomething about it.
And I was reading the NorthCentral Poultry Association's
(01:06):
website one of their spotlightsand here I found out about
Baruch's poultry and I went whatis that?
And so I jumped in and justsaid, hey, what is this?
And next thing, I know I'mreaching out, mom's connecting
me with and we're now talking.
We're talking about chickenswith a 19-year-old young man,
(01:27):
not kid, but we're going tostart talking about his story
and what came about when he waseight years old.
So, baruch, welcome to the show, thank you for having me.
So, baruch, it's got to becrazy, some random person
calling you up and saying, hey,let's cover your story.
Can you tell the podcastlisteners what your story is and
who you are?
Biruk Van De Stroet (01:47):
Yeah, so my name is , I'm 19.
As you've already said, I camehere when I was eight years old.
My childhood has not been thesame as most kids in my grade or
most kids in my village townright now.
So I'm from Ethiopia, whichI'll need to be more specific.
I grew up in poverty.
Most people think of poverty aslike poverty here, but no, it's
(02:11):
way different.
Like, for example, one of thestories I remember of my
childhood is my friends and Ifrom my village we would like
stake out a restaurant like adecent, nice restaurant, and
then we'll wait for someone toeat it and once they're done
eating, the consumer would getup, be ready to leave.
And then we have a littlewindow, a little time window,
(02:33):
where we would rush, eat theleftover before we get kicked
out and then leave, and so thoseare like little memories I
retain from my childhood istrying to survive without being
adopted here brings a lot ofguilt.
You know, when I came here Ihad everything, literally we'd
go out to eat, I had a nicehouse, I could go to school, I
(02:53):
didn't have to worry aboutsurviving.
My parents provided everythingfor me and then with it I did
not know any English and I toldmy parents I was with Fork in
English that I want to help myfriends out.
There are people in my villagethat are still waiting to eat.
I'm trying to make a living ateight years old or seven years
old that no kid should ever haveto do.
(03:13):
And so my parents God blessthem they just said, yeah, we'll
do it.
And then my method of doing itis raising chickens.
My village is small.
They relied on ox, goats,chickens, and so chicken, which
means doro in my native language, and so I knew the process of
(03:34):
chickens, where you raise them,they lay eggs once in a while,
you sell the eggs and then theyproduce more eggs.
My dad's a farmer.
I said I want eight chickens.
And my dad's a farmer.
I said I want eight chickens,and then that's a specific
number.
I was eight years old so thatmade sense to me.
And then my dad said raisingeight, raising a hundred, pretty
close.
So when I get a hundred?
(03:55):
And so we did it, we got ahundred, uh, we raised them and
then they start producingchickens.
My mom put on Facebook hey,brooke's trying to do a
fundraiser, if you need someeggs, please take some.
And so we did that for a littlebit.
And then our community reallyblessed, god really spoke
through them.
They reached out, they wantedeggs, they wanted to help the
(04:16):
cause and throughout God justtook it.
We could never imagine goingfrom 100 chickens to about to
have 2,000 chickens.
And we connected to Ethiopia,to my village how to get the
money there, and so the firstyear or so maybe raised $10,000,
which is a huge accomplishmentit really is.
(04:38):
And so we thought we're goingto be done.
Now it's been about 11 years,12 years, and we're still going
at it.
So we first gave the money toEthiopia, to the organization
which is a Christian church thatprovides for small villages in
Ethiopia.
We give allowances to about 75kids.
It wasn't 75 to begin with butit kind of progressed to now
(04:58):
being 75 kids.
We get monthly allowances forthem to go to school, have
clothes, just to eat, justregular essential things, so
they don't have to stake outrestaurants as I did as a little
kid anymore.
And then we also have done bigprojects.
Our recent project is buildinga vocational school.
So in Ethiopia a lot of peopledon't go to colleges.
They just can't afford, eventhough it's free, they just
(05:20):
can't afford to be in school forfour years without not getting
anything to eat or need to helptheir family, and so vacation
school would just give themtrade skills like woodwork,
computer, learn how to use acomputer, hair design, stuff
like that, so that way they canget jobs.
They can be verified to thegovernment for doing it.
(05:43):
And then we also built a clinicin about 2019, birth clinic.
My village is small but has alot of people in it.
They estimated to be around15,000 people live there, but
there's no clinic.
So if you're pregnant, don'thave any money.
You have to go about an houraway by foot.
It's not away from a car, so byfoot it will take you a while.
(06:04):
Especially being pregnant isnot the best situation, and so
God blessed us.
We are able to do that.
So that's where we're at rightnow.
We've just started building anew shed to be able to have 2000
chickens and try and put newequipments in.
So that's a little short storyof the progress that's not a
short story.
Brandon Mulnix (06:23):
You covered your whole life story.
But yet here's aneight-year-old boy.
Mom and dad come to Ethiopia,adopt you and your brother, yeah
, wow.
And then you find yourself inNorthwest Iowa, where you don't
(06:43):
speak English, you don't knowthe culture, you just know that
this is a complete life changeand you felt called to give back
to your people.
As you started, did mom and dadmake you do the chores?
They'll take care of thechickens.
Biruk Van De Stroet (06:57):
Yeah, so when we started I was very eager
to have chickens.
I'd stalk the chickens to seeif they laid eggs.
Yet my mom has a picture of meholding the first chickens and I
was just like so proud of just.
They laid eggs when we hadabout 100 chickens.
My brothers and I we had LajaTeresa and I we helped feed them
, we pick the eggs and as weprogressed I kind of slowed down
(07:22):
with it.
One thing about me is I haterats and mice and the chicken
shed.
There's plenty of them and sobecause of that I kind of
refused to go in the chickens inthe chicken house.
So I'll still pick up, you know, eggs once in a while.
But now it's really my parentsand my grandpa, my grandpa Gail.
He picks up the eggs everysingle.
He picks up like three times aday the eggs, and then my mom
(07:45):
washes the eggs almost every dayfor about an hour.
So yeah, my grandpa does a lotof it too.
So I've kind of been like thespokesperson.
Now I kind of backed away fromdoing the chores, as you can say
.
Brandon Mulnix (07:57):
So this has been going on for 11 years?
Yeah, and over that 11 yearsyou have invested back in your
community in Ethiopia.
You've given allowances toalmost 100 kids, you've helped
start a clinic for pregnancy andnow it sounds like you've been
back.
You've been back to Ethiopia.
(08:18):
Tell me about that experience.
Biruk Van De Stroet (08:19):
Yeah, so I've been fortunate enough for
my parents to be able to take meback at least five times or so.
Recently I just went with mymom.
My mom came with me for a weekand I stayed the whole summer
and, man, I don't know what tosay about it.
It was incredible.
I've always wanted my culture.
You know, at eight years oldyou grew up with your language
(08:39):
and your people.
But being in a village in a newtown in America with white
people which is not a bad thing,but you feel kind of empty,
like you don't know where youstand in and of who you are too,
and so I remember at a youngage I would go on YouTube and
then just search like Ethiopianmusic and then do like dances,
(09:00):
like skista and like just aculture.
I just always loved it, butI've never been able to have
this Ethiopian culture becauseit just wasn't around me,
especially in school or myhousehold.
So when I went to Ethiopia, Igot to be part of the Ethiopian
Egg Project and then Brooks EggProject and help work with it,
(09:20):
see how it's run daily, hang outwith the kids.
I played a lot of soccer withthem.
I got to share the gospel withthem.
The one thing I really wantedto tell them is Jeremiah 29, 11,
which if you would have told meat their age or in their
circumstances, I don't think Iwould have believed you that God
has a plan for me, and so Ireally wanted to make sure they
understood that God is with them, even through their
(09:43):
circumstances of not havinganything, going through poverty.
Your faith is shaken when youexperience that kind of thing,
and so I got to do that.
I got to learn my nativelanguage.
I had about two, three hourseach day.
I had lessons, which hasbrought me closer to my culture,
brought me closer to myidentity as oh yeah, this is my
people, this is how they speak,this is how I'm going to speak.
(10:05):
I got to learn a lot about thehistory of Ethiopia.
I don't know if you knew thatEthiopia has never been
colonized, so they have a richhistory.
It's amazing to know that Icome from a people of one of the
first countries to acceptChristianity.
They're very proud of it.
In all honesty, just it's veryhumbling.
I'm so happy that my parentswere able to let me go to
(10:26):
Ethiopia by myself for the wholesummer.
I don't know really how toexplain it, but that was
probably one of the highlightsof my teenage years, so this
project Burke's Eggs couldn't bepossible without your neighbors
, your community, purchasingthose eggs.
Brandon Mulnix (10:41):
Really, yeah, your grandpa, yeah, I mean.
What an experience to havegrandpa just do the work and
believe in it so much and seehow it's made you grow.
I sit here in awe because I'veactually been through the
village of where you come from.
Most of the listeners probablydon't know, but my son, who's
(11:04):
turning 17 this week when Irecord this, I told Burke I
wasn't going to be able to getthrough this week when I record
this, I told Burke I wasn'tgonna be able to get through
this.
He's from Ethiopia and he'sfrom just north of where Baruch
is, and so I've seen whateight-year-olds have to do in
Ethiopia to survive.
I've seen tending ox, , runningright in the middle of the road,
(11:24):
roads that are just absolutelysomething that would take us two
hours in the US to drive.
It takes 12 hours in Ethiopiato drive.
That village is on one of themain routes too, which is crazy.
Going towards the north Just tosee your message and to know
that you're positivelyinfluencing folks back there.
When farmers that I talk toevery day talk about feeding the
(11:48):
world, you're doing it.
Biruk Van De Stroet (11:50):
What does that mean to you?
I would never, at eight yearsold.
When I said this of thisproject a lot of people give me
credit for it, which I guess Idid say it, but I really do
think that God is the one thatspoke through me that day,
because I don't think I wouldhave ever been able to say I
want chickens, I want to raise Iknew the process and stuff, but
(12:10):
really God is the one that didit.
And to know that God got all mycommunity I don't know if most
parents would be willing to sayyes, let's raise chickens, let's
do this, and not knowing theoutcome or not knowing how long
you're going to do it and so gotmy parents on board.
It's incredible to see thewhole community behind us and
having this whole project thatthey say Brooks egg project
(12:32):
Cause it's my name on it, but Iget way too much credit.
Really, we should be praisingGod.
We should be praising that heactually let this happen.
And then to go back and to seepeople in my circumstance
positively benefiting from myidea that God gave me I don't
know how to explain it.
This summer when I went there, Igot to sit one-on-one with
(12:52):
families that are part of theegg project and then they just
break down and cry to me.
Because one story I have isthis woman who had been through
a lot.
She's during the wartime.
There's a lot of things thathappened to her that was really
horrific from both sides of themilitary.
She saw one of her kids diebecause of famine and that she
couldn't support him.
(13:13):
She qualified to be part of theegg project because she just
didn't have anything and whenshe was telling me she just
couldn't go through the story,she just started crying that I
was these people.
And then when we go to Dessie,which is close to my hometown,
which I stayed in there's onenight, I almost started crying.
Wherever you go, there's momsand son little kid.
(13:33):
I was on the side of the roadbecause they're trying to beg
for money.
That just hit me, because thatwas me.
I was the kid with my mom thatwould go in front of churches
and beg for money and I seelittle kids you know they may be
two years old barely standingup.
They're crawling half the timegoing to people tugging and
trying to get coins.
(13:53):
To see that God reallydelivered me from that type of
poverty, from that type ofsituation.
Man, that was a rough night,seeing a little kid that was
luring me, and now I'm heretrying to give back to the
community that I was part of.
In the circumstances I was partof, there's really nothing I
(14:16):
can say about it.
If that makes sense, no makesperfect sense.
Brandon Mulnix (14:20):
Burik, You're so full of wisdom You're living
out leadership.
You're a leader to yourcommunity here in Iowa.
You're a leader to yourcommunity here in Iowa.
You're a leader to yourcommunity back home.
What can the egg industry do tosupport your mission?
Biruk Van De Stroet (14:35):
To be honest, as my mom said earlier,
I would not classify me as afarmer, but if they have old
equipment that they want todonate to our cause, they can.
But just serving the community,like I guess it's an industry,
it's to profit, you know, getmoney, but also it doesn't take
much to, you know, help out.
(14:56):
I bet you there's a lot ofchicken farmers and stuff in
Ethiopia or maybe in the thirdworld country that if they want
to help out with that, there's away.
You know, god always has a wayfor you to do his mission.
All you got to do is take onefootstep.
That's what we did.
Just took one footstep with thechickens and God took it, and
we could have never imaginedwhat he would have done, what
(15:17):
this would be the result.
And so what I say to everyoneis if God gives you a calling of
a little hint, maybe you shouldhelp this, maybe you should go
this route.
What do you have to lose?
Just do it.
If you're trying to donate,we'll be happy to have your old
equipment, stuff like that, butif you have a different calling,
(15:38):
just take a step.
Brandon Mulnix (15:40):
You couldn't have spoke obedience better.
I mean your obedience to thecall.
I think of that call when I goto you know the drive-through
line at Starbucks, and I'm like,hey, pay for the people behind
you.
And you don't have no clue ofwhat that order could be.
But you, in faith, say you knowwhat, how can I follow that?
Do that, and that's.
I mean, that's everyday,practical stuff that you can do.
When you hear that on yourheart but you argue about it,
(16:02):
you say no, no, I don't need todo that.
I don't need to do that.
But what kind of blessing areyou not passing forward when you
do that?
Because my path to Ethiopia toadopt my son was because I felt
a calling to say, hey, go withyour pastor, go do it.
And I went.
Okay, what do I have to lose?
Next thing, I know my wife'shaving to have that same calling
(16:23):
and go hey, your crazyhusband's going to Ethiopia to
take pictures, don't let him bea third wheel, go.
And she went.
And next thing, I know we havea little boy that's coming home
to America three trips later tobe part of our family.
You never know where thosecallings are going to take you.
But so many times on a dailybasis we go nope, nope, not
(16:44):
going to bother with that, butwe just don't know what that
seed is going to plant.
And in your case, mom and dadhad to have a lot of faith to
support you.
At eight years old, I mean, Isee their faith because they
went to Ethiopia in the firstplace.
They felt the calling to go andadopt, which in itself is an
amazing blessing, because wenever know.
I tell my son every day God'sgot an amazing plan for you.
(17:06):
And you just never know.
I would have never known,starting this podcast, I'd be
sitting in your dining roomtalking to you about Ethiopia,
how to share that story.
So what's next for you?
Biruk Van De Stroet (17:20):
Me personally, senior in high
school, I'm just finishing mylast semester.
Next year I'm gonna go to IowaState University, study
somewhere in finance, business,somewhere in there, with
relating to egg projects.
We really don't know what Godhas for the egg project.
We don't know how long it'sgoing to last.
That's why we're kind of tryingto do more big-oriented stuff
(17:43):
in Ethiopia, like building aclinic, building a vacation
school that can remain thereeven past our time.
It's unpredictable, we don'tknow how long.
Maybe we have another 10 years,maybe we have 20 years, maybe
we have five years, and so we'rejust trying to do the most we
can with the egg project.
But my story I do.
I want to go back to Ethiopiafor longer time periods, maybe
(18:04):
after college, or even I want tolive there just to be able to
serve as a missionary after I'mdone with my degree, go into my
career, maybe for 30 years or so, and then just go back to the
origin place I was placed andthen help out.
You know, maybe my village orsome surrounding villages that
past summer being there, it justgave me fulfillment of the
(18:25):
swamps called to do.
My purpose in life is to helppeople and I feel like we all
have that calling wherever weare in our stages of life.
Either you're 80 years old oryou're eight years old.
That is always something foryou to do, and in this story of
mine, I was eight years old, butmy parents have as much impact,
or even greater, in startingthe egg project when they're in
(18:47):
their mid-40s or early 50s, andmy grandpa who's 70 or so.
God uses everyone.
I don't know how God's going touse me through my adult life,
but I know he will and I'm readyto listen and respond to
whatever calling he has for me.
Brandon Mulnix (19:04):
I want to let you know Iowa State's a a great
ag school, and finance isn'tjust about business finance.
Agriculture it's business.
Finance is important.
Being able to be good stewardsof the money is so important.
So I commend you forunderstanding your.
As we talk about youth in ourindustry, we talk about those.
There's so many opportunitiesavailable to kids and everybody
(19:26):
thinks it's in the barn.
We need people like you with thesame heart, the same vision,
because you could be CEO of anegg company someday.
Keep following God's plan foryou.
I know as you're obedient.
You're going to change theworld.
You're going to feed the world.
I mean you're already doing it.
From eight years old.
You've had more impact onnutritional value of that
community than you could everimagine.
I mean a lot of folks waituntil they're retired before
(19:53):
they start really gettinginvolved in these organizations
and volunteering.
You're doing some of this stuffat the beginning.
The value of eggs is soimportant.
I'm hoping that through thispodcast, we can connect you with
some of the folks that canreally 10X your mission, your
vision, because I think it's youthat's going to help change the
world and help change the eggindustry over time.
And so thank you for yourwillingness to be here.
(20:17):
How can people connect with youand your mission?
Biruk Van De Stroet (20:20):
Yeah, that's a good question.
My mom is very active, likemost moms, on Facebook.
So we do have Biruk Egg Projecton Facebook.
So if you just look up Brooke'sEgg Project, my mom's very
active in it.
So if you give us a message,we'll message you back.
If you just want to learn moreabout our story and the egg
project, we do have a web link,birukseggproject.
org, where we give monthly newsand you can read everything
(20:45):
about it.
Give us a call if you'resurrounding areas of Sioux Falls
, Canton.
If you want eggs, we'llprobably be delivering and then
we're hoping to be licensed tosell to businesses.
So if you have a small businessbakery and stuff like that in
the near future and you wantboxes of eggs, we'll be able to
provide for that.
So, yeah, just facebookorg orgive us a call too.
Brandon Mulnix (21:08):
Yeah, any last minute advice for the leaders
out there Back to Jeremiah 2911.
Biruk Van De Stroet (21:14):
God has a plan for you.
Gotta go for the calling.
Just make the first step.
Brandon Mulnix (21:18):
Well, poacher Leadership, listeners, you've
had an opportunity to listen tothe heart.
I'm a young adult that'schanging the world.
If that doesn't challenge you,I don't know what does.
He's feeding the world.
What are you doing about it?
That's the challenge I have outfor you guys today.
Just make a difference, beobedient to the callings.
You never know what that'sgoing to do, because it just
takes one blessing that canspark a fire in somebody else,
(21:40):
and so please share Brooke'sstory with your groups to see
what you guys can do to help,and also please share this
episode so others can learnabout this mission, this vision
and also the wisdom that is farbeyond his years.
Thank you for Prism Controlsand your sponsorship in allowing
me to be able to come andinterview this amazing young man
.
Thank you.
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