Food For His Children raises money to give dairy goats to widows, orphans, the elderly and disabled in rural villages in the Karatu District of Tanzania. But why Goats?! What a wonderfu lquestion! Veterinarian Joseph Kwaslema explains.
There are several reasons why goats make sense in this area. The society is an agricultural society. Most are substistance farmers. In addition to growing thier own produce, livestock provide needed nutrition for the families. Several animals have been considered. First chickens, which FFHC origionally offered. It was quickly observed that chickens need a high level of care and maintance. They are highly suceptible to to illnesses which can, and has, wiped out entire flocks.
How about cows then? While it is true that diary cows put out a lot more milk, they also require more work to maintain. They require special feed, more water, and supplements. When they are not properly maintained, they produce very little milk and can become a burden to the family. The target population for FFHC recipients are the poorest in their communities. Most are women, sometimeselderly or disable women. Cows are often more than they can take on.
Dairy goats make sense because they are hardy creatures. They are easy to take care of and can eat a wide variety of foods. The hybrid goats that are given to program families are a special breed. They do well in captivity. A goat shed that is off the ground, to prevent hoof rot, vaccinations once a year, food and water is all that is required. Elephant grass, a hardy grass that requires little water to grow can be grown by families meaning that they no longer have to spend time grazing their goats, as with the smaller African goats. When properly fed and watered, the hybrid goats are able to produce 2 liters of milk a day, in comparision to the 2 cups produced by the local goats. Hybrid goats also produce twins when they are bred in captivity in comparision to single births by the local goats.
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