The President’s Blog

Riding on Goats
to Escape Poverty

For years, women in rural Africa have struggled – unsuccessfully – to free themselves from the shackles of poverty.

But in 1999, a revolutionary pilot project, Goats for a New Millennnium, was introduced. The goal: to deliver women from the yoke of poverty. Many had failed before, but urcause was determined to make goats work harder – and better.

With it came goat rearing, a monumental turning point in these women's lives. "I used to keep local goats on subsistence level, which would fetch me very little money. Before the project came into being I had 36 local goats which I was keeping on free range, but now with the advice of our agriculture coordinator I keep 15 improved goats," says Miriam, a woman whose life has been radically improved.

The pilot programs for Goats for a New Millennnium were in Nyakitunda and Kabuyanda. The goal: to establish a rigorous proof of concept for implementation of practical interventions needed to achieve the United Nations millennium goal of reducing extreme poverty over a five-year time frame.

One of the activities identified by locals was goat rearing because the area is hilly, making it impossible for cattle keeping, a common activity in the Rift Valley of Kenya. It is that project that has seen Miriam’s life transformed from subsistence to commercial goat rearing.

An improved goat costs KES4, 000 on the open market while a local goat goes for about KES600. "I have already sold three improved goats which fetched Shs4,000 each. I have used the money to put up a water tank," Miriam says with a smile on her face.

Dr. Kikiyu, the livestock facilitator of the project, says goat rearing was chosen as a form of enterprise because the locals requested it. And once it's well handled, he said, it is very lucrative. "There is a very big market in the Arab countries, which we cannot satisfy because we lack enough animals," he said.

Many of Miriam’s colleagues have taken on the venture as a way of escaping the clutches of poverty.

Dr Kikiyu said before embarking on goat rearing, farmers sat down and identified the problems they faced, like land shortage, poor breeds, inaccessible livestock inputs, poor pasture and lack of lucrative markets. To address these problems, farmers have been trained in good goat management practices.

The project managers have constructed six demonstration shelters and provided improved pasture seeds and put up demonstration gardens where farmers are trained. According to Miriam, the training has been beneficial. "I have been able to sustain my goats that I keep on zero grazing."

An increase in the number of goats and improvement in the breed will significantly impact on her production, she said. "We have been promised better breeds of Norwegian he-goats."

The commutations officer of the project says at this rate if women remain focused, they will be able to reduce on the dependency syndrome on men.

This will empower the rural woman who will eventually be liberated from the yoke of poverty. For now, Miriam doesn't need a man to meet her immediate needs.

The goats will do just fine.