Goats from PREFER
Presentation of Goats to Impoverished but Deserving Individuals, January 2010
By the end of 2007 PREFER had supplied a family with 4 female and 1 male goat in the hope they may start breeding and provide income. In 2008 PREFER Preschool gifted a further 197 families with goats. As of the end of March PREFER has placed 33 goats and 20 care packages into families during 2010. Over the whole period of the project 1200 goats have been placed into vulnerable families.
Care packages are valued by the families that are not able to care for a goat. We had one little old Mama, who's name we had received from the local government, come for her goat. When she saw the care packages (blanket, cooking pot, soap, salt, sugar, rice, cooking oil and towel) she immediately wanted to trade her goat. She had to wait while Teste drove into town to buy everything for her, but when she left she had a huge grin on her face.
The 'little' goat project is known throughout North Province.
There have been people masquerading as others to try to receive a goat; some have come to the preschool with quite a dramatic story of their impoverished state while 1 stranger tried to quietly walk off the property with a goat hidden under his coat! No matter what the story it is insisted that each recipient arrive with a letter from the local government, acknowledging they qualify for the program and the gift is recorded.
Baby Goat In The Gardent, November 2007
It always amazes Cathy to watch the transformation in the receiving families. They arrive at the preschool quietly and seem to be trying to make themselves small. When the goats are presented the grins begin, and when all the goats have been distributed and each family is holding their very own goat, now, believing it is really true, they just seem to swell with pride. They stand taller; talk a little louder, cannot stop hugging me and saying thank you, and want to hurry home to show off their newest and best possession.
See more of the First Quarter 2010 Report.
