Goat Power: how herding is empowering women in rural Africa – in pictures

Farm Africa’s revolving goat scheme

The scheme involves setting up women’s livestock groups, formed of mothers with young children. Half of the group receives two or three does (female goats) on the understanding they pass on two or three does to another woman in the group once their herd has grown. Pita Argma, left, from South Omo in Ethiopia, received three goats from Farm Africa and passed on three kids to Sura Doima. ‘I am hopeful the goats will help my family survive bad times ahead if the harvests are not good’
Women’s status

For many women in Karamoja, Uganda, the goats are the first property they have ever owned. Men were at first resistant to see the elevation of women’s status, but this has changed. Longoli Paska, from Napak, says: ‘I am joyful to have goats. It used to be only men in my family who owned animals. The project has enabled me to send two of my daughters to school. I hope my daughters will have a different life to mine. I didn’t go to school myself.’ Logiela John, Longoli’s husband, says: ‘When we get more milk we will look for a market and use it to buy more food for the children’
Goat transfer ceremony

After her Farm Africa goats had kids, Theresa Kodet from Karamoja, left, passed two of them on to Longole Oliver. Kodet says: ‘I had two goats before, but they belonged to my husband. Now, it makes me very proud that I can take part in the decision-making. My husband respects me more because I own goats. Now, I can have a say.’ Oliver says: ‘For me, it’s like a dream to have my own goats. There is hope for the future. My dreams for my children are that they get educated’
Rule of thumb

A villager indicates with a thumb print that they have received a goat from the scheme. Through its Livestock for Livelihoods project funded by UK aid and Jersey Overseas Aid, Farm Africa is supporting women to set up goat-rearing enterprises to help them earn their own money and improve their families’ diets
Two goats in Nakipenet village

South Omo and Karamoja are two of the poorest areas in eastern Africa – with a harsh climate that can make it impossible to grow crops or keep cattle healthy. Children go hungry and, despite working hard, women don’t own property and have to ask their husbands for money
Frontline animal health workers

Healthy goats produce more kids, milk and meat. Farm Africa has trained a network of community animal health workers who provide basic veterinary services for the goats, such as vaccinating and spraying them to keep parasites at bay. They also advise women on how to earn money from goats and goat products
Keeping goats in shape

Tukara Doide is a community animal health worker trained by Farm Africa in South Omo. ‘I serve the community treating our goats: giving vaccines, spraying with anti-worms and injecting them when they get sick. People get charged each time they obtain the service, and this is the secret behind its sustainability. Our concern over Covid-19 is the possibility of markets being closed: what will happen to us if this happens? It’s the markets where we sell our livestock and buy our food. This is a huge problem’
Improved breeds

Pastoralists mainly keep local goat breeds, which are able to thrive in challenging climates with low quality forage and fodder, but produce very little milk. Farm Africa helps communities to crossbreed local does with high-yielding breeds of buck (males): Toggenburg from Uganda and Boer from Ethiopia. The offspring grow faster and produce more milk and meat than local goats
Buck keepers

Each group has a buck keeper, who receives two males which are crossbred with local does. Anna Angolere, from Nakapiripirit in Karamoja, looks after the two bucks given to her community: ‘I charge other women in the village for the services of the buck. These are the first bucks I have owned. Farm Africa gave me training on how to look after them. I have learnt how important goat’s milk can be for children’s nutrition. Even if the crops fail, when we have the goat’s milk, the children will be able to grow big, strong and healthy’
Community assets

Two of the animals forming part of a community goat-rearing project
An income from goat breeding

Dawunda Shawkare from South Omo now earns her own income breeding goats. ‘Women in our community were seen as subordinates who were not supposed to have our own income. This attitude has started to change. Twenty women formed a goat breeding association. I am responsible for Lempo (a Boer buck), who has been crossbred with 12 females. Our plan is to use them for milk production. We will fatten the male hybrids and sell them.’ Earning money from livestock is more important than ever in 2020 as locusts devastate crops across eastern Africa
Saving for the future

A member of the Lemsui village savings and loan association collecting contributions at a meeting in the village
The road to market

Beka Bergi Gaito on a motorcycle with a goat she is taking to market. The animal is one of several she is raising for their milk, and to breed and sell on
Improving nutrition

Malnutrition is widespread among women and children in Karamoja and South Omo. Farm Africa is raising awareness about the nutritional value of goat’s milk and balanced diets, and demonstrating how to build vegetable gardens that make good use of the goat’s manure. Regina Lokii, from Karamoja, says: ‘My nine-month-old twin girls have been drinking the goat’s milk for three months now. They love it. It means they will be able to grow up strong and healthy’
Prize specimens

Goats supplied to village women by community goat-breeding schemes
Building a herd

Dile Bokoro, a breeder, gives fresh goat’s milk to her son. ‘We started our association by breeding Boer bucks with local does. Farm Africa provided us with training on fodder production and management, and inputs like fodder seeds and improved goats. We started with a total of 30 goats: 20 from us and 10 milk goats from Farm Africa. The buck is an improved breed from South Africa; physically big compared to the local ones. When female goats breed with it, they give birth to better hybrids, which produce lots of milk’
Child benefits

Mother-of-two Nyanga Maria, from Karamoja, is part of a women’s livestock group. She’s waiting to receive two kids from another member of her group just as soon as they are old enough. ‘I will be happy to receive these goats to help me bring up my family. I am happy I will get milk for my children. One of the good things I have seen with beneficiaries of the scheme is that they are able to give their children milk. They all enjoy it and you see the health on their bodies: they have all put on weight. We have been empowered by the goats’
Breeders of the future

Three girls with a kid from a community project supplying the animals, the Gebinat goat breeding association, in South Omo
Fantastic beasts

Two of the animals belonging to a community goat-rearing project
The photographer’s perspective

These photos were taken in March 2020 by Chris de Bode, who visited Farm Africa’s Livestock for Livelihoods project in Ethiopia and Uganda. ‘I’m always looking for different angles in the stories I shoot. The backdrop I used enabled me to create a photo studio even in the most remote areas. To show these proud women in context with the dramatic landscapes was a humbling privilege. What I learnt is that goats like to be treated with dignity and patience. And that is exactly what I did. We also laughed a lot. They certainly have a mind of their own …’