Justina and her grandmother use goat manure as a natural and effective fertiliser in their garden, allowing them to grow vitamin-rich vegetables in abundance.
The meat and milk from the goats also provides the family with a regular source of protein.
Before they received the goat, the family lived in a one-room house made from mud. Now, Justina and her brothers and sisters sleep under a sturdy roof at night.
“It wasn’t an easy thing,” Margaret said. “We used to have a very small house. Me and my husband, together with all the children used to sleep in a one-room hut together.
“One day we sat down together and said ‘this house is too small’, so we decided to sell 10 goats so that we could build a new house.”
Goats are adaptable to Zambia’s hot and dusty environment. They also reproduce quickly, so a family can begin earning income almost immediately.
The ability to breed goats has in the past proved a lifesaver for Justina and her family.
“Last year Justina fell sick with Malaria,” Margaret said.
“We had no money to take her to the hospital or for treatment. My husband and I decided to sell a goat in order to pay for the treatment. She stayed in the hospital for one week and was discharged.
“I felt so thankful. Had it not been for the goats I’d have had no money to take Justina to the hospital. She might have even died.”
How a Goat Benefits an Entire Village
The blessings from this gift did not just stop with Justina’s family.
As part of ChildFund’s program, children that receive animals must also pass on some of the offspring to another neighbour in need, like Perina and her grandmother, Alidessa.
Because of the passed-on gift they received, Perina’s family has a steady and stable income for the first time in their lives. As a result, the family now owns seventeen goats and counting.
“At first life was very difficult because we couldn’t buy things,” Alideesa told us.
“We had to buy on credit and sometimes people refused us. Now if we have needs, we just sell a goat. I’m able to walk around now as a proud mother and help my family.”
Before the family received their goats, Perina and her brothers and sisters would go to school without breakfast.
Income from the goats has allowed her grandmother to afford books and uniforms. Now Perina is able to concentrate on school, not on her stomach.
When one goat is given freely to a child, the life of a whole family improves. And as families begin to thrive, entire communities are transformed – all because an individual from far away chose to share generously of what they had.
Be Generous and Buy a Goat This Christmas
When you buy and donate a goat as your charity gift this Christmas, a child like Justina is given a second chance.
To help a child in need, browse our Gifts for Good catalogue, and learn more about how your charity gift can be a lifesaver.
