Livestock for livelihoods: creating lasting change

In Farm Africa’s 40th year, we’re celebrating the lasting impact of our work. Our projects don’t just offer a quick fix – they equip farmers with skills, tools and knowledge that keep delivering change, long after our direct support ends. Sylvia, Christine and Agnes’s stories show just how powerful that change can be.

Between 2018 and 2021, the Livestock for livelihoods project, funded by UK aid from the UK government, supported pastoralist women living in Karamoja in Uganda to set up sustainable, small-scale goat-rearing enterprises to generate income and provide their families with more nutritious diets.

The project first helped the women organise into groups of 30, with ten women from each group receiving two pregnant goats on the understanding they would each pass on two goat kids to the next 10 women once their herds had grown. The women also set up Village Savings and Loan Associations to save together, making funds available to pay for care of the goats as well as to invest in each other’s businesses.

Sylvia Teko, a member of a women’s livestock group in Karamoja.

Mother of seven Sylvia Teko says the project has transformed her life. “Farm Africa taught us how to care for the goats. We learnt to build a good house for them and keep it clean so the goats don’t fall sick. We learnt to treat and spray the goats. We still do this today” she says.

As well as providing nutritious milk for her children’s porridge, the goats have enabled her to educate them. Sylvia said, “I had 10 goats but I sold six to send my children to school. I have been able to send them to boarding school, where they have learnt to read. They couldn’t read before. I didn’t go to school myself. I want my kids to study.”

Through the savings group, she can now borrow enough money to buy seeds to farm three acres, and bring in much bigger harvests of maize, beans and sorghum than previously. “A good harvest can be 30 bags. Before, sometimes I would harvest just one bag. My life is so much better” she says.

Christine Lomongin pictured with three of her goats.

For 33-year-old mother of five Christine Lomongin, the project brought empowerment. She says “I love Farm Africa because they empowered me. Here in Karamoja, it is men who own animals, but now I own my own animals. It is my first time to have animals.

“I also now have the power that I can sell my own goats. My husband is very happy because it helps us. Before I worked with Farm Africa it was just my husband who paid for everything, but now I contribute a lot too.”

Agnes Longes with three of the 15 goats she now owns.

Mother of six Agnes Longes, 33, says goats boosted her livelihood and reputation. “In total, I reached 25 goats. I still have 15 of them. Before, I had no animals. These goats have helped us so much. They pay for treatment when we are sick and when there is hunger they pay for food for our family. The community respects me. I have the most goats of anyone in my village and this motivates others, I am seen as an example” she says.

Like Sylvia, Agnes is now able to grow more crops thanks to the VSLA. “I borrowed money for maize and sorghum seeds to cultivate on two acres. Before, I just used to cultivate one acre” she says.