Excitement was stirring in the East African village of Lemanyata. The ceremony would be happening in a few hours, and three farmers were filled with hope. Today was their day to receive a dairy goat from their neighbors. There would be no money changing hands, but it wasn’t free. These farmers had attended trainings, visited other farmers, constructed goat sheds, and prepared fodder plots. They were ready. 

At the “Passing On” ceremony, villagers who once received dairy goats were given the opportunity to pass on a 4-month-old goat to new farmers. The goat recipients also committed to passing on an offspring to another family. 

On the day of the ceremony, Jackson Ngaya was there to pass on one of his goats. He lives in the village where he is a leader of a group of small-scale farmers who depend on livestock and crop farming. However, they experienced low production capacity, challenges of low revenue, and diseases in their animals. Jackson worked hard yet couldn’t get ahead. Still, he believed in a better future.

An early recipient of a dairy goat through the project, Jackson was trained on dairy goat management including disease control and treatment, feeding, and breeding. Through this knowledge, Jackson successfully led his group to complete sheds, fodder plots, and all the steps to receive dairy goats in 2018. As part of the requirements of the project, they had agreed to pass on the first female offspring. With hope for income and food security, they were proud to have healthy goats to share. 

Jackson is a determined man and sees a bright future. He says, “As a result of the milk goat, we can eat better at home, we can send our children to school, and provide the family with other necessities which prior to the project, we barely could afford. We have gained confidence, and know we can achieve even more. We are ready to keep dairy cattle, and hope from the project to learn more on sustainable farming.”