Increased income due to the sale of milk
The project seeks to increase the income of 400 families with the sale of milk. It also means that the family's diet is improved, especially that of the children, by drinking milk. A group made up of four families have been given an improved race cow, whose annual milk production is around 3’250 litres.
Strips of land that can't be cultivated (too sloping or alongside roads) are used to grow the grass to feed the animals. Some of the milk is used by the families and some is sold at local markets, which means the families have more money. This extra income allows them to provide for other needs.
A cow also produces about a ton of manure each year. Mixed in with organic household waste, it can be used as effective fertiliser for vegetable crops. Finally, each year a cow can give birth to a calf. It is then given to another member of the group.
In order to maintain a high quality of milk production, groups are trained in livestock husbandry, feeding and caring for the animals. To maintain cohesion in the groups, courses are given in bookkeeping and business management.