Livestock as a Business 2017-2018 Program

Highlights: Successful field trip - traveled with advanced groups to several ranches in Kiserian and Karen, near Nairobi. Groups raved about the goods breeds of cattle they saw, the big hay storage barn and hay harvesting machines. They were amazed at the healthy, energetic calves they saw at Njuguna’s Ranch, which benefited from the intensive fattening program Mr. Njuguna has developed.   

Group Info:

·       Oloirien Lorngosua Women’s Group – 21 women in our first ever group from Imbirikani Area.  People in that area generate their area through mixed farming, livestock and crop farming, especially tomatoes.  Higher percentage of educated women. The group is made of women of different generations. A handful of the young women have completed high school and/ or gone to college. They have an ambitious monthly group savings target. Then they loan group funds to each other for family needs.  Members repay with interest and the fund grows! This is what they use to add more money to the WILK $2000 livestock loan to buy more  cattle in the market than other groups (14 vs. 10).

·       Naboishu Oloilalei Mixed Group – 15 men and women, highly cohesive and interested group. They have swept the prize for highest net profit per cow since they joined the program.

·       Singo Esukuta Women’s Group – 16 hard working women who have come a long way. They enjoyed the benefits of WILK’s Esukuta Community borehole, then the LAB program. Now they are recognized as leaders in the community for their good example in livestock keeping and get support from their husbands and leaders.

·       Imisigyio Women’s Group – 13 women from the Mt. Kilimanjaro highlands who are members of WILK's Imisigiyio Community Borehole. They do subsistence crop farming of maize, beans, tomatoes, along with keeping livestock. They worked hard to solve challenges the group was having, re-formed the group, and are determined to make it work this time.