Isiolo Goat Project
Like 1 Dislike 0 Published on 17 Dec 2013
The semi arid nature of Isiolo district frequently leads to crop failure which greatly impacts on the household food security situation for about 90% of its population who are mainly subsistent farmers. Most of these people have been reduced to dependants of relief food for many years. This also affects the health and economic status of poor households that have no other source of income. The impact of this mainly affects children, the elderly and lactating mothers who have to depend on insufficient supplies of supplementary feeding. Currently 5,882 children and 2,041 pregnant and lactating women are malnourished. The objective of the proposed goats' project is to improve the health and economic status of the children and residents of Isiolo suburbs and reduce dependency on relief and supplementary feeding projects.
Demand for milk in Isiolo sub-urban areas like Gambela, Kambi ya Juu and Kiwanjani is high because most of the animals kept are for meat and produce very little milk. This offers a stable market for the beneficiaries of this project who have been forced in to subsistent farming by lose of their livestock to drought. The income generated will be used to purchase food, carter for other basic needs and also pay for school levies and fees to enable more children enrol in school.
Despite the introduction of free primary education, enrolment remains at 69% in Isiolo due to high poverty levels -- 71%. Children grow up without going to school as their parents cannot afford to provide school uniforms, shoes and exercise books. This leads to high illiteracy levels throughout generations among the poor. With illiteracy also comes vulnerability, unemployment, exploitation, and other forms of social inequalities that perpetuate poverty. To change this situation poor families need access to long-term income opportunities, better access to medical services, opportunities for their children to join and stay in school and the ability to access and or afford food and other basic needs.