BACKGROUND

Malawi is endowed with natural vegetation such as trees, grass and shrubs. These vegetations are readily available and accessible by local Malawians who mostly live in rural areas. Malawians are generally subsistence farmers who earn a living by growing crops like maize and rearing animals like Chicken and goats at a small scale. Most Malawians live below $1 a day and there is need for poverty alleviation programmes which are long term and sustainable in nature such as commercial goats farming and goats pass on projects. As such Centre for Child Development and Research (CCDR) would like to implement a goats pass on project to solve poverty issues and help create wealth among rural women in Salima, Mchinji, Mzimba , Karonga, Blantyre, Zomba districts.

CCDR started a goats pass on project in the year 2019 in Maskini village in Chiradzulu district by distributing 3 goats as a pilot project to 1 woman and 2 goats to one man. The goats by one woman have given birth to 3 more goats and those given by one man have given birth to two more goats. These 5 goats will be distributed to 2 more beneficiaries. In 2020 Together with the agricultural livestock officer in the district of Chiradzulu again, we also identified another village, Poya, in which 15 women have also be given 2 goats each. So far the number of goats has reached 48.

Some of the goats have started giving birth and others expecting. In 2021 in February we have also distributed 50 goats to about 30 women in Maskini village Chiradzulu district and the goats have already started multiplying. Now they are about 80. In 2022 we distributed 74 goats and 105 goats in the districts of Lilongwe and Dowa respectively to 60 women.  The goats in Lilongwe have now reached 84 and most of the goats in Chiradzulu are expecting. So far we have distributed at least 230 goats to at least 100 women in three districts. These goats will multiply into at least 600 goats in the next two years. An everage matured goat sells at least K50,000. Therefore 600 goats will generate at least K30,000,000

Building on these pilot projects we want to expand the goats pass on project to many women in many villages across districts of Malawi.

APPROACH OF THE PROJECT

In this project we will target 20 beneficiaries in each village in each district, for a start these will be women and girls. The selection will be based on vulnerability of women and the girls, for instance we will select single women and Female headed families, those affected and infected by different diseases such as HIV, TB, and COVID-19 and also disabled women and girls.  This is so because in Malawi although many people are struggling, women seem to be at a great risk and vulnerability than men. This is because in the country women are the ones responsible for taking care of all the household routines.

The beneficiaries will sign a contract and the group village head will be the witness to ensure that the members of the village are not just receiving the goats just for themselves but after keeping the goats and reproducing they are supposed to pass- on the same goats to another member in the same village.

Considering that a goat gives birth once a year or twice a year if properly managed it will always take time for the goats to reproduce. In this case we will agree in the contract that each woman will give back 6 goats to CCDR after 3 years. We will follow government policies for implementing the goats pass on project. According to government policies, the project must be introduced to the District Executive Committee and the District Agriculture Executive Committee of Dowa District. In addition, the government also stipulates that each beneficiary in a goats pass on project should always receive 5 goats for better sustainability. Therefore, in this project CCDR is expected to give 100 female goats and 4 male goats to 20 women and girls in each of the 6 districts.

So CCDR expects to collect 140 goats from the 20 beneficiaries in 3 years in each district and 840 in all 6 districts. But we know in 3 years each woman or girl will have at least 15 or 20 goats but CCDR will only collect 6 goats from each beneficiary therefore the project will benefit more the women. From the 140 goats CCDR will sell 40 goats for administrative purposes and will distribute 100 goats to other groups of women in each district. This is our sustainability strategy. We cannot force the goats to multiply quickly so that we should collect more goats within a short period of time let’s say one year. Experience has shown that the goats need more time to reproduce. That is why we are giving ourselves 3 years for the goats to multiply and grow.

RATIONALE OF THE PROJECT

Unstable weather patterns, effects of the covid-19 and Russia-Ukraine war are likely to affect lives and likely to exacerbate levels of poverty of vulnerable women in the six districts. As of the weather pattern of over the years, due to cyclones and late coming of rains the districts are receiving very little rainfall however the little rainfall will be come with violent storms which is likely to destroy crops this farming season, therefore, likely to increase g food insecurity and poverty among the women in six districts. To shield the women against such effects and increase resilience on their livelihoods against covid-19 and adverse weather conditions, this project will support the women with goats for pass on project. In order to increase the chances of sustainability the women will also be trained in goats rearing, agribusiness and financial management. The project will also help to boost economic status of the women through the goats and the goats house that they will construct. Through the goats income will be generated, manure for farming will be availed and food security will be ensured.

Goat is a multifunctional animal and plays a significant role in economy and nutrition of landless, small and marginal farmers in country. Goat can efficiently survive in available shrubs and trees in adverse harsh environment in low fertility lands. They are prolific breeders and attain sexual maturity at the age of 10-12 months. Gestation period in goat is short and twinning is much commanded small body size and docile nature, housing requirements and management problems with goats are less. Goat meat contributes about 20.4%to the total meat production and ranks after buffalo.The goat meat is more lean (low cholesterol) and relatively good for people who prefer low energy diet especially in summer. It has higher level of iron, high potassium content and low sodium content when compared to the similar serving size of beef, pork, lamb and chicken. So, the meat is more preferable for anemic patient. It is also packed with proteins and vitamin B12, which is important for healthy skin.

Main goal: Increase resilience, food, nutrition income security and wealth of Vulnerable women in Salima, Mchinji, Mzimba , Karonga, Blantyre, Zomba Districts districts.

Specific objectives:

1. Improve the livelihood diversification of the Vulnerable women in Salima, Mchinji, Mzimba , Karonga, Blantyre, Zomba Districts districts through the alternative income generation activities

2. Improve the food security of the Vulnerable women in Salima, Mchinji, Mzimba , Karonga, Blantyre, Zomba Districts districts through improved not only the soil structure but the soil fertility due to usage of manure.

3. Improve nutrition security of the Vulnerable women in Salima, Mchinji, Mzimba , Karonga, Blantyre, Zomba Districts districts through the availability of proteins from goat meat and related products.

4. To increase wealth of the Vulnerable women in Salima, Mchinji, Mzimba , Karonga, Blantyre, Zomba Districts districts through goats multiplication.

Activities:

1.      Conducting sensitization meeting to District Executive Committee (DEC) District Agriculture Extension Committee (DAEC), Village benefiting from the program

2.      Identification of beneficiaries and form groups to be engaged on goat pass-on project

3.     Train livestock goat beneficiary groups in goat management, leadership, business and group dynamics.

4.     Facilitate improved goat khola construction of beneficiaries

5.     Procure and distribute goats for pass-on program

6.     Procure and distribute pasture planting materials for the beneficiaries

7.     Establish pasture and conserve goat feed to the beneficiaries

8.     Train livestock goat beneficiary groups in drugs and drug box management

9.     Procure and distribute drugs and drug boxes

10.   Conduct supervisory monitoring visits to the program sites

Expected outputs:

·       Well-nourished communities as a result of increased animal protein intake.

·       Local communities that are food secure as a result of not only benefiting from soil fertility but from the sales of small stock as well.

·        Improved local community livelihood through cash transfer and animal proceeds.

·       Increased wealth of women and girls through the increase in number of goats

PROJECT IMPACTS

Short term impacts

·       The women and girls will learn, financial management, marketing and business skills which will help them sustain their goat farming enterprises.

·       The women and girls will learn goats management skills through capacity building.

Long term impacts/impacts

·       Through the revolving fund approach the women and girls will continue to benefit from more goats for consumption and income generation.

·       The project will also have spillover effects to the families of the women in goats groups through payment of fees and education of children to avoid school dropouts and early marriages.

MONITORING AND EVALUATION

On quarterly basis participatory monitoring and evaluation approach will be conducted and a monitoring and evaluation report will be produced. Monitoring indicators of project activities will be discussed during the planning workshop at the beginning of the project and reviewed/adjusted during the quarterly meetings. Project outputs and risks will be monitored as part of the quarterly discussion and report will be produced. The CCDR team, women goat’s farmers club and agriculture extension officers will regularly monitor the achievement of targets set against the indicators developed at the beginning of the project.

SUSTAINABILITY

The sustainability of the project is in two ways, the first way is through the pass- on Programme of the goats that UBI Malawi chapter will establish and another is through the returns that comes from the sales of the goats and manure collected from the goats as well as the village saving and loan association that will be established within the group of women

On pass on Programme the beneficiaries will sign a contract agreement form and the group village head will be the witness that the members of the village are not just receiving the goats just for themselves but after keeping the goats and reproducing they are supposed to pass- on the same goats to another member in the same village or another. Every member who will receive the goats from the Organisation (first beneficiaries) has someone at the back (second beneficiaries) waiting to receive from the first beneficiaries and also the second beneficiaries that will receive from the first beneficiaries will have others also at their back (third beneficiaries) waiting to receive from these second beneficiaries and so on and so forth. This means that the members will be giving each other goats until every household in the village has goats and then they will move to another village. So in this way the project will keep going and reaching out to several other beneficiaries from the first beneficiaries who received the goats from the Organisation.

CCDR will also benefit from the project as it iwll collect 140 goats from the 20 beneficiaries in 3 years in each district and 840 in all 6 districts. From the 140 goats from each district CCDR will sell 40 goats for administrative purposes and will pass on 100 goats to other groups of women in each district.

Through this, the project will keep on improving not only the soil structure but the soil fertility as well for more productivity per ha of land due to usage of manure collected from the goats, increasing the number of households raising goats, empowering households, generate income by small stock farming, increasing dietary intake of animal protein through the consumption of livestock and livestock products not only to the first beneficiaries but also to other beneficiaries that will  come after the first beneficiaries  (2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th beneficiaries- etc.) of the village these first beneficiaries and others that the program will reach to through pass-on. The 1 goat that will be given to the Organisation will be sold by the Organisation and the money will be used for administrative purposes such as communications, allowances, transportation during supervisory visits to ensure that each beneficiary is complying to the signed contract and also to see progress of the goat project and to witness pass- on ceremonies and this will be happening hand in hand with the government officers at the Extension Planning Area (EPA).

The Village Savings and Loans group will also help the women support one another financially after the project has finished." "The establishment of groups like the VSLA and the farmers group will help to build solidarity among the women and girls. This solidarity will strengthen the knowledge and management of goats and hence contributing to the sustainability of the project." In addition to that the beneficiaries will be able to sell manure and goats after loan repayment (passing on to other beneficiaries) in their respective houses at a good price hence reducing poverty in the households

RISKS AND UNCERTAINTY OF THE PROJECT

BREEDS

The project will use local goats breeds.

INSTITUTIONS INVOLVED AND PARTNERSHIPS

Agribusiness Officers, veterinary officers and livestock officers, local development authorities such as Area Development Committees and Village Development Committees will also be involved.

TIME LINE

3 years project. Two districts will be supported each and every year.