Goat Foundation donates 200 goats to 100 widows in Kitui

 The Goat Foundation has donated 200 goats to needy widows in Kitui Central and its environs as a drought mitigation tool, in a bid to ensure that the women are financially empowered to survive in the current harsh economic times.

The goat donations benefited 100 women with each widowed woman taking home two goats, a male and a female one.

The donations came when the long rains failed in Kitui leading to acute crop failure.

Steve Down who is the founder of the Goat Foundation, was inspired to start the foundation with a story of a needy widow. She was suffering due to harsh economic times after her husband had committed suicide over the inability to provide for his family.

Giving

Down said that it was always good to give to the needy as even the Bible describes this as the true religion, and whoever gives receives in equal measure.

According to Shem Oluchiri, the Chief Marketing Officer for the Financially Fit and the Goat Foundation, the idea behind giving the goats to widows was Cost Capitalism, which requires each profit-making organization to select a non-profit making organization as a way of giving back to the society.

Oluchiri said that the foundation plans to give out 20 million goats to 10 million women by 2025. He said so far, they have issued the goats to over 500 women in six counties as a pilot project. He said that Goat foundation would be doing a follow-up on the success stories of their project.

The beneficiaries couldn’t hide their joy after receiving the goats, with most women describing how their families would benefit from the goats, with benefits ranging from milk, manure, and selling the goats once they procreate so as to educate their children.

Kitui Central MP Dr. Makali Mulu thanked The Goat Foundation for the initiative, urging other profit-making Kenyan companies to follow suit and give back to the society in various ways.

STORY By BONIFACE MWANIKI