Despite living with HIV, 10 women in the Zimunya area have uplifted themselves by rearing goats to boost their income.
Founded in 2010, all the members of the Harmony Women’s Club (HWC) live with HIV and AIDS. Their goal is to improve the nutrition of members and boost their income by rearing and selling livestock.
The goat-rearing project was funded by the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) through the Smallholder Agribusiness Promotion Programme (SAPP) in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture. SAPP started interacting with the HWC in 2012.
The group’s chairlady, Linda Chirewa, said that in order to achieve the desired goals, group members have been receiving training in the rearing and management of goats according to market specifications to meet the standards required by large markets in the business sector.
Profitable producers
In a recent interview Themba Nkomo said the SAPP was a public-private endeavour to reduce poverty by stimulating rural economic development through the transformation of small-scale producers into profitable producers.
“The SAPP targets small-scale farming households and women’s groups who are organised in enterprises or who have the potential to join groups that can be better linked to markets,” explained Nkomo.
“The major target groups are women who devote their efforts to market-oriented production and who need to be assisted with marketing operations, diversification of production, processing and value adding,” he added.
He explained that the SAPP tries to streamline cross-cutting issues such as HIV and AIDs into its programmes and interventions.
Quality livestock
“We have some groups that are directly affected by HIV and AIDS. The goat-breeding project is part of our wider efforts to respond to and mitigate the devastating effects of HIV and AIDS, particularly upon rural communities,” Nkomo said.
In addition, the programme facilitates visits to the livestock market centres in Mutare and Harare as an exercise in sensitising the producers and mentoring them in the production of quality livestock.
“As a way of improving quality breeds, we have applied for support from the SAPP to source improved breeds that will fetch better prices in the market. We are happy that they are currently at the stage of reviewing our business proposal,” said Chirewa.
Anna Bhiza, who is a trained goat breeder and a member of the group, said goats were easy to breed and each nanny goat can produce up to six kids a year. The animals are kept in pens and a small paddock. Present stock numbers 130, including kids.
Premium prices
“We want to procure improved breeds of male goats because better breeds will fetch premium prices,” Bhiza explained.
“Young goats are kept and rotated to replace those that are sold. In that way we maintain a continuous supply. The routine training of members helps to maintain profits,” she said.
“We have been trained in basic feeding, housing and handling structures. We have acquired knowledge on management practices, including disease control, which has helped us,” she explained.
Large orders
Prices for livestock vary according to the quality of the mature animal.
“We get huge orders from local abattoirs and boarding schools. A large goat can fetch $40, others $30 with a minimum price of $25. We give discounts on bulk orders and also sell manure, which brings in a handsome profit,” says Stella Zibagwe, treasurer of the Harmony Women’s Club. “We receive large orders for manure from local farmers who want to increase their maize and vegetable production,” she explained.
Members of the group share in the profits and are able to send their children to school.
Since all of the members in the group are HIV positive, they now have the funds to buy medication to improve their health.
“The project proves that HIV positive people are not outcasts, but can also help to build the nation. This is a very successful project. We live normal lives and maintain high standards,” said Chirewo.
Harmony Women’s Club is confident that with the funds it hopes to receive and the business knowledge and technical know-how on production acquired by members, it will achieve its goal of improving the nutrition and welfare of its members in the future.
Post published in: Agriculture