How an Ubuntu Goat Community begins
An Ubuntu Goat Community begins with five young female goats and five women. Each woman receives one goat and takes responsibility for caring for her.
The goat may provide milk and, in time, give birth to young goats. This can gradually improve food security and create new opportunities for the woman and her family. But the purpose of Ubuntu Goats is larger than helping only the first five women.
A female West African Dwarf Goat is pregnant for about five months. She commonly gives birth to two or three kids, although the number may vary.
Please read the information below carefully to learn how the opportunity is passed from one woman to the next
Female and male goats
The female goat a woman receives—and all the female kids born from her goats—remain her property. These female goats should not be sold. They should be well cared for, as part of the family.
If her herd becomes too large for her to care for properly, she should pass some of her goats on to other women.
Male goats are treated differently. When they are about five months old, they are sold at the local market. The money is used to buy a new young female goat for another woman in the community.
In this way, the opportunity does not stop with the first five women. It gradually passes from one woman to another, from one family to the next and eventually throughout the community.
Choosing the next woman
The process may differ from one community to another. Each community can decide who should help choose the next woman and how the decision should be made. The community should agree on a clear and fair process and explain that process to Ubuntu Goats.
Five women, working together
Cooperation between the five women is another important part of the journey. They should share what they learn about feeding, health, breeding and caring for their goats. They should discuss problems openly and support one another when difficulties arise.
The goats belong to the individual women, but the knowledge, experience and responsibility for helping the project grow are shared.
The wider community
The community helps choose the first five women, supports them when difficulties arise and later helps choose the women who will receive the next goats.
The project should not belong to one leader, one family or one small group. It should be understood and supported by the community.