Building an Ubuntu Goat Shelter

All five women must agree where the shelter will stand. They must all be allowed to enter it and care for the goats.

Choose high, firm, well-drained ground. Do not build in a hollow place or in the path of rainwater. The site should be close enough for daily care and night-time supervision, but not directly beside a kitchen, bedroom or water well.

If the land belongs to one person or family, the group should clearly agree that all five women may use the shelter for the Ubuntu Goats project.

Nine main round poles form a three-by-three structural grid. The three rows are at different heights so that the roof slopes across the 3 metre width.

A practical starting point is approximately 2.7–2.8 m on the high side, 2.2–2.3 m in the middle and 1.7–1.8 m on the low side. The final heights and pole diameters must be checked locally before construction.

The nine posts cannot stand alone. They are tied together by three longitudinal top-beam lines. Five sloping roof members then run from high side to low side. Across those roof members come the purlins that actually support the corrugated sheets.

Timber often deteriorates fastest where wood, wet soil and air meet. For that reason the preferred Ubuntu design keeps the permanent wooden posts above the surrounding ground.

Each main post stands on a small concrete or stone pedestal. A simple galvanized strap, embedded rod, bracket or another locally proven fixing holds the post to the base and resists sideways movement and wind uplift.

The two dedicated door posts and the two permanent posts used for the mother-and-kid corner should receive the same treatment. The smaller interior feet can be lighter, because they do not support the roof.

The roof should cover more than 5 × 3 m. A practical concept is roughly 6 m long by about 4 m down the slope, giving around 24 m² before allowing for overlaps and trimming.

How many sheets are needed depends entirely on the sheet size sold locally. If sheets are around 1.8 × 0.65 m, 20 sheets are not enough. A working allowance of roughly 28–30 sheets is more realistic. Longer or wider sheets can reduce the number.

Sheets run down the slope. Side laps should face away from the prevailing wind. Every end lap must sit over a purlin. Use roofing nails or screws with proper washers, not ordinary nails through the valleys of the sheet.

The walls do not need expensive boards or blocks. Strong horizontal rails can be tied between the structural posts. The women then weave or fix safe branches, reeds or other locally available material between them.

Keep the upper parts open enough for air movement. Open-sided shelters are well suited to hot tropical conditions, while the roof and the more closed rain-facing side provide weather protection.

The main gate receives two dedicated full-height posts on raised feet. The women can build the gate panel itself from straight branches or sound reused timber, but Ubuntu Goats should provide the small hardware that is difficult to improvise well: strong hinges or straps, suitable fasteners and a reliable latch.

A rectangular gate needs at least one diagonal brace. Without it, the panel will eventually sag.

The mother-and-kid corner is planned at about 1.5 × 1.5 metres. One existing shelter corner and its walls provide the outside boundary. Two short additional round posts are placed inside the shelter to support the two removable divider panels.

Both added posts stand on small raised concrete or stone feet. The timber therefore stays above damp ground. The bottom rails of the divider panels are also fixed above floor level instead of lying on wet soil.

The five women complete the two panels with safe local branches, slats or woven material. The openings must be small and safe enough that newborn kids cannot escape, trap a leg or push their heads through dangerously.

When the separate space is no longer needed, the two divider panels can be removed or opened. The full shelter is then available to the group again.

For five adult goats, Ubuntu Goats provides one simple feeding rack or trough roughly 2 metres long. The goats eat from inside the shelter, not from outside the building.

The feeder should be placed against an internal wall or protected side of the shelter, comfortably under the corrugated roof. Do not mount it at the exposed outer edge where rain can fall directly into the feed.

Where the layout allows it, the women may be able to refill the rack conveniently from the passage or sheltered side. The priority, however, is always that feed remains dry, clean and off the floor.

The feeder should keep leaves, grass and browse above manure and muddy ground. The water container must be stable, washable and placed in shade where it does not wet the sleeping area. The mineral-and-salt lick should remain under cover and dry.

Raise and compact the soil inside the shelter slightly above the surrounding ground, preferably with suitable local laterite or firm soil. Shape the outside ground so rainwater moves away.

A removable raised sleeping platform can be placed in the driest part of the shelter. It may be made from safe pallets or local timber, but gaps must be too small for hooves or kid legs to become trapped.

The platform does not need to cover the full 15 m². Its job is simply to ensure that goats can choose a dry resting place during wet weather.