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Starting a community · Step 1

The first five women

Could you form the right starting group?

An Ubuntu Goat Community does not begin with five women chosen at random. It begins with five women who already have a strong basis for building something together.

How an Ubuntu Goat Community begins

Thank you for your interest in Ubuntu Goats.

An Ubuntu Goat Community does not simply begin with five women chosen at random. To give the project the best possible chance of success, we look for an existing group of five women who know and trust one another and are willing to work together for several years.

Before a new Ubuntu Goat Community can begin, we follow a number of steps. With each step, we learn a little more about the women, the group and the practical situation.

This first step is simple. We would like to know whether you know four other women with whom you might form such a group. On this page, you can read what we expect from the first five women and answer a few initial questions.

You do not need to make a final decision at this stage. If it appears that a suitable group may exist, we will explain the next step.

Five women, working together

We look for a group of five women who meet the following conditions:

  1. The women come from different familiesThe five women come from five different families. This helps prevent one family from controlling the project and allows it to be supported more widely within the community. The purpose of Ubuntu Goats is for the whole community to grow gradually. New young female goats bought later through the project will therefore be given to women from new families.
  2. The women know and trust one anotherThe women know one another well, trust one another and have preferably already worked successfully together. We are not looking for five women who still need to learn how to become a group, but for women who already have a strong basis for cooperation. One woman may have experience with goats, another with organisation and another with trade, money or administration. Not every woman needs to know everything, as long as the women share their knowledge.
  3. The women support one anotherIf one woman is temporarily unable to care for her goat, it should feel natural for the other women to help and take over the care. This support goes further. When a goat becomes ill, a kid is born or another problem arises, the women must be able to rely on one another.
  4. The women have the necessary practical possibilitiesEach woman has enough time, space and independence to care for her own goat every day. She must be genuinely able to take responsibility for the wellbeing of her goat.
  5. The women are reliable and commit for the longer termThe project develops over several years. The women must therefore be willing to keep their agreements, attend the monthly meetings and remain involved when progress is slow or when problems arise.
  6. The women accept the shared rulesThe women understand that Ubuntu Goats is not simply giving away five separate goats. Female kids stay with the woman and become part of her growing herd. Male kids are sold, and the money is used to buy new female goats for new women. Births, sales, purchases, income and expenses must be reported honestly and recorded correctly. Without this shared and transparent way of working, the project cannot continue and grow.
  7. Every woman can make her voice heardOne woman must not make all the decisions or control the other women. Every woman must be able to ask questions, report problems and take a full part in decisions about the goats, the shared fund and the further development of the project.
  8. The women contribute to further growthThe women understand and accept that the project does not end with the first five participants. They are willing to help the project grow gradually, so that new young female goats can be given to new women from other families in the same community.

Tell us about a possible group

This is only the first step. You do not need to make a final decision or give us the names of the other women yet. If a suitable group may exist, we will explain the next step and ask some additional questions.

Please complete all required questions before sending your answers.

1. Do you think you know four other women with whom you could form a group that meets these conditions? *
2. Do the five of you come from five different families? *
3. How do you know these women, and what have you already done together? *A simple, concrete example is more helpful than a general answer.
4. What useful knowledge or experience is already present among the five of you? *For example: caring for goats or other animals, buying and selling, organising activities, managing money or keeping simple records. One woman may have one kind of experience and another woman a different kind. What matters is that they are willing to share it.
5. Have you already spoken to the other four women about Ubuntu Goats? *Tell us whether they know about the idea and whether they may be interested in taking the next step with you.
6. Can you give an example of how you already help one another? *For example during illness, childcare, farming, market activities, caring for animals or solving a practical problem.
7. Is there anything that could make it difficult for one of you to take care of a goat or remain involved for several years?An honest answer does not automatically prevent the project from continuing. It helps us understand what may be needed.

Short answers are welcome. You do not need to use formal English. If writing in English is difficult, you may answer in the language in which you feel most comfortable.