The Road to Becoming an Ubuntu Community

A step-by-step roadmap for preparing, starting and continuing an Ubuntu Goats project

This roadmap explains what a community will receive, what is expected from the community and the five women, and how the project will begin in stages.

It is not a contract and it does not need to be signed. It is a practical guide for everyone involved. Its purpose is to make the road ahead clear, fair and understandable before any goats or start-up support are provided.

Before the roadmap begins, the community completes the initial online form and the follow-up questions about the five women, the safe shared shelter and the practical environment. Ubuntu Goats first examines that information and decides whether the application is sufficiently promising to continue. The roadmap then guides the approved community through the remaining preparations, understanding check, agreement, start and continuing growth.

Why the project begins in stages

An Ubuntu Goats project is more than the delivery of five goats. It is the beginning of a shared responsibility. The community (1), the five women (2) and Ubuntu Goats (3) must first see that they can work together openly, care for the animals responsibly and protect the shared beginning.

The three partners in this first test

the community;
the five women;
Ubuntu Goats.

All three must be able to see that the shared beginning is being prepared responsibly before the project moves forward.

Each stage prepares the next one. Ubuntu Goats will only move to the next stage when the previous stage has been completed satisfactorily. If an essential step is not completed, the project may be paused or may not begin.

Before the goats arrive, no woman or community has an automatic right to receive goats, money or materials. Preparatory support is released only for an agreed purpose and at the appropriate stage.

Preparation comes before financial support

The preparatory stages show whether the community, the five women and the practical environment are ready. Completing a stage does not create a personal cash entitlement. Once the project has started, Ubuntu Goats or a foster may make the agreed monthly contribution to the Daily Care Fund, provided that the group continues to meet the applicable conditions.

The community selects five women

The first proof of an Ubuntu Community is not a building or a payment. It is the way the community chooses the five women who may begin.

The selection must show fairness, care, openness and concern for the good of the whole community. It must not be controlled by one powerful person or used only to benefit relatives, friends or people who already have the most.

How the selection should happen

The opportunity and the selection process are explained openly in the community.
Women, elders and other trusted community members have a reasonable opportunity to contribute.
The community considers both need and the ability to care responsibly for a goat.
The reasons for proposing each woman are explained simply and honestly.
Family relationships or other possible conflicts of interest are mentioned openly.
The five proposed women are treated with dignity and may freely accept or decline.
The selection does not require any candidate to pay money, provide a favour or surrender part of her future herd.

Qualities the community should look for

a genuine wish to build a new opportunity for herself, her family and later other women;
willingness and practical ability to care for goats every day;
readiness to work closely with four other women;
honesty in relation to animals, money, equipment and records;
willingness to learn and to ask for help when necessary;
acceptance of the Daily Care Fund and New Goat Fund principles;
reasonable support from her household for her participation and ownership.

The five founding women should come from five different families. They do not have to be the poorest women in the community. Reliability, cooperation, practical ability and willingness to respect the project conditions are essential. At least one woman should have useful goat-care knowledge or the group must have reliable access to such knowledge.

Being unable to read or write must not prevent a suitable woman from being selected. The process and later documents must be explained in a language she understands.

Information provided to Ubuntu Goats

The community provides the names of the five proposed women, a short explanation of how the selection was organised, the reasons for each proposal and any relevant concerns or family connections.

Ubuntu Goats may ask questions, speak separately with proposed participants or community members, request that part of the process be repeated, or decide that the selection does not yet meet the required standard. Ubuntu Goats does not simply replace the community’s choice with its own; its role is to check whether the process was fair and consistent with the Ubuntu principle.

This stage is complete when

The community has demonstrated that it can identify and propose five women through an open, fair and Ubuntu-inspired process, and Ubuntu Goats has accepted the selection process and the five proposed participants.

Understanding the Ubuntu Goats principle

The five women and relevant community representatives receive a clear explanation of how the project works. The explanation must be given in a language they understand, with enough time for questions.

The essential principle

Each founding woman will receive one young female goat and will own that goat.
Her female kids and all later female descendants remain part of her own herd.
Male kids are cared for properly and sold when they are healthy and old enough.
Male kids are registered as community animals and their net sale proceeds go into the New Goat Fund.
The Daily Care Fund pays permitted care, health and identification costs for male kids while they remain part of the existing herd. Direct sale and transport costs are deducted from the gross sale proceeds. The full net proceeds then enter the New Goat Fund.
The New Goat Fund is reserved for buying and delivering a suitable young female goat and providing health care, identification, registration, transport, the individual start-up package, training and initial support for another selected woman.
The separate Daily Care Fund supports the care of the existing female herd and agreed shared needs.
A new participant is selected fairly by a majority of the participating women, with confirmation that she understands and can meet the conditions.
A later participant receives a complete responsible beginning: a female goat, agreed health care, identification, registration, transport, the same individual start-up package, training and access to the group’s practical support.

This stage is complete when

All five women can explain the main principle in their own words and confirm that they are willing to continue preparing together.

Forming the group

The five women begin functioning as a group before they receive goats. They agree how they will meet, communicate, help one another and respond when one woman is ill, absent or experiencing difficulties.

The group prepares

a simple list with the names and contact details of the five women;
a regular way and place to meet;
a method for reaching a decision fairly;
a plan for daily care when one woman is temporarily unavailable;
a simple way to record important events involving goats and the two Funds.

This stage is complete when

The five women have met more than once, have made basic arrangements together and have shown that all five can participate.

Choosing the communal shelter location

The women propose a safe and practical location for one communal goat shelter. The location must remain available to all five women and must not create private ownership of the shelter or control over the other women’s goats.

The proposed location should provide

reasonable access for all five women;
protection against flooding, rain, direct sun, dogs, theft and other dangers;
space for ventilation, a dry sleeping area and future herd growth;
a separate area for a sick goat or a goat giving birth;
reasonable long-term security of use.

This stage is complete when

The five women agree on the location and Ubuntu Goats or its appointed representative accepts it.

Planning the shared work

Before construction begins, the women and community make a practical plan. The community contribution is part of the proof that the project has local support.

The plan identifies

who will provide labour;
which suitable local materials can be contributed;
which materials still need to be purchased;
who will collect quotations or confirm local prices;
how materials and money will be checked;
when the work should begin and be completed.

Ubuntu Goats does not provide an unrestricted building allowance. Any agreed contribution is a fixed maximum contribution and will normally be paid directly to a supplier or provided as materials.

This stage is complete when

A realistic plan, local contribution and agreed material list have been accepted.

Beginning the shelter

The community starts the agreed work and demonstrates its contribution. Ubuntu Goats may then release the first part of its agreed shelter support, preferably by paying a supplier directly or providing the agreed materials.

No additional amount is automatically provided if costs rise. Any necessary change must be discussed and accepted before new expenses are made.

This stage is complete when

The first agreed construction milestone has been reached, the materials have been used properly and the group has continued to work together.

Completing and checking the shelter

The remaining agreed shelter support may be provided only after the first milestone has been checked. The completed shelter is then inspected before goats are selected or delivered.

The final check considers

a dry and, where possible, raised sleeping area;
protection from rain and direct sun;
adequate ventilation and a safe enclosure;
protection against dogs, theft and other avoidable dangers;
a separate space for illness or birth;
sufficient initial space for the five goats and their young.

This stage is complete when

The shelter has been completed, is ready for safe use and has been accepted by Ubuntu Goats or its appointed representative.

Providing and organising the care equipment

Ubuntu Goats provides the agreed individual and shared care items, normally as materials rather than unrestricted cash. Every item is checked and recorded.

The women prepare

a safe place for the shared equipment;
an arrangement for access by all five women;
a simple equipment list;
a responsible way to clean, return and replace shared items later.

The shared equipment belongs to the group. It may not be divided, sold or used for unrelated purposes.

This stage is complete when

The agreed items are present, safely stored and accessible to all five women, and the women understand how to use them.

Selecting and preparing the goats

Only after the community is ready are five suitable young female goats identified. Ubuntu Goats arranges or directly pays the agreed purchase, animal-health and transport costs.

Before delivery

the goats are checked as carefully as reasonably possible for health and suitability;
the purchase price and seller are recorded;
initial deworming and vaccination are arranged where appropriate;
safe transport is planned;
each woman knows which goat she will receive and what immediate care it needs.

This stage is complete when

Five suitable goats have been identified, the health and transport arrangements are ready and the community can receive them safely.

Signing the Community Agreement

Before signing, each woman individually completes the seven-step understanding check. Each step begins with a short explanation and is followed by simple multiple-choice questions. The purpose is to verify that all five women sufficiently understand the project, their personal responsibilities, their shared commitments, the goats, the Funds and the growth towards new women.

The roadmap itself is not signed. The separate Community Agreement is signed only after the practical preparations and understanding check have been completed and before ownership of the goats is transferred. The agreement and Operating Rules are explained in a language each woman understands. Each woman may ask questions and may still decide freely not to continue.

This stage is complete when

All five women understand and freely sign or place a thumbprint on the Community Agreement, and Ubuntu Goats confirms that the project may start.

Delivering the five goats

Each woman receives one young female goat. From the agreed moment of delivery and transfer, that woman owns her goat. Her female kids and later female descendants will remain part of her herd.

The delivery, identification and condition of each goat are recorded. The women begin using the shelter and equipment and put their care arrangements into practice.

This stage is complete when

All five goats have arrived safely, each goat has been transferred to its owner and the initial delivery record has been completed.

Learning, practising and reporting from the first month

Support and follow-up begin as soon as the goats are delivered. The women care for their goats, maintain the shelter and equipment, meet every month and keep simple and honest records. They promptly report health problems, pregnancies, births, deaths, disappearances, theft, sales, purchases and other important events.

There is no waiting period before the monthly system begins. The Daily Care Fund may receive the agreed monthly contribution from the start, provided that the preceding month’s information, meeting and expenditure have been handled correctly.

During this period the women demonstrate that they can

provide responsible daily care, clean water, suitable feed and safe shelter;
help one another when one woman is ill, absent or experiencing serious difficulty;
protect and maintain the shared shelter and equipment;
report illness, pregnancy, birth, death, loss and other important events honestly;
cooperate with registration, vaccination, deworming and identification;
respect each woman’s ownership of her female goat and female descendants;
respect the community status of male kids and the future Growth Fund rules;
discuss difficulties early and respond responsibly.
hold a monthly meeting at which every woman can speak freely;
provide the information and evidence needed for the Central Community Goat Register and the Fund records.

Problems do not have to be hidden

A sick animal, a death, temporary absence, poverty or an honest mistake does not by itself mean failure. What matters is whether the problem was reported, the animals were protected, reasonable help was sought and the women acted openly and responsibly.

This stage is complete when

The women have completed their first monthly cycle: the goats and important events are registered, the meeting has taken place, any expenditure is supported by evidence and practical problems have been discussed.

Building the Daily Care Fund month by month

Ubuntu Goats or a foster may contribute up to the agreed monthly amount to the Daily Care Fund. The current planning amount is GMD 2,000 per month, but it may be adjusted when costs, available resources or project circumstances change.

This is shared care money—not personal money.

It is not divided between the five women.
No woman may claim a personal share.
The women receive genuine joint responsibility for permitted decisions.
Every expense must serve a permitted project purpose and be supported by as much evidence as possible.

Conditions for the next monthly contribution

The previous expenditure must be reported honestly, the required evidence must be provided, important goat events must be registered, the monthly meeting must have taken place and serious shortcomings must have been discussed and corrected.

A sick animal, natural death, temporary absence or honestly reported problem does not by itself prevent a contribution. Missing money, unexplained withdrawals, falsified records, missing evidence or expenditure outside the permitted purposes may cause new contributions to be suspended until the situation has been clarified and, where necessary, corrected or repaid.

This stage is complete when

The monthly meeting and reporting are complete and the next contribution has either been made or the group has received a clear explanation of what must first be corrected.

Two funds with two different purposes

From the start, the project keeps two separate funds. Their money, records, purposes and decision-making rules remain separate. This does not prevent Ubuntu Goats from temporarily transferring a strictly earmarked and approved New Goat Fund amount through the Daily Care Fund to pay for a named new woman’s complete start. Such an amount remains New Goat Fund money for bookkeeping and may not be used as part of the available Daily Care Fund balance.

	Daily Care Fund	New Goat Fund
Main purpose	Care for the existing female herd and agreed shared needs	Finance the complete route from a male kid to a new woman’s responsible start
Main income	Agreed monthly contributions from Ubuntu Goats, a foster or another accepted project source	Net proceeds from male-kid sales and contributions specifically restricted to growth
Women’s authority	The five women manage the Fund together and approve permitted expenditure by majority	The women select the next participant by majority according to the agreed criteria; the purchase begins when the complete start can be financed
Key protection	Permitted uses only, safe storage, two women involved in withdrawals and purchases, and evidence for every expense	Reserved for a new woman’s complete beginning and never used for household or unrelated community expenditure

Managing the Daily Care Fund

The women receive real responsibility for this Fund. They must also accept the consequences of their decisions.

Permitted purposes

registration, tags, deworming, vaccination and agreed first care for female kids;
necessary animal-health care for the existing female herd;
essential repair of the communal shelter;
replacement of essential shared care equipment;
exceptional feed support during a serious and documented shortage;
other goat-related care costs expressly permitted by the Operating Rules.

Not permitted

personal or household expenses;
human medical expenses;
loans or division of the money among the women;
clothing, celebrations, school costs, telephones or unrelated community expenses;
costs reserved to the New Goat Fund for the complete start of a new participant.

How a decision is made

A woman proposes an expenditure and the five women discuss it.
At least three of the five women approve a permitted purpose.
The exact amount needed is withdrawn, normally by two women together.
The purchase is made as soon as possible and preferably on the same day.
Unused money is returned or safely recorded and stored.
The expense is supported by as much evidence as possible: a receipt or invoice, photographs, the seller’s name, date and amount, and confirmation by the two women involved.

The money is kept as safely as possible outside the village in a QMoney wallet, another mobile wallet or a suitable account. Only a small agreed emergency amount may be stored locally. Holding the wallet card, telephone or access method never gives one woman the right to decide alone. A suitable local help provider may assist with records or evidence when needed but does not replace the women’s permitted choice.

Use it honestly and only for the project. A new monthly contribution can be suspended when money or evidence is missing, records are deliberately incorrect or an expense falls outside the permitted purposes.

When a goat gives birth

The woman promptly reports the date, number and sex of the kids and the condition of the mother and newborns. She makes them available for checking, deworming, vaccination, tagging and registration and reports illness, death or other problems honestly.

The female kid

is registered in the Community Goat Register in the name of the woman who owns the mother;
receives the agreed first health care and Ubuntu Goats identification;
remains hers and enlarges her personal herd;
has its agreed initial care costs charged to the Daily Care Fund.

The male kid

is linked in the Register to its mother and the woman caring for it;
is registered as an Ubuntu Community animal, not as freely saleable personal property;
remains under responsible care until the agreed sale;
has its permitted identification and health costs charged to the Daily Care Fund;
has its direct sale and transport costs recorded and deducted from the gross sale proceeds;
is sold transparently and its full net proceeds enter the New Goat Fund.

There is no separate cash birth premium. The benefit is the health care, deworming, vaccination, tag and official registration. The female kid then becomes an officially registered part of the woman’s own herd.

Necessary animal care must not be withheld merely because a report was late. The failure is recorded and dealt with through the review process instead of punishing the animal.

Using the New Goat Fund

The Growth Fund receives the full net proceeds from male-kid sales and is reserved for the complete start of a new woman.

From male kid to new beginning

The male kid is registered, identified, cared for and prepared for sale.
Permitted care, health, identification and registration costs are recorded and paid from the Daily Care Fund.
Direct sale, transport and market costs are recorded and deducted from the gross sale proceeds.
The male kid is sold at a reasonable and transparent local price.
The full net proceeds enter the Growth Fund.
The five women select a new participant by majority and according to the agreed criteria.
A family member of any participating woman is not eligible to join as a new participant.
The selection is recorded, and the new woman confirms through the required explanation and agreement process that she understands and can meet the conditions.
When sufficient money is available for the complete start, a suitable young female goat is selected and purchased.
Ubuntu Goats may temporarily transfer the strictly earmarked and approved amount through the Daily Care Fund. It remains New Goat Fund money for bookkeeping, and two women together carry out the approved withdrawal and purchase.
The Fund pays for the goat, transport, first health care, identification, registration, the agreed individual start-up package, training and initial support.
The new woman completes the required explanation and agreement process, receives her complete beginning and joins the same system of responsibilities and mutual support.

A new woman receives more than a goat. The purchase and transfer begin only when the complete responsible start can be financed and the required selection and approval have been completed.

Several male-kid sales may be needed before one complete new start can be financed.

Meeting every month

The five women meet once every month. The meeting is the fixed moment for checking the goats, helping one another, keeping the Central Community Goat Register and Fund records up to date, and preparing the information needed before a next monthly contribution can be considered.

The review covers

participation, cooperation, mutual help and conflict resolution;
daily care, water, feed, observation and hoof care;
safety, cleanliness and maintenance of the shelter;
health, illness, treatment, deworming and vaccination;
pregnancy, birth and care of mothers and newborns;
tags, registration and agreement between the animals and the Goat Register;
ownership and care of female goats and their female descendants;
registration, care, sale and proceeds of male kids;
fair selection of any new participant;
correct separation and use of both Funds;
availability and condition of shared equipment;
communication, evidence, previous corrective actions and honest reporting.

Evidence and verification

Suitable local help providers may help compare the answers with the Goat Register or inspect the animals, shelter and equipment when needed. Different people may provide different kinds of practical or animal-care support. Reasonable evidence may include identification numbers, treatment dates, photographs, receipts, transaction records, attendance records, direct observation or another reliable form of confirmation. Lack of literacy, a smartphone or a formal receipt does not automatically cause failure if the facts can be verified reliably in another way.

Problems are judged by the response

The review does not ask whether everything was perfect. A sick or dead goat does not automatically prevent a contribution. The important questions are whether the problem was reported honestly, reasonable action was taken, advice was followed and nothing important was deliberately hidden.

The monthly Care and Reward contribution

When all applicable conditions have been met, the agreed monthly group contribution may be paid directly into the Daily Care Fund. It is never divided among the women.

Current planning amount

The current planning figure is a maximum of GMD 2,000 per approved month. The amount may be adjusted when costs, available resources or project circumstances change. The amount stated in the applicable agreement or financial schedule governs.

Continuing with local help when needed

The incentive and checklist system reduces the need for continuous control. The five women remain responsible for the project and may arrange suitable local help providers for clearly defined practical, administrative or animal-care tasks when needed. Different providers may carry out different tasks, including:

applying or recording Ubuntu Goats identification tags;
providing or arranging agreed animal-health care;
supporting transparent sales and new-goat purchases;
providing honest practical information or objective verification.

Local help providers only provide the specific help that has been agreed.

If a stage is not completed

Ubuntu Goats will first try to understand the difficulty and discuss whether more time, a clearer explanation or a practical adjustment could help. A delay is not automatically a failure.

However, Ubuntu Goats may pause or stop the start-up process if an essential condition is not met, if information is deliberately withheld, if money or materials are misused, if the selection was not fair, if the goats cannot be kept safely, or if the five women are not able to work together.

Before the goats are delivered, stopping the process does not create a right to goats, money or materials that have not yet been transferred. Once ownership of a goat has been transferred under the signed Community Agreement, the woman’s ownership is governed by that agreement and the goat is not taken back merely as a punishment.

What Ubuntu Goats can and cannot promise

Ubuntu Goats promises to explain the process openly, release agreed start-up support in responsible stages, pay suppliers and services directly where practical, treat the women and community with dignity, and never delay essential animal-welfare care as a test of commitment.

Ubuntu Goats cannot promise that every proposed community will be accepted, that every goat will remain healthy, that every herd will grow at the same speed, that every loss will be replaced, or that emergency outside payments will always be available. Monthly contributions remain conditional on honest reporting, correct registration, the monthly meeting, supporting evidence and the applicable agreement or financial schedule. The purpose of the roadmap is to build a project that can increasingly stand on its own.

An Ubuntu Community begins before the goats arrive.
It begins when people choose fairly, prepare together and protect a shared opportunity.
The first women become stronger, shared care protects their beginning,
and the Growth Fund helps another woman begin in time.