Send a cow

Last week I went along with a group to visit the offices of Send a Cow Rwanda, which is a UK based NGO which provides livestock to vulnerable people as part of a 4 year cycle which involves training in sustainable agriculture and livestock husbandry. For more details see Send a Cow


yesterday we paid a follow up visit and went out into the field to visit three cow recipients. We were accompanied by one of the social development officers and David, a field officer. Each district has a field officer with a motor bike - he provides basic veterinary care including articifical insemination (European bulls donations at 1500 Rwf a shot), as well as keeping in regular contact with the families.







All three were widows with adult children and grandchildren living in the compound
One of the cows (very well groomed and very tame) her name means "Something which brings joy"


We were able to ask lots of questions about life before the cow, and how it has changed and hopes for the future.



This time I have been able to offer something useful in return for the time that the staff of the organisation have given us (I know at ACCESS I would spend a lot of time providing information to people for no return...) recently a photographer Wayne Hutchinson went to visit a number of participants and took amazing photos http://www.farm-images.co.uk/news/
I'll be visiting some over the coming weeks in order to get some profile / case histories which can be used in promotional materials, and to put some stories to the faces.


this is a trough used for brewing local banana beer (an income generating idea if ever I saw one..)









This is a tip tap system. There is place for your soap, and you can wash your hands after visiting the WC without using much water




washing up left out to dry...