THE GOAT EMPOWERMENT PROJECT IN COOMA CHIEFDOM

In the heart of chief Cooma’s vast chiefdom, a transformative initiative has begun-one that promises to uplift women, strengthen communities and foster sustainable development. The Ubunthu team, visited Chief Cooma and his council of headmen to discuss the implementation of the Goat Rearing Project, a program designed to support women-led cooperatives across the chiefdom’s 10 wards.
Following a Request from Chief Cooma that he needed a project that empowers women to be financially independent in his Chiefdom, a meeting was help to engage the traditional leadership to identify at least Three(3 ) woman groups in each ward that can be beneficiaries of the Goat farming project.
The project aims to empower 10 women groups for starters, with a plan to extend the benefiting group in the long run. Each group will be given not less than 6 Goats in which the women will pass on the offspring to New groups in order to ensure longevity and sustainability of the project.
Speaking during the meeting,Chief Cooma encouraged his HeadMen and Women to take Ownership of the project as it it’s empowering not only women but the whole Chiefdom.
Ubunthu Enablers will hand over the goats to the women after intensive Training on Goat feeding, farming and animal health to be done in the month of May 2025.
The objectives Project trainings are :

1. Economic Empowerment- providing high-breed goats to women’s cooperatives to boost income through breeding and dairy production.
2. Skills Training – Teaching modern goat-rearing teaching, veterinary care, and financial management.
3. Sustainability – Ensuring the projects longevity by establishing a revolving fund where beneficiaries pass on the offspring to news groups
   Chief Cooma expressed gratitude as the project aligns well with his visionary strategic plan as he explained that the project is not just a about goats- its about giving our women the means to build a better future for their families. He narrates that“When the women grroups thrive, the entire chiefdom thrives”
   Ubunthu intends to handover the goats to the groups after a month of educating communities on the best practices of goat Rearing and farming as a business as the major project goals.