SSF/HIV Project

We visited the SSF/HIV Project on the 16th and 17th of July 2014 with the coordinator from AEE.

The SSF/HIV Project - funded by the Global Fund - works to empower the poorest members of society by training them as members of associations and providing them with livestock such as cows and goats. There are many benefits to having such livestock: milk to sell and drink, livestock to sell, manure for kitchen gardens and a rotation system whereby other members of the community get the offspring. They also share the by-products with their neighbours. Through creating such a sustainable program the success is bountiful and ever growing.

One of the members of the association having received her cow.

Across the two days we were lucky enough to meet both beneficiaries of the scheme and RUKWAVU Ethiene who is in charge of social affairs of  the Nyamiriambo sector. 

Ethiene told us that in the Nyamiriambo sector a total of 48 cows and 192 goats have been given to some of the poorest members of the community, who are living below the line of poverty. In total these have been split between 240 direct beneficiaries as they have created 12 groups each with 20 members. Moreover thanks to the expanding nature of this project there has also been numerous indirect beneficiaries throughout the community.

The project uses a rotation system whereby the offspring of the original cows and goats go to other members of the group who did not initially get those livestock, this means that in total there has been 68 cows in this sector. This will be an ever growing number and is credit to how sustainable and far reaching this project is.

Ethiene said "I am so pleased and thankful to AEE for their work, AEE are great partners of our sector, and I would like to thank AEE for their collaboration".

One of the beneficiaries with her goat.

On the first day we met some of the beneficiaries who had already received livestock, it was so inspiring to see the impact that these have had on their lives; transforming and evolving them in such a positive and forward manner. As well as progressing the community as a whole.

We met AHOBANEGEYE Esperance who received her cow in May 2013. She told us "... now I can cultivate and put manure on my crops, my cow is currently pregnant, now I drink milk and sell it for money. I have come from a bad life into a good life. I am in the Dusabane association and I am very happy to be a part of this project because it helped me to resolve many problems, my crops are now good and my cow produces 4 litres of milk a day so I can receive 1200 francs per day...".

We were also given the pleasure on the second day to see some members of 3 other groups receive their cows. Each group get between 4 or 5 cows, the allocation of which is drawn through lots, whereby the other members then receive goats.

Cows being released before they are then allocated through a series of random numbers to each beneficiary.

We were lucky enough to witness the process by which the cows are allocated to their owner. It was amazing to see the elation on their faces when they discovered which cow was going to be theirs. It was also hilarious trying to then catch the cows - which is a lot harder than you first might think!!

Members of the group waiting for their cow allocation.

Having been blessed enough to witness the success of this project through talking to previous beneficiaries, we are super excited to see it bloom through these new groups and blossom through the communities through it's direct and indirect beneficiaries.