News

Christmas 2004 : Uganda
Zam Zam is married with seven children living just outside Kampala in Uganda. She also is raising three of the orphaned children of her sister, who died of HIV/AIDS. Including herself and her husband that makes a family of 12 people to feed. Zam Zam's husband's main source of income came from selling a few crops that they are able to grow on their small patch of land, like cassava, sweet potatoes or beans.

Zam Zam heard about the Kirinya women's group through some of her neighbours who had joined and received dairy cows. The Kirinya womens group was one of the first groups that Bóthar assisted in Uganda in the 1990's. The womens group was formed to receive Dairy Cows from Ireland through Bóthar. The women now have established a co-op where they bring their milk to be sold and have regular meetings to induct and train new families who wish to receive ‘pass-on' dairy cows.

With 12 mouths to feed Zam Zam really needed the help of the womens group. Her neighbours brought her along to a group meeting and after the meeting she was invited to join.
She began her training with the other beneficiaries. She was trained in how to care for the animal, she learned how to cut the elephant grass to feed the animal and also built a zero-grazing unit. She had some difficulty with the zero grazing unit but with the help of all the family she was able to complete it.

Zam Zam couldn't believe her luck when a few short months later she was selected to receive a ‘pass-on'. She was both excited and nervous attending the ‘pass-on' ceremony, but it went well and she was delighted to receive her Heifer.

Zam Zam named the Heifer Jauhala, meaning ‘the precious gift'. She is delighted with the changes Jauhala has made to her family. They have fresh milk every day, with even a little left over for sale at the co-op. They are using her cows manure as a fertiliser which has improved their crops. Zam Zam looks forward to the day when she will pass on a Heifer to someone else who has joined the Kirinya woman's group.

The Bó Vine Christmas 2004