Organization Helps Others Give Goods, Services Abroad
Lean more about World Vision International.
Dec. 21, 2008 — -- A year ago, when Florence Wassa and her family received a goat from World Vision International, through a donation from the Cramer family, they were overwhelmed and overjoyed.
"The goat they've given us, our life will be changed to the better," Wassa said, expressing gratitude for the gift that she knew would provide much needed assistance. The Wassas live in a village called Dome, in the Ashanti region of Ghana. In Dome, the gift of a goat is a life changing event.
World Vision International arranged the donation of ten goats to this impoverished community, of about 300 people, at the same time the Wassa received theirs.
The community now boasts 36 goats from the original donation a year ago. Since giving birth, the female goats now produce milk which is sold in the local market, providing a steady supplemental income to the families. Once the herd of goats is stable, the baby goats will also be sold to bring in more income.
The Wassas have one son, 8-year-old Frank. Primary school in this community costs just shy of $100 a year and the fees steadily climb to $400 for the final year of high school. Frank's education is a high priority for the family, but their harvest is sparse and if there is bad weather its possible to have no harvest at all.
Now that the Wassas are also raising goats, they do not have to depend solely on their unpredictable harvest to get by. The option to earn money in the market with their goats provides a strong guarantee that Frank will stay in school until he graduates.
The goats bring more than just financial gain, the families also drink the goats' milk for nourishment, and use it to teach responsibility.
Frank, tasked with caring for his family's goat, gains confidence and a sense of purpose in his household. He also cultivates skills that he will one day apply to a household of his own. He feels good about the arrangement.
"I'm happy to have the goats because my future will be better," he says. For the adults, having animals or livestock improves standing in the community. "We now feel happy because we have hope that our future will be happy," Wassa says, smiling.
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