Valuable Support for the Most Vulnerable Children

It was a day to remember for the Orphan and disabled Children who are normally referred to as Most Vulnerable Children (MVC) of Zinga village, Bagamoyo district in Pwani region, Tanzania when pupils of International School of Tanganyika (IST) donated chickens and dairy goats through Heifer International's Read to Feed program. The event took place on February 9, 2011, at the village, located in southeastern of Tanzania.

'Read to Feed' simply means children raise money through reading books. The money raised is used to buy gifts of livestock for poor families in the rural areas. Through the Read to Feed program, the pupils of IST have been raising funds to support the MVC projects in Dar es Salaam and Coast regions.

During the handing over ceremony of livestock to orphans and disabled children of Zinga village, the chairperson of the MVC group thanked the IST for their valuable support. "We truly value your support and we are confident that these livestock will assist us in fighting hunger and poverty and enable our children attend school," said the lady Chairperson, Mwanamkuu Said.

The IST donation to Zinga village beneficiaries included 15 cockerels, 75 chickens and 12 dairy goats all valued at over Tshs. 2,000,000/= (US$1,800), including their transportation. 15 families were assisted with chickens (each family receiving 5 pullets and 1 cockerel) and 10 families were given dairy goats together with 2 bucks.

Prior to the receiving of the livestock, the beneficiaries acquired 5 day training on animal husbandry, which included training on feeding, disease control, pasture growing and construction of proper animal sheds.

Heifer International Tanzania's objective for this particular project is to enable MVC most of whom live on an income of less than US$1 a day to realize some extra income through sale of eggs, chicken, live goats and surplus milk to enable them to buy basic households and school requirements.

Over the last 6 years the IST has been in the forefront helping poor families in Pwani and Dar es Salaam regions through 'Read to Feed'. Over this period a total of Tshs 27,500,000 equivalent to about US $21,000 has been raised helping over 90 families with orphans and disabled children. So far 6 villages (Vianzi, Hoyoyo, Mwanambaya, Kerege, Mpijimagohe and Zinga) have been reached. Families keep dairy goats and local chicken after obtaining basic animal husbandry knowledge.

Learn more about Heifer International's Read to Feed program.