Christmas Campaign 2010: Send a Cow – case study

Agnes Mulindwa and her husband look after 13 children, including their own biological children, orphans and grandchildren. Before being introduced to Send a Cow in 1996 their smallholding had almost no meaningful income.

Since joining the programme Agnes has received extensive training in areas like basic hygiene, soil and water conservation techniques and caring for livestock, and in 2002 she was given the gift of a cross-breed dairy cow.

The cow yielded 16 litres a day on average and calved down a total of eight times, producing four heifers and four bulls. According to Send A Cow’s ‘pass on principle’ the first female calf was given as a gift to another new farmer joining the programme, while the others were sold or kept as dairy cows. One of its offspring continues to live on Agnes’ farm where it milks well at about 13 litres a day.

The original cow was eventually culled in 2008 as a result of chronic mastitis, but the income they earned from milk and bull sales has transformed the family. To date they have constructed a local and exotic poultry unit, paid back a revolving loan from Send a Cow, set up their own retail shop and piggery, bought land for pasture expansion, bought iron sheeting to expand their cow-shed and even installed a rudimentary solar lighting system. Most importantly, they can now afford to send their children to good schools.