By Gary | Partner in Africa
As with a great many Zimbabweans, Mrs. Sibanda was forced to immigrate to South Africa in the early 2000's due to the dire economic situation that has bedevilled our country for over 20 years. She and her husband lived and worked in South Africa for 8 years, only returning when he fell ill in 2012. He went on to pass away in 2013 leaving her virtually destitute and with two children, ages 5 and 3 months, to provide for. She worked hard growing and selling vegetables to keep the little family fed. Her life was a struggle with no extra in the budget for any frills or fancies.
This situation changed for the better in 2017 when she was selected to become a beneficiary of the American Foundation for Children with AIDS goat project. She was given three pregnant female goats named Hope, Speck and Daisy who turned out to be an absolute blessing in her life. From those 3 pioneers she built up a herd of 44 goats in total. Speck and Daisy produced numerous sets of twins over the years and everyone of Hopes kids was female. This is the breakdown of how the goats were used ...
5 died while still quite young
9 sold over the years to buy food and clothing plus pay for school tuition for the two children.
25 goats sold toward the end of last year to raise funds to build a new house.
5 goats remaining in her herd of which one has just borne a female kid and another of is pregnant....so off she goes again to build up the herd!!!
We presented Mrs. Sibanda today with $40 cash from the AFCA goat fund in recognition of her hard work and incredible achievement. She was absolutely delighted and very thankful. As we drove away I glanced in the rearview mirror and she was dancing wildly around her yard....wish I could have filmed that.
Everyone here at the American Foundation for Children with AIDS, and our partners in Africa, thank you for your continued support of this important project. If you would like to learn even more about this project and others, please contact Tanya Weaver at tweaver@AFCAids.org.
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