Goats for children affected by HIV/AIDS

We arrive at the home of Siibadwile, who meets us at the gate with the biggest, tightest smile and a couple of her children. She is excited to have us look at the three kids born into her small herd of goats. She received three pregnant goats two months ago and now boasts a herd of six, inching her towards self-sufficiency.

A widow for various years now, she has four children, all who come out to shake our hands and offer us a shy "hello". They hang out, watching us closely as each goat is weighed and the babies are vaccinated. Dave runs through the paces of checking each goat - head, teeth, body, testicles, ears, etc. Each is pronounced to be healthy and she smiles and smiles, thanking us for this gift that can change her life. 

I pull her aside and remind her of the value of the gift she's been offered, encouraging her to listen to Thando and Diamond when they offer advice and counsel during their visits to her homestead. I beg her to be patient and not sell, barter or eat any of her animals and she solemnly promises to stick to the program. 

This is life changing. Thanks you each of you who are allowing us to make this possible. Thank you for being a life-giver.

The team here at the American Foundation for Children with AIDS thanks you for supporting this project and the work we do for the children in Africa.  As you make decisions regarding your giving, please keep us in mind so we can continue our good work through 2023 and beyond.  If you would like to learn even more about what we do or how you can meet some of the children you have helped, please contact me at tweaver@AFCAids.org. 

Hope can be defined as “a feeling or expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen” or a desire for something to happen, a wish for things to change for the better or a particular dream or aspiration “to become reality “.

Think about it – such a small word – four letters – HOPE – it means so much to so many – all 7 something billion of us!!

Our overriding mission at Morning Star Camp is to bring people hope, in particular the children and youth in our surrounding rural village and communities.

We are located in Matabeleland South which is a drought prone, generally marginalised Province in Zimbabwe. There are very few employment opportunities for the youth who upon leaving school find themselves stranded and caught up in seemingly endless cycle of just being able to eke out the most basic of an existence.  HIV/AIDS is prevalent and on the rise again which further complicates and compounds problems for people. The number of families rendered vulnerable is increasing. The American Foundation for Children with AIDS (AFCA) has for many years partnered with Morning Star to engineer and implement uplifting and empowering interventions into people’s lives.

Our successful AFCA Goat Project contracts with struggling families to deliver to them 3 pregnant female goats to enable them to establish and grow their own herds. The families have a 3 year period in which to repay the project with 3 young female goats which are raised at Morning Star and when old enough are impregnated and passed on to another vulnerable family. Goats can be sold to raise money for school fees or emergency family situations. Goat milk is more easily digestible containing highly-soluble less-allergenic proteins than normal dairy milk for HIV positive people. Goats can be traded for other commodities. We train the youth in the family the methods of raising goats and with this knowledge they can start animal husbandry projects of their own.

Hope is the belief that our future can be better than our past and that we have a role to play in making that future a reality.  Join with us in bringing hope into real life situations in Zimbabwe.  Hope above all else is the most important determinant of success for all of our youth.

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.