Ndhiwa farmers bank on sheep rearing project to boost livelihood

A section of Ndhiwa farmers now have a reason to smile after they received a boost to venture into sheep rearing.

The more than 2,000 needy farmers from Ndhiwa Constituency are expected to boost their livelihoods after being supported to start the venture.

The farmers, organised into 120 groups, had challenges in getting capital to start sheep-rearing ventures.

The farmers’ groups, comprising an average of 17 members each, received the sheep from an organisation dubbed Life for Children Welfare.

In the project, each group received a mature female indigenous sheep that is resistant to the local climatic conditions.

The offspring of the sheep are then given to individual members of the group. Any member given a sheep also donates the first offspring to another member and remains with the mother until every member gets a sheep.

The farmers hail from seven wards, namely Kwabwai, Kanyadoto, Kanyikela, South Kabuoch, North Kabuoch, Kanyamwa Kologi and Kanyamwa Kosewe.

The Executive Director of Life for Children Welfare, Michael Agwanda, distributed the sheep to the farmers at St Antony Wachara Christian School in Kwabwa Ward.

Agwanda said he started the project after realising that the farmers were yearning to rear sheep, but they lacked the capital to start the project.

“In their proposals, I realised the farmers did not have capital, but they were yearning for the project. We decided to support them to enable them to grow economically,” Agwanda said.

 He said every group member should get a sheep in less than five years.

“These sheep are mature and can give birth twice in a year. Every group member will have a sheep in five years or less,” Agwanda said.

He explained that the purpose of the project is to enable the farmers to buy cattle.

“A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. This project is aimed at enabling the farmers to buy cattle which they can rear to meet their daily needs in the future,” he added.

Farmers who received the goats expressed optimism that the project had revived their dreams, which looked shuttered.

Charles Ogola, a member of the Tek to Ber Group in North Kabuoch ward, said they lacked funds for starting the project.

“This is a project we were yearning to start, but capital barred us from doing so. We are going to rear our sheep diligently to enable us to achieve our dreams,” Agola said.

Nelson Ochieng, a member of the Tado Educational Self-Help Group in Kanyadoto Ward, said the project is going to uplift their living standards.

“Upon getting sheep, we will be able to buy a cow, which will give us bigger returns on investment in the future,” Ochieng said.

According to Rose Otieno, a member of Thuon Gweno Widows Group in Kanyikela Ward, the project will cushion widows from economic tribulation that occurred after their husbands’ deaths.

“Some widows were left with no resources after the deaths of their husbands. This project will transform widows’ lives,” Otieno said.