Resumo de A Cow For Every Family

This coming September, approximately 200 families in Hodeidah will be receiving a cow each as a grant from Reach out Foundation for Human Development (ROFHD). Each family will care for a cow as a part of the ?a cow for every family? project funded by the Mercy International organization. An advantage of the program is that the family can benefit from the milk and butter considered to be a main source of income for the family. After a cow delivers five calves it then becomes the family?s possession. The subsequent calves will be distributed between the foundation and the family as follows: If the calf was male, the family will sell it after 4 months; the foundation will get 40% of the value and family will take the remaining 60%. If the calf were female, the foundation will take 60% of the value while the family would get the remaining 40%. The family can then keep the female calf until her first delivery; in that case, the family owns the calf and gives the cow back to the foundation. ?The foundation prefers that family keep the female calf until she delivers her first calf and then to take the cow for their own. So we decided the family would get only 40% of the female calf?s value if they choose to sell it,? said Saleh al-Shalal, who is responsible for the project at the foundation. Al-Shalal added, ?We want them to be more independent, to have their own cow, their own business, and work to develop it instead of just selling it for the money.? He said that would give the family a start for their small enterprises, which would help them to develop their livelihood. In July 2004, the project began with only 20 cows distributed to 20 families in the Tihama. The fourth batch, in which 200 cows will be distributed to 200 families in the Serdod and Moor valleys in Hodeidah governorate, will be distributed in the coming month. A committee, including a veterinary surgeon and a broker, visited the regions two weeks ago. The committee surveyed the region and the situation of the people in the chosen areas. They also visited an animal market there, examined the health of the cows, and evaluated the cost of the cows that would be bought. ?We were surprised of the high price of cows, which is much more than before. We had to take calves from the new deliveries to complete the number of cows that we need for this phase,? al-Shalal said. The regions in which the project should be executed are in a valley or near valley, preferably with pastureland near a water source and grass available, in addition to being free of any pestilence and/or disease. It is poor people taking pasturing as a profession who are targeted for this project. The project administrators choose families who have no cow, but who have a desire and ability to pasture the cow. ?The beneficiary could be either male or female as long as he or she commits to the conditions of the contract.? The contracts are distributed to the families after being approved by the manger of districts and the local council, which ensures the family?s commitment to all conditions and also guarantees that the family will not sell the cow or cause it death or sickness due to negligence. ?Success of the project depends mainly on the families? commitment and cooperation in keeping and protecting the cows,? says al-Shalal. He pointed out that at this point, all families have committed to the contract. There has been only one death among mother cows and six among calves. Currently the number of calves has reached 300. Rural areas in which there are not a lot of work opportunities are the main areas of focus for the project. The project is continuing in the al-Hodeidah governorate and hopes to expand into other rural areas within other governorates.

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