Short description

The Sannen goat breed doe shall be supplied to select households in the region, with 25 to 30 households clustered into a zone. Each zone shall have a male goat for the purpose of breeding. Milk from the goats shall be consumed while the surplus is sold for income.

The problem we aim to solve

We want to tackle infant malnutrition in Uganda. According to the Uganda Demographic and Household Survey (UDHS), 38 percent of children under 5 were stunted in 2006. At no other time in the life cycle of a human is nutrition more important for health, growth and development than during infancy (Akers & Groh-Wargo, 2012). Children need adequate nutrition in early childhood to ensure healthy growth, proper organ formation and function, a strong immune system, and neurological and cognitive development (UNICEF, WHO & WB, 2012).

Our solution

Goats are important milk producers in several parts of the tropics and contribute significantly to human nutrition in many developing countries (Devendra, 1999). Goat milk has been recommended for newborns and infants in many developed countries (Sabbath et al., 1997). Only breast milk contains the combination and quantity needed for a young baby. It is apparently evident from research that goat milk is very close in composition to human milk. The main components of goat milk are similar to that of cow milk but differ as to particular physical and chemical properties (small size of fat globules, higher content of short and medium chain fatty acids (Haenlein, 1993), higher content of selenium and glutathione peroxidase (Debski et al.,1987).

The importance of goat milk in infant diet is growing rapidly because it is easily digestible and less allergenic than cow milk. Similarly, goats have the potential to breed twice a year, implying that they have a relatively high reproductive rate, thus a relatively high multiplication potential. This will eventually lead to a higher number of milking goats, thus a higher milk yield. The households in the process are able to supplement on their diets with deficient nutrients, as well as sell off more surplus milk for a higher thereby enhancing on their household income.