The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in collaboration with the local administration in Central Equatoria State’s Yei River County, on Wednesday started distributing 200 goats to 100 beneficiaries in the payams of Yei, Mugwo, Otogo, and Lasu.
According to FAO, the program supported by the World Bank will see 25 beneficiaries selected from each payam receiving two goats, one male and one female.
Speaking during the launch, Hakim John Lukadi, the FAO focal person, said returnees and IDPs were targeted so that they can rebuild their lives and improve their well-being.
“These animals are going to be distributed in the areas of Otogo, Mugwo, and Yei,” he explained. “This exercise targets 100 returnees and IDPs, with each individual going home with a male and female goat to enable them to start rebuilding their lives. This is a project funded by the World Bank.”
For his part, Milton Ismail Samuel, the County Director of Animal Resources and Fisheries, welcomed the initiative and called on beneficiaries to protect and properly care for the animals so that they can multiply.
“Our work is to advise the beneficiaries on how they can handle these animals,” he said. “You should keep these animals healthy and safe to fully implement this project.”
Meanwhile, Joyce Opania, a mother of five who returned from a refugee camp, thanked FAO and the county agriculture department for contributing to their livelihoods.
“I want to thank you very much. I am from the camp, and we have endured a lot of challenges with my children,” she said. “Now that I have gotten something that can help me, I am happy. We, women, are going through a lot.”
Another beneficiary, who only identified himself as Emmanuel, urged FAO to help with the supervision of the animals in case of sickness.
“I now stay in Jansuk and have had a lot of doubts about my life, about school, but all is well now because I have been given a responsibility to take care of these livestock,” he said. “I want to urge the organization to do follow-ups on the well-being of these animals because there are diseases.”
Noel Taban Stephen, County Director for Public Order, who spoke for the local government, urged the public to embrace goat farming as a way of enhancing livelihoods. He said successful projects could attract more partners to support additional beneficiaries in the future.
“Let us learn how to develop goat farms in Yei River County and in greater Yei,” he advised. “If you have your own goat farm, such initiatives will continue coming because they will buy goats from you to distribute in other areas. So, let us learn how to have goat farms.”
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