ACIO HEIFER PROJECT
"HEIFER MILK COW PROJECT"
Empowerment For ACIO Guardians and Caregivers of Orphaned Children in Uganda
If you're learning about ACIO for the first time, please click here for more information and background.
In Sironko, Uganda, there are 100 ACIO members many of whom are Grandmothers and single mother's living on less than $2 per day who pay monthly membership fees to help support the 60 children in full time care at the child care center and who have over 150 orphaned children living with them in their homes. These are the people, orphaned child and caregiver alike, who will benefit from the "Heifer Milk Cow Project."
The "Heifer Milk Cow Project" will support the caregivers and the orphaned children living with them by providing fresh milk and increased daily nutrition for them all, and by creating income potential to help cover expenses such as school fees, uniforms and supplies, health care expenses, etc.
By contributing to this project you are helping provide nutrition for caregivers and orphaned children, supporting caregivers to earn income, and encouraging them to continue welcoming orphaned children to live with them in their homes, ensuring that the children grow up within a family setting, among adult role models and parent figures, with brothers and sisters!
This project has been designed by ACIO members and here's how it works -
1) 100 members have divided into 20 groups of 5 members each. As we can afford and as they are prepared to, we will help each group purchase one heifer.
2) Each group is currently raising a contribution of 25% to invest as stakeholders towards the purchase of their heifer, and are asking for our help with the balance.
3) Each group is currently building a "zero-grazing" pen for the heifer in accordance with Ugandan Government recommendations.
4) Each group is currently planting, harvesting and storing a special type of grass most recommended for the production of delicious, nutritious milk.
5) When each group receives their heifer it will be bred and offspring shall be passed to the next member in the group and so on and so on, until all members in each group have one heifer.
6) As milk production exceeds daily needs for the members and the orphaned children living with them, the members plan to form a co-operative in the trading center where they will sell the milk, sharing profits.
Some info About Heifers and Milk
Vincent informs me ...
We shall choose 2 year old cross breed heifers.
1) A heifer is a young female cow that has not yet had a calf.
2) A cross breed heifer is one that has a mixture of exotic breed and local indigenous breed.
3) A cross breed heifer is easy to manage because they are resistant to tropical diseases.
4) A cross breed heifer can be bred when it matures at 2 years, and will begin producing milk when it calves. After calfing the heifer will produce milk for about 6 months and if well fed can conceive again after 3 months of calfing.
5) A cross breed heifer can live for more than 5 years.
When one heifer is well cared for, it produces 15 litres of milk per day, 450 litres in one month. One litre of milk ( just over 32 ounces ) has an approximate value of 1000 Ugandan shillings, or .50 cents Canadian.
Our goal is 20 Heifers...
And we're asking for your help to achieve it! Whatever amount you contribute we will add it to the member's stakeholder amounts and in this manner, one heifer at a time, one group of members at a time, we shall eventually purchase the 20 heifers for the 100 members!
Your financial support is very appreciated! It will help purchase heifers that in turn will provide milk daily for orphaned children and their caregivers, and generate much needed income potential and possibilities! On my handy-dandy cow chart ---> you can see how much your one-time contribution will equal in terms of 8oz glasses of milk produced, every day, for the life of the heifer... which if all goes well, will be over 5 years! ♡
By using the drop down menu above the "Buy Now" button you can choose your contribution of $10 - $50 - $100 - $200 toward the purchase of one heifer, or, $300 to sponsor the purchase of one heifer in its entirety! If you prefer to make a donation in any other amount, please click here, scroll down and find an ACIO "General Contribution" paypal button on the page. Thank you!
After the paypal transaction fee, 100% of your contribution will be directed toward the purchase of a heifer for the "ACIO Heifer Milk Cow Project".
Heifers sponsored to date ~ As of AUG 10th ~ 2 heifers have been sponsored! 18 more to go! THANK YOU!!!
To learn about sponsoring "ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL" of the new ACIO Child Care Center please click here!
To learn more about ACIO please click here and to see their photo album, here.
To read messages from Vincent, the Director of ACIO please visit here.
If donations exceed what is needed for the project, funds will be redirected to the next priority on our CURRENT PROJECTS list.
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