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.

Throughout the many sub counties of Sironko, Uganda, there are approximately 127 ACIO members, many of whom are Grandmothers, single mother’s and families living on less than $2 per day, who have close to 400 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.”

This project has been designed by ACIO members and here’s how it works –     1) 127 members have divided into 25 groups of approximately 5 members each. As we are able to accumulate the funds and as the caregivers are prepared to receive one, 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, the Director of ACIO 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 25 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 25 heifers with the 127 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” above 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!