Livestock Programs
CLIDE Loves Animals!
Our livestock programmes have deep roots in the traditional lives of the Karamojong and Teso communities. We worked with Traditional Livestock Healers, tribal chiefs and community leaders to determine the most impactful ways to join hands in boosting livestock health and husbandry in the communities. Four suggestions arose:
Livestock Revolving Loans to help poor farmers, widows and orphans
Animal Health Trainings to improve health care, by teaching farmers and community animal health workers.
Livestock Breeding. Improving the quality of animals available, for more milk and meat for families.
Research on Herbal Veterinary Medicines. To provide a sustainable source for some veterinary medicines, and to promote the indigenous culture of the Karamojong.
Wildlife Rehabilitation. When necessary, we work with local community members to rehabilitate injured or orphaned wildlife or wild birds, to later return them to the wild.
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Purpose: This project empowers the Ugandan churches to begin to break the cycle of poverty in their villages and provide hope for the poor, both spiritually and practically.
Process: Churches wishing to recieve livestock revolving loans are trained in livestock care and provided with a kit to care for sick animals from the project. The church makes a list of the needy widows, orphans, people living with HIV/AIDS, and handicapped people in their community. After training of the first set of recipients, female animals (goats, sheep, turkeys, camels or cattle) are given to these local churches for distribution to their neighbors in need. The animals as are given as a revolving loan, such that the first offspring of the gift animal is returned to the church to be given to the next person on the widows and orphans list, who in turn will also bring back the first born offspring to the church. This process can be revolved indefinitely, as long as the church maintains their connections with the recipients.
All animals are treated before being distributed. A livestock health and husbandry training and some emergency vet medicines are also given to the recipients before or during the goat distribution. Recipients pay a small amount to be included in this program, which is used to purchase these medicines.
Benefits : The recipients benefit from the animal loan in that each doe can deliver 2-3 go
at kids per year, as well as provide milk for the children to consume. After the first kid is returned
to the church, the subsequent kids can be sold, or raised to produce more offspring for income for the family. The amount of money generated from the sale of the extra kids can provide school supplies and tuition for the child for several years. In this way, the cycle of poverty can be broken, as orphans and children of widows are given an opportunity to move ahead in the world.
At times, we also provide improved breeds for breeding with the indigenous animals through a rotational breeding program. The breeding male stays in one community for a few months, then rotates into the next community as necessary. Local churches monitor the animals and visit the recipients as part of their ministry to widows and orphans.
The primary beneficiaries are low income, disadvsantaged families with special emphasis on widows, orphans, women, handicapped, or those with incurable diseases (AIDS, TB, etc.). This ministry provides animals to people in both Uganda and Kenya.
You can Purchase animals for needy children and families:
$40 female (doe) goat
$250 improved breed male (buck) goat
$300 cow
$400 camel
$25 for 3 improved chickens
$10 for a turkey
Give an animal to a Widow or Orphan. Donate Here:
Animal Health Trainings
CLIDE provides consultancy training for various organisations to train Community-based Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) throughout East Africa. CAHWs are community members selected by their communities for training in basic animal health to provide livestock health-care services at community levels. These CAHWs are to be linked to a sustainable, affordable drug supply system as well as a referral system with veterinary professionals and the District Veterinary Office. Members of CLIDE has trained over 500 CAHWs.
The minimum standards for CAHWs in Uganda require CAHWs to be trained for at least 3 weeks, including at least 45 hours of lecture and 45 hours of practical training. It is suggested that they do these trainings in at least monthly intervals, so that some field practical opportunities can be possible in their home villages in between the trainings. This allows training facilitators to help the CAHWs to revise their lessons and experience practical field work, while bringing their questions back to the group for consultations. Initial training focuses on the primary livestock of the area, including cattle, sheep and goats. Additional species, including poultry, swine, donkeys, camels, dogs and cats can be covered in refresher trainings or later trainings. Teachings on several of these species are included in the CLIDE CAHW Training Manual. CLICK here to see a sample of our CAHW Training manual.
A Participatory Adult Learning Strategy is used for training of CAHWs. This methodology encourages the CAHWs to voice and express their own knowledge and experiences. By basing the training on this indigenous foundation, everyone can learn more quickly and thoroughly and can enjoy the process of knowledge sharing.
To qualify as a CAHW, candidates must pass an exam following their training, including both practical and theoretical (oral or written) sections. A regional standardized exam may also be administered to the CAHWs, in order to provide regional certification of CAHWs. Those who complete with adequate competency may receive a certificate from the DVO, as well as a photo ID card to validate that they are a registered CAHW in the district. A fee for this certification may be charged.
A standard veterinary kit is may be supplied on a cost sharing basis to CAHWs and they are encouraged to form an Association and register as a local CBO, to help coordinate drug purchases and sales, as well as for promoting livestock services in the region. Under the authority of a qualified veterinary practitioner, these CAHW Associations can set up veterinary drug shops to supply livestock medicines and equipment to the region.Ws to help begin the work of providing animal health services. Both modern medicines and ethno-veterinary, natural medicines may be included. An optional, shared kit containing advanced equipment may be provided after the CAHW has been certified and proven their commitment and expertise in the field for some period. These facilitations are aimed at helping the CAHWs to develop a sustainable business, providing animal health services in the communities.
Livestock Breeding. We are doing some cross breeding of goats with the local animals, Saanan and Boer breeds. Currently, a abortive agent has effected them, so we will be adjusting our husbandry techniques and separating the flock into two parts to keep it from spreading.
We are also cross breeding chickens. We have Kroilers from India, which are a very hardy breed. We are crossing them with the local Ugandan breed and with Frizzles. Waffe loves eggs, so this project is definitey a Win-Win!
Research on Herbal Veterinary Medicines
It's been amazing to learn the traditional herbal medicines from the Karamojong healers! They have such deep knowledge of thier environment, and have tested the herbal medicines for 100s of years, passing on the wisdom of their ancestors to the next generation. We have the privelege of learning from them, and working with them to scientifically validate and develop these medicines, to improve their family income.
To learn more about Karamojong natural veterinary medicines, CLICK here.
Wildlife Rehabilitation. We currently are rehabilitating one Nile Monitor Lizard, one young Ostrich and one Vervet Monkey. When we first received them, they were emaciated and had contracted multipe diseases and parasites. At this time, they are all doing well and recovering.