Thriving livestock provides economic opportunities, better nutrition, and a brighter future for families in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
A goat given to a family in need represents more than just a grass-mowing mammal or a symbol of prosperity for their owners. A family of goats can open doors for those mired in economic despair and help break generations of poverty.
Through the goats provided by Samaritan’s Purse, families are seeing the fruit of their labor paying off in food sources and economic opportunity. And many are learning the Word of God through Samaritan’s Purse training in their village.
This is why Samaritan’s Purse started the Faith and Goats Project in the Haut-Uele province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
For a local farmer and mother named Madeline, the goats we provided more than a year ago for her and her husband have become a tangible source of blessing for their family. The original three goats that we gave to them have multiplied into more goats and have multiplied the family’s household income.
The goats serve as a steady source of protein-rich milk for the couple and their children. And now with the goats’ offspring thriving on their family land, Madeline says that the growing herd provides the family with a sellable resource to take to their village market.
The Faith and Goats Project has made Madeline’s family stronger physically, more stable economically, and opened up a brighter future as they now can pay for their children’s school and clothing. They will also have funds to pursue other economic ventures down the road.
Through the training provided by Samaritan’s Purse agriculture and livestock teams, the family has learned how to care for and to multiply their livestock so they’ll have resources for years to come. The training also provided them with an understanding of business practices and economic disciplines for making and using the money God has provided.
Goats are having families, too, providing an ongoing source of nutrition and income for families in need.
Our project encouraged the family to praise God for this provision and to see Him as the giver of the many good things in their lives. Our teams love to teach from the Word about God’s love through the Lord Jesus Christ.
“We thank God the Father because before we didn’t have goats to raise,” Madeline said. “These goats that we have now will help us to be able to educate our children, to eat, to take care of our health needs when we are sick, and to provide for our other needs.
“Our prayer is that these goats of ours here will continue to grow and reproduce,” she continued. “We are grateful that our lives show what it says in the Word of God by multiplying the talents we’ve been given.”
“‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things’” (Matthew 25:14-30).
This Samaritan’s Purse project continues to empower many other families and communities in the province of Haut-Uele. Please pray for them.
