Mrs. Ndlovu is a widow from Mayezane in Matebeleland South. Mrs.Ndlovu had 10 biological children consisting of 5 boys and 5 girls who all died. In her words, her children died because of ” umkhuhlane lo bantwabami” a local reference to HIV &AIDS. She buried her last child in 2010. Because of the trauma associated with the loss of all her children, she decided to relocate from one village to another within her area.
Mrs. Ndlovu had no assets (cattle or goats) but was taking care of 4 orphans. In 2012, she was identified as one of the beneficiaries for our Livelihoods Project. She was then trained in small livestock management and was given 3 female goats.
To date, she has 21 goats and she has passed on 3 goats to another needy family, per our agreement. The goats provide a source of milk and protein for the orphans while she uses goat manure for her nutritional garden. The livestock has boosted her self-worth within the community and she is able to sustain herself in an area affected by recurrent droughts.
Mrs. Ndlovu says that because she has her own livestock she is now “financially stable” as she knows that she can sell 1 goat and manage to get food supplies for 2 to 3 months. The local price of 1 goat is $85 and this is sufficient to pay school fees for 3 of her grandchildren for one school term.
When we visited her homestead, one of her female goats had given birth to triplets a day before the visit. In the photo, she holds the new members of the family with great pride and emotion. She says, “I do not know how to thank these people who have shown me such love. I truly believe angels are there and I thank God for his angels who have transformed our lives for the better.”