7 Reasons Why Goats Are Great

Why do so many people in development talk about goats? Well, it’s because goats can help change lives for people living in poverty.

It’s no secret that we at CMMB think goats are pretty awesome. And, it’s not just because they happen to be cute…

I mean, COME ON. So cute, right?

But… in addition to their cuteness, goats offer a lot of tangible benefits for families living in poverty.

7 Reasons Why Goats Are So Great!

1) Goats are a source of economic empowerment for women.

Goats provide economic stability. Not only do they provide fertilizer for gardens, their “kids” (term for baby goats) can be sold as a source of income. For mothers with limited economic opportunities, the gift of goats mean they can afford food to feed their children.

2) Goats reproduce very quickly.

Goats produce two to three offspring per pregnancy and have a gestation period of five months. You can see how that can potentially translate into quite a few “kids” — it’s why our “Goat Gift for Dads” includes a male and female goat!

3) They are easy to raise.

They are pretty self-sufficient and eat just about anything. And they don’t take up that much space.

4) Their milk is a great source of nutrition — especially for young children at risk of malnutrition.

In addition, the extra milk (because goats produce A LOT of milk) can be sold as another source of income (6 to 12 pounds of milk a day for about a 305-day lactation)

5) Goats pay it forward.

When one family’s goats reproduce, they can pass their new goats off to another family in need. In fact, our CMMB program in Kenya and Haiti requires that every family who receives the gift of goats, gives back one to the program after their goat reproduces for the first time!

That means that when you help one family, you might actually be helping two. Two turns to four, and eventually you might have contributed to the strengthening of an entire community. That’s the best part about this gift – it just keeps giving!

6) It’s a real gift for a real person.

When you buy a goat, you are actually buying a goat and giving it to a family in need. We have the smiles to prove it!

7) They offer some comedic relief.

If you donate goats in honor of someone special (Father’s Day is coming up – hint hint) not only are you having a life-changing impact on a family, but there are quite a few puns you can throw in your Father’s Day card.

We can help in the pun department.