Sh33m boost to women groups

By Nick Oluoch

Women groups in Rongo town of Migori County will within the next five months benefit from dairy cattle project worth Sh33 million.

Speaking during the launch, Public Service Minister Dalmas Otieno said the grade cattle, which will be given to women groups, will solve the milk shortage being experienced in the region.

"Every group of five women will get one cow worth Sh100,000," he said.

He said the women are expected to take care of the animal and ensure that they maximise the amount of milk they can get from it.

He advised women to form groups and ensure that they have enough food to feed the animals to make the programme, which will be partly sponsored by the Constituency Development Fund and KOPAK, an NGO, a success.

Mr Otieno was speaking at the Rongo District Commissioner’s offices when he presented ten of the cows to women groups in the area.

Ready market

Otieno further said the programme will enable the women to have some source of income and hence raise their living standards.

"The market is already there and you have to do your work well," he said.

"Once the programme is up, it will serve Migori County as well as other neighbouring counties such as Homa Bay and Kisii," added the minister.

The project is godsend to the women of Migori given that majority are poor and live on less than a dollar a day.

From the milk sales they can feed their families and use the surplus to educate their children.

Adoption of high grade cows by smallholders is driven by increased milk production, for both home consumption and sale.