What are we doing?
We’re setting up a goat farm. It will improve goat farming in the Iganga district of eastern Uganda, create jobs and help other aspiring goat farmers get going.
We believe that the best approach to development is to build sustainable businesses; self-sufficient commercial infrastructure which will support the community indefinitely. Our farm will be run as a business, for the community. We will make profits and they will be reinvested, as far as is possible. Any excess will be donated to health, agriculture and education projects in the local area.
Thanks to the dedication of our farm manager, George Tigawalana, we’ve run a very similar goat farm nearby for 16 months now. It was just on a much smaller scale. We know that it works and we know how it works – and we know the good it can do. This project is all about making a bigger, even more successful farm where we can put into practice what we have learned and support a greater number of people.
George Tigawalana, Farm Manager
Why are we so sure this is a good idea? Well, quite simply, goats breed quickly, are easy to care for and there’s plenty of demand for them in Uganda and the wider region. We have studied the market in depth, understood the costs in detail and met with local leaders who have given their wholehearted support to the project. We’ve even got to grips with goat herd insurance.
Why are we doing it?
Agriculture in Iganga district is under developed for many reasons which you can read about in detail here,here and here. If you’re in a rush: land inheritance practices, lack of investment and poor land management have made it difficult to set up efficient, sustainable farms in eastern Uganda. We won’t solve all those problems in one go but we’re making a start. Obviously, we’re not the first people to notice these problems or the first people to try and do something about them so there are plenty of people around to help and advise us.
Goat farming can be a profitable business and we expect Kinawanswa Goat Farm to make money. Once we’re making money, we want to put it to good use. We’ll give more people jobs, we’ll help other farms get going and eventually we’ll fund health, agriculture and education projects throughout Iganga district.
Ultimately this is not about goats – it’s about people. Its about changing lives through employment and skills development. Below is a photograph of Yasin. Yasin currently has no fixed job and is lucky if he can earn $1 in a day. He lives right on the edge of the land which we are hoping to buy and, if we are successful, he will be employed as a herdsman. Of course, this won’t just change his life; it will make a huge difference for his wife and children as well.
Yasin, Prospective Herdsman
What are you paying for?
We’ve got some goats and we’ve got a house for them but we need more land to grow our herd. With your help we’ll be able to buy this 8 acre plot of land and build a thriving farm on it, changing lives and making a valuable contribution to Ugandan agriculture.
Potential future investment opportunities
Going forward, once we have proven a farm of this scale can work, we will look into opening up similar projects to help other communities in the district and beyond. To achieve this, we would most likely look to offer a loan on a commercial basis to prospective owner-managers, probably underwritten by overseas investors. This would involve the issuance of something along the lines of a ‘Goat Bond.’ If you give £30 more more to help us now to get to a stage where we are able to offer such an unusual and exciting form of debt, we would seek to repay you by giving you first options on any future bond investment opportunity.
Management and Oversight of the Farm
Kinawanswa Goat Farm will be managed by Mr. George Tigawalana, a resident of the Iganda district. Mr. Tigawalana has both management and agricultural experience and has the complete faith of the trustees from both an operational and ethical perspective. Mr. Tigawalana will assume responsibility for day-to-day decision making and the welfare of employees. He will refer significant decisions and developments to the trustees.
The trustees will oversee the management of the farm and will work with Mr. Tigawalana to ensure that objectives are achieved. Communication will be conducted principally over the internet and Mr. Tigawalana has been equipped with a digital camera to enable him to send visual reports to the trustees. Reports on progress will be submitted monthly to the trustees by Mr. Tigawalana.
The trustees of Kinawanswa Goat Farm are:
Mr. Josef Pitt-Rashid; Miss. Cressida Nnyanzi; Mr. Alexander White; Mr. David Shone; Mr. Ayo Banjo; Ms. Yentyl Williams; Mr. Jaymal Nathwani; Mr. Tom Davenport