Students purchase goat kits for Rwandan families
Released: December 22, 2005
A semester-long fundraising project by University of Wisconsin-Whitewater health and wellness students will help provide aid to eight undernourished and starving Rwandan families. Rwanda, the most densely populated country in Africa, is small and poor with an average per capita income of only $1,300 a year. Students raised $400 to purchase eight goat kits.
UW-Whitewater Associate Professor Ann Garvin proposed the fundraiser to four of her health and wellness classes. To raise money, students sold stickers saying, “I bought a goat.”
Garvin found this fundraising project on www.thehungersite.com, a site she visits daily to click on the "Give Free Food" button, which funds one cup of staple food to starving people in the world paid for by the site’s sponsors.
“I wanted the students to understand that they can make a difference,” said Garvin. “I wanted them to think about how they spend their money and how else it could be used to help other countries.”
Each goat kit provides a family in rural Rwanda with two goats, one male and one female, and instructions on goat care. Goats are a valuable asset for communities around the world; however, many Rwandan families cannot afford them. Goats can provide several quarts of milk each day, with the extra milk being used to make cheese and yogurt to sell. Goats often have two or three kids per year, enabling families to start goat farms. Families will then be able to afford food, education and health care with their earnings.
UW-Whitewater junior Jason Heinritz said, “The fundraiser ties in with Garvin’s wellness class. Helping others also helps our own wellness and self esteem.”
Junior Lance Douglas, another student in Garvin’s class, added, “ I think people need to understand how lucky we are to live in such a wonderful situation in the U.S. and in such a great environment away from almost all deadly world-wide diseases and illnesses.”
Douglas’ experiences in Garvin’s class and with the goat kit fundraiser have prompted him to visit Rwanda in the spring to provide further aid.
“My goal is to raise over $6,000 for supplies and materials for my trip. I’m going to select two members from my church to travel with me and if all goes well much will be accomplished during my stay ,” said Douglas.
Denise Neal, UW-Whitewater sophomore said, “Life isn’t just about you. You can affect other people.”
To make a donation to either Garvin’s goat kit fundraiser or Douglas’ Rwanda trip, contact Garvin at (262) 472-5644 or garvina@uww.edu.
- Shauna Stevens,stevenssm26@uww.edu
