Cattle Farmers Reach Milestone Through 'Pass On' Program
Groups also spur each other's progress through accountabilty, shared knowledge, and community-based savings and lending for farm investments.
LILONGWE, Malawi - A "pass on" program by World Vision Malawi distributing dairy cows to vulnerable families has reached a new milestone, empowering over 50 farmers to achieve financial self-reliance, writes Judgement Katika.
On a February 27th inspection of the non-profit's Chilondola Area Program, officials celebrated the success of pass on assistance launched in 2009.
The initiative gifts cattle to low-income farmers, who after increasing herd sizes gift calves to others in need.
"The program sighted a need for vulnerable farmers to be assisted and this has improved livelihoods as they raise funds daily through the distributed cows," said Charles Chimombo, World Vision Malawi's Director of Operations.
Beneficiary and single mother Lucy Lyson said the cow profits transformed her ability to afford necessities, school fees and even construct a new house.
"Despite being a single mother, I can now provide for my family in my husband's absence," she said.
Beyond milk sales, bovine breeding let her accumulate assets like additional livestock.
World Vision further assists farmers by building technical skills in areas like dairy production, disease prevention, feed management, and milk storage based on areas needing strengthening.
Installation of communal milk refrigeration units and processing plants also helped connect remote groups to markets.
Launched with 52 heifers for 52 farmers in 2009, the sustainable pass on system had grown to 141 cows benefitting 141 smallholders by February 2024 - a nearly 3-fold increase over 15 years.
Officials call pass on an ideal model for poverty alleviation as resource access and incomes rapidly compound once the first round of recipients can donate offspring.
Groups also spur each other's progress through accountabilty, shared knowledge, and community-based savings and lending for farm investments.
With the rise of complex humanitarian crises across Malawi today, World Vision is expanding pass on projects to uplift more vulnerable families through livestock asset building, while adapting technologies and training to build resiliency to impacts like climate change.