Giving Goats

Often times small things can make a lasting change in a rural community.  People just need something to latch onto.  A catalyst for change.  That is the main objective our Medic Outpost “Giving Goats” program.  By providing a small incentive to improve your life, we in turn hope to improve overall health in the villages.  Giving Goats is a healthcare micro-finance project.  We believe that increasing income opportunities in rural areas will translate into a greater participation in changing the healthcare culture.

On June 1st of this year our Medic Outpost wellness warriors in Kenya, lead by our Manager in Africa, Sarah Magenda, began that small step.  20 goats were given to local women in different communities.  The creation of a “pay it forward” initiative has begun.  Each woman who received a goat must give the first offspring to another registered woman in the community.  This creates an expansion plan that will eventually spread to all village families.  Our 2024 goal is 200 goats for 15 different community groups.  Yes, it is a big goal but we believe it is obtainable this year. 

We are very curious about the overall impact of the program.  The local rural clinic is the focal point of the program.  Our Medic Outpost trained community health volunteers (CHV’s) are the key to coordinating treatment and education in the villages with the professional healthcare providers in the government clinics.  Micro-finance projects are not anything new.  They have been around for years, however integrating them into a healthcare program is unique.  Improving long-term healthcare culture in the Maasailand using local people and local resources could change the face of rural healthcare in low resource regions around the world. 

Please let me know if you would like more information on this project or other Medic Outpost projects.  Medic Outpost always welcomes suggestions and comments.  Thank you.