Restocking herds helps to build communities

Farming households in Zambia's Southern Province have begun to benefit from efforts to replenish the local cattle population, decimated by an outbreak of corridor disease two years ago. In 2001 the loss of livestock to the contagious disease wrecked the livelihoods of farmers, who rely on the draughtpower of cattle, and stripped families of their assets. In some areas up to 80 percent of cattle were destroyed by the epidemic. The disease is transmitted by two tick species causing fever and subsequent death. Since last year, efforts by the Christian NGO, World Vision (WV), to boost local herds have led to the gradual recovery of communities, and by 2007 the cattle restocking project, one of 19 across the country, is expected to benefit 400 families in Kalomo, about 387 km southwest of the capital, Lusaka. Cecilia Siakalima, a widowed mother of six, lost four animals to corridor disease. Deprived of draught power, the family was forced to use hoes and suffered a significant drop in crop production. "I used to produce enough maize to fill my granary, and for sale. But with a hoe, I couldn't even produce enough for eating," she told IRIN. "I am very happy to have been given a cow because I didn't know how I was going to look after my children." One of the cornerstones of the project is the involvement of the local community in replenishing the livestock. To oversee the cattle restocking project, World Vision facilitated the formation of local Central Cattle Management Committees (CCMCs). Local committees are composed of volunteer community members and are responsible for identifying the initial 200 households who will benefit from the project, usually female-headed families. These beneficiaries are then expected to pass on the first offspring of the cattle they receive to a further 200 eligible households, including those headed by children. To date 200 heifers and 10 bulls at a cost of about Kwacha 290 million (about US $62,000) have been distributed. The project has also trained 20 Community Livestock Auxiliaries (CLAs) to handle basic veterinary procedures such as deworming and immunisations and supported the establishment of dipping points to reinforce animal hygiene and health. Goliath Chooye, who is in charge of the Kalomo project, told IRIN: "There has been overwhelming response from community members, since the dipping is cheaper than the services offered by other sources. Farmers pay a token K300 (US five cents) for each animal dipped or sprayed." The cattle restocking project is expected to boost local economies in the long term, but some of the immediate benefits include draughtpower for the cultivation of crops and a steady supply of milk.