Meet Miriam: How Your Gift of a Goat Keeps Her Smiling and in School

Miriam lost her parents at a young age, and today she lives with her grandmother and her cousin in Eastern Uganda.

For a long time, the family’s only source of income was from the few subsistence crops they grew on their small plot of land. When crops failed or prices fluctuated, there was no safety net, and funding school fees or supplies felt nearly impossible.

But today, thanks to the generosity of Global Village Connect donors, Miriam has a goat of her own.

A secure path to school

With her goat, Miriam has gained more than just a source of daily, nutritious milk; she has gained a reliable economic pathway.

She can use the money made from selling the goat’s milk and offspring to pay for her school tuition and buy the textbooks and school supplies necessary to continue her education.

It is a sustainable cycle of support that meets her family’s immediate financial needs without relying on variable crop yields.

Worth the sacrifice

Of course, raising baby goats comes with its own challenges.

Like most children, Miriam gets deeply attached to the little kids as they grow up. Selling them is never easy, but she understands the bigger picture: if selling a kid means she can stay in the classroom and keep learning, then it is absolutely worth it.

Every time our GVC field workers visit her community, Miriam is there to greet them. And every single time they see her, she is smiling.

“Sometimes it’s not easy selling the baby goats because kids get attached, but if it’s for school, then it’s worth it!”