Gift of one goat feeding family 10 years later

Phindile Ndwandwe, who has turned her gift of one goat, received from World Vision Eswatini at the age of 12 years, into her livelihood

Monday, February 28, 2022

Back in 2012, no one could have imagined that a small gift of a goat to a 12-year-old girl would one day feed a whole family and help send several children to school.

Phindile received her first goat from her sponsor, through World Vision, and her gift has grown abundantly, thanks to goat-rearing skills obtained over the past 10 years. She began the year 2022 with 32 goats and has already been able to sell a few of them in a period of just over a month to cover family expenses.

“Since this year started, I have sold five goats at prices ranging from SZL 850 (approximately USD 55) to SZL 950 (approximately USD 61) each”, she tells us.

Now 22, Phindile lives in Lomagengane Community, under World Vision's Sithobelweni Area Programme. Through her determined efforts, she has been able to provide basic needs for herself and her family, including her eight siblings. This includes paying her siblings' school fees, helping with school uniform and books, as well as groceries for her family.

“I can buy my siblings their school shoes and, if my family happens to run out of food, I provide for them”, she says.

In addition, Phindile’s goats have supported her through part of her primary and high school years because she was able to sell some of them to pay her own school fees, as well as support herself in terms of basic daily needs.

Although not quite sure of the number of goats she has sold over the years, Phindile believes that in the past eight years, she has made well over SZL 10,000 (USD 650) –enough to sustain herself and her family. Currently, five children in her family benefit from this gift that has developed massively over the years. The children are aged between 10 months and 16 years, and include her own one-year-old twins.

World Vision is an organisation that supports children of all backgrounds and wishes to see them living and enjoying life in all its fullness. Phindile is one example of children and families that use what they are given profitably to ensure a positive change in their lives. The former sponsored child says she wishes to continuously grow her business and ensure that she and her family do not lack.