A better cow for a better life
ELCA World Hunger works in partnership with Fedannde Jolof, an animal By Laurel Hensel E
ver think about the reach of your ELCA offerings? Ever wonder if a small contribution
to a place far away can really make a difference? For some time now in the
Linguère area of Senegal, a partner- ship between dairy herders and the Lutheran Church of Senegal has been increasing milk production and empowering the herders. Senegal, known as Pays de
la Teranga or “land of hospital- ity,” is on the west coast of Africa. Although a comparatively prosper- ous nation, many of its 13 million citizens live with endemic poverty and food insecurity, not to mention the progressing Sahara Desert. Te Lutheran Church of Senegal
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husbandry center in Senegal, to crossbreed cows that produce 2.6 gallons of milk per day. The “better” cows help families on their way to food security.
has 5,000 members in a country where more than 95 percent of the population is Muslim. Yet coopera- tion is enjoyed and is a key to the dairy partnership. In 2004 discussions began on
how the local Fulani herders could better their lives. In the past, they had struggled during the dry season. “I had a local cow which gave
me milk that I was selling mostly during the rainy season to take care of some of my family’s needs,” said Ramata Ka, who lives in the village of Klimbe. “But it did not cover the family’s food ration or the children’s education and medical needs.” Herders and the ELCA-
supported Senegal Lutheran Devel- opment Service wondered if dairy
operations could be made more sustainable and thus more profitable for the herders. Te result was Fedannde Jolof,
an animal husbandry center. Tere the problem of cows not producing during the region’s eight-month dry season was addressed. Such periods can curtail nutrition for families and cause a drop in income. Te solution of crossbreeding
cattle has yielded substantially more milk for the farm, which is run as a cooperative by the herders. Under the partnership with the
Senegal Lutheran Development Ser- vice, indigenous cattle raised by the Fulani were crossbred with Holsteins and other breeds. According to some estimates, families whose cows were
LUTHERAN CHURCH OF SENEGAL/DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
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