To date, a total of 47 goats have been given to families, providing them with vitamin-rich milk. Village residents proudly display their new goats.

Bulgaria - For people in the villages of Slatina and Pevcite, resources are scarce. Families survive by doing seasonal work - picking herbs, mushrooms, and wild berries. They also receive government support, roughly the equivalent of eleven U.S. dollars per child each month. But in the end, it's not enough.

In September 2005, Operation Blessing began a micro-enterprise goat project to assist poverty-stricken families in Bulgaria.

"We started the project to supply poor families with a goat, providing them with vitamin-rich milk to feed their children," said OBI field representative, Roumen Ivanov.

As OBI unloaded the first group of goats from the truck, Ivanov recalls the families’ reaction.

“I still remember their faces,” he said. “They started smiling and their children were jumping around the goats that would become their first family animal.”

In addition to the milk provided, the project is also one of multiplication. “It is self-supportive and enlarging,” Ivanov said. “The goats are bred and then the newborns are given to other families in need. We expect to have little goats in March,” he added.

Participating families sign a four-year contract that requires them to breed and return three goats back to the program. After satisfying the contract, families will receive full ownership of the original goat.

A total of 47 goats have been distributed to date, and with three new babies already born, the future looks very promising.

“The goats from the first flock have already adapted and the people are successfully learning how to take care of them,” Ivanov said. “So far everything is going well. We are delighted to see how carefully the villagers are caring for the animals.”

In addition to the goat project, OBI continues to operate a number of other successful micro-enterprise projects such as gardens in West Africa, sewing centers in India, and cosmetology courses in Uruguay, to name a few. The projects are designed to empower members of the community with opportunities for training and better employment.

"I feel very happy," said Luisa, a graduate of a dressmaking course in Costa Rica. "Now, not only do I earn additional money for my family, but I have also improved my self-confidence. Because of Operation Blessing, my life has changed."

HOW YOU CAN HELP

This microenterprise venture is one of many Operation Blessing projects touching lives around the world. You can be a part of improving the quality of life for impoverished communities by supporting these and other life-changing programs.

 

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