Dairy Farming Provides the Path to Prosperity in Rwanda

Before you and other generous monthly supporters came into his life, every day was a challenge for Damien Ndabukiye in rural Rwanda.

Damien worked as a driver but struggled to make ends meet. He constantly worried about keeping his children fed and what the future held. So, he switched to dairy farming.

But without the right training, his hopes and dreams came crashing down. "I lost eight cows due to a lack of knowledge in proper care," Damien said.

The dairy business can be a promising path out of hunger and poverty for rural Rwandans —especially in the eastern part of the country where Damien lives. The area has a favorable climate, plenty of land and a large population of cattle farmers.

The area has become a base for various efforts to grow the dairy market, including Heifer’s Rwanda Dairy Development Project — a partnership with the Rwandan government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.

Damien joined the Nyagatare Dairy Cooperative with hopes of learning how to become a successful dairy farmer.

Thanks to your support and the help of the cooperative, Damien has learned so much! Your donations help farmers in innovative ways ranging from giving cows to co-op members to improving cattle breeding through artificial insemination to teaching participants how to raise dairy cows properly.

And you’ve made a world of difference. The co-op increased its milk collection dramatically: from about 396 gallons per day to more than 2,641 gallons per day in two years!

Yet as collection ramped up, a considerable amount of milk was going to waste. That’s because the area’s primary buyer only purchased 1,320 to 1,850 gallons a day.

To solve the problem, the project helped develop a business plan that would benefit both the co-op and other farmers in the district. The idea was to create a dairy processing plant, which Heifer helped finance.

This led to building and equipping a plant that now produces a variety of dairy items like yogurt, fermented milk and pasteurized milk. As demand for these vitamin-rich goods has risen, so has the co-op’s income. Annual revenue has skyrocketed eightfold in four years.

The region has seen an overall jump in milk production and consumption … higher household incomes to pay for food, school fees and medicine … and improved health for young and old alike.

For Damien, your support has been truly life-changing. Through the co-op, he learned how to produce quality milk, and he’s gained access to markets. Plus, he received health insurance, savings programs, dividends and more.

He currently owns 25 cows and has increased his daily milk collection from 5 gallons to 29. The proud farmer owns nearly 47 acres, which he mostly uses for rearing cows and growing fodder. He also dedicates a small portion of land to raising crops, such as bananas, for added income.

Damien has plans to continue expanding his farm for his children — who are his main motivation. His goal is to give them a better life by providing them with nutritious food to eat and by sending them to school. His thriving business, with four permanent employees and 10 temporary workers, empowers him to break the cycle of hunger and poverty for his family ... today and for generations to come.

Thank You

Farmers around the world can feed their families, run their farms and earn a steady income all thanks to your support as a Friend of Heifer. Your gifts do more than provide training and livestock to families in need. Your gifts give families the tools and resources needed to stop the cycle of hunger and poverty once and for all.