5:00pm Friday 26th December 2008
By Andrew Ffrench
Oxfam worker Stuart Fowkes travelled to a Rwandan village to see how a goat given as a Christmas gift has helped a family-of-six survive.
The £25 goat was given to the family as part of the Oxford-based charity’s Unwrapped Christmas gift scheme, which has reached a total of £50m since its launch in 2004.
Supporters of the charity can buy a wide range of items for the poor in Africa and other parts of the Third World.
Shoppers can choose from 77 items, ranging from school books to safe drinking water and toilets, or training for teachers.
Goats have consistently been the biggest seller, but still only make up 10 per cent of the three million Unwrapped gifts bought.
Mr Fowkes, 30, who lives off Cowley Road in East Oxford, said: “I went out to Rwanda a couple of weeks ago to see how the money is spent when someone from the UK buys a gift from the catalogue and what effect the gifts have on the poor countries they reach.
“I met a family in a village in eastern Rwanda who got a goat in 2006 and saw what a difference it has made to them — one goat has now become four as it has had kids. The family has been able to sell the young goats to buy clothes, household goods and food and crops, which failed in 2005 and are now flourishing.”
Father-of-four Fidel Muberarugo, of Nyamikamba, Rwanda, who got the goat, said: “Before I had the goat my crops would fail, but now I have goat manure to use as fertiliser, my crops flourish.
“Even better, since the goat has produced several kids, we have been able to sell one and buy school uniforms for my children, and food and other things for my entire family.”
Mr Fowkes added: “I also went to a health centre built two years ago from Oxfam Unwrapped gifts and saw twins who had just recovered from pneumonia, who would have died if it weren’t for the clinic.
“I saw a woman give birth safely in the centre, whereas previously she would have had to walk for three hours to receive treatment.
“I also visited a school where hundreds of desks and books and other equipment had been provided by the gift scheme.
“It was amazing to see Oxfam Unwrapped gifts really helping people to turn their lives around and giving long-term security to families.”
When it launched in 2004, the gift range offered a total of 34 gifts.
UK shoppers have bought more than 200,000 goats which have been distributed in more than 15 countries including Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Albania, Haiti, Rwanda and Tajikistan.
affrench@oxfordmail.co.uk
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