US Students buy goats for Ghanaians

Decatur, Ala (USA) -- International Rotary Club President Jonathan Majiyabe told Woodmeade teacher Lile Blythe's second-graders during a visit last fall that they are lucky to go to school.

Majiyabe said that many African families cannot afford to send their children to school, so the Woodmeade students wanted to know how they could help.


Then they read the book "Beatrice Goat" by Page McBrier, and they had their answer. The class would buy a goat and send it to an African family.


According to student Bre Scott, Majiyabe said one goat can send a small family to school, and eventually send others.


"When a parent goat has a kid, they sell it to another family and, when that goat grows up and has a kid, they sell it to another family," Scott said.


"They use the money to pay for uniforms and books," student Nyyah Malone added.

Majiyabe said Heifer International, a nonprofit organization, takes donations and purchases farm animals to help African families become self-sufficient. So the students wrote letters to the Rotary Club of Decatur Daybreak, Woodmeade's partner in education, asking for help. The club members donated $160 to the project.


Blythe didn't let the project end there.

A perfect project

She knew she'd found the perfect elementary project that included lessons in reading, math, writing, geography, computer use and character development. Students used math to figure out how many goats they could buy.


"It takes $120 to buy a goat and ship it," Chad Steelmon said. "So we had $40 left to buy a baby."


The students used the Internet to find Ghana, and to learn about the western African country where their goats are going. They also read books about Africa.


"They use the goats' manure on their side of their house," James Jones said. "They keep the goats in one area, and cut grass to feed them so they won't ruin the environment."

Blythe said the important lesson was one of giving and helping others.


"A book can change a life," Eric Birdsong said.


"We learned to help people, and that makes me feel happy," Kennedi Bridgeforth said.