Dairy for development

Cathy Le Feuvre discovers how RJA&HS-led projects in Africa are not only transforming the lives of smallholder farmers and their families but also empowering women

Beatrice Semua is a young mother who lives in the village of Kapeya in the Chiradzulu district in Southern Malawi.

Two years ago Beatrice, like many other women in rural Africa who rely on the land to get by, lived hand to mouth. With eight children, just feeding her family was a challenge. Then she was selected to receive a cow via a cow loan scheme called Mkakazi, which translates as ‘Milk Women’.

Beatrice is just one of many hundreds of women whose lives are being transformed by programmes under the ‘Dairy for Development’ banner, a Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society (RJA&HS) initiative, funded by Jersey Overseas Aid, which helps small holder farmers in Malawi, Rwanda and Ethiopia. Through cow loan schemes like Mkakazi, cross breeding of indigenous cattle with Jersey genetics which improves the quality of the milk produced by cows, training of Artificial Insemination (AI) personnel on the ground to deliver Jersey semen, and general education on dairy cattle management and business, lives and livelihoods are being changed, and in many cases working with the women in communities is an important focus.

The Rwanda and Malawi projects both have a strong focus on female farmers. The Malawi project has over 50 percent female beneficiaries and Dairy for Development programme officer Sam Thomson says investing in women in rural communities is often key to the success of a project. ‘Women in the communities in which we work tend to do the bulk of domestic work but often have less influence when it comes to economic decisions in the home and may struggle to participate in activities that can earn them income. Focusing on women has a direct economic benefit for them (and for a country's economy at large) but also helps increase their social standing and social mobility. It can even have a knock-on effect of improving health, education and wellbeing for women, and the children they care for.

‘The core focus of our programmes is on improving incomes (and stability of that income) through increasing the quantities of milk and dairy products produced and sold. It's also about improving household nutrition by increasing availability of dairy for consumption. Increasing the quality and productivity of their animals, and improving their management, helps farmers become more resilient by reducing their vulnerability to external shocks, be they climatic or economic.’

There’s no doubt that some of the communities in which Dairy for Development work are traditionally patriarchal, with many of the key roles being male-dominated, but Sam says women are often crucial to the success of a farm, family and community.

‘It varies on a case-by-case basis, but in the areas where we work, women generally take on more of the day-today work involved in keeping dairy cattle, often on top of the bulk of domestic work and childcare. Women are often heavily involved in the supply chain aspects such as milk collection centres. Although there may be some initial hesitancy towards programmes focussed on improving women’s participation in non-traditional roles, over time and by encouraging the buyin of men, perceptions can change.’

AI technicians and animal health workers are generally male, but there have been efforts to increase female enrolment and women are also supported to take on leadership roles. For example, leading community 'self-help groups' in the Rwanda project, or serving on the committees of milk bulking groups in the Malawi project. And Sam says that despite some cultural challenges, the Dairy for Development projects and their partners are committed to empowering women through training and support. ‘Working with trusted local agencies, who have the cultural awareness to approach issues in a way that will resonate with local people, is important. The charity Send a Cow, for example, have included ‘Gender and Social Inclusion’ (GESI) training in the Rwanda project, which focuses on encouraging joint participation in household work and decision making. The fact that women are often the most involved in daily dairying work means the focus on women makes sense.’

And Beatrice in Southern Malawi is a prime example of how investing in women works.

Since receiving her cow in 2020, she’s raised two female calves and her herd is growing. Through increased sales of milk to the bulking centre, her family income has improved and thanks to local support from SHMPA - the Shire Highlands Milk Producers Association with whom she and the project are working – Beatrice is confident of a bright future for herself and her family.

For more information about Dairy for Development go to www. royaljersey.co.uk/new-dairy-fordevelopment

“Working with trusted local agencies,

who have the cultural awareness to approach issues in a way that will resonate with local people, is important