Views from the field: a live savings account

"A goat is like a savings account. It is a source of income. It feeds the people, both in the countryside and in the cities." An FAO representative - Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2012

"My husband is chronically ill but now that I have the goats I can sell one to pay for hospital fees and transport to the hospital and I have seen an improvement in my husband's health. I get 4,500 Malawian kwachas (US$ 51) for one goat. I can buy food and my children never go to bed hungry like before". A village woman - Malawi, 2009

"Before, my children were under-nourished, but now they are healthy and happy because of the milk. Money from the goats enabled my oldest daughter to go to secondary school and now she is a teacher working for the government. Any extra income we get from the goats pays for schooling." A village woman - Tanzania, 2009

"A goat can pay for the education of children. It is not just an animal; it is a means for people to procure food, milk, or money to invest in education." A veterinarian - Uganda, 2014

"The cost of attending a boarding school is 750 Kenyan shillings per month (€6.5). Maasai families must sacrifice two goats to pay for each year of school." Arte documentary: Chemins d'école, chemins de tous les dangers (Path to school, path of danger). Kenya, 2013