Dear friends and our supporters,

I want to thank for the contributions given to my project. You donations and support are changing lives and improving the livelihoods of poor people infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. A few days a team of volunteers and staff visited a women group in Kirimya and a group member shared how the project has benefited their households and the community. Kirimya Village in Masaka used to be very backward, said women's group member Aisha Namusoke in a welcoming speech to volunteers from Ireland and NIRP staff. The village is made up of oppressed caste and ethnic minority groups, people displaced from other areas. Life was very hard before NIRP arrived, with women having to walk four hours or more to get water. They spent so much time hauling water they had to get up in the middle of night to get other chores, like cooking, done. However, we thank the organisation for supporting with plastic water tanks that help us to have rain water for domestic work and for our livestock.

Today, the village is overrun with goats of all sizes, houses are being improved and harvested rain water provides drinking water for the village. Training in values, animal husbandry, and organic vegetable gardening have lifted all women in the group. Though the women's group came first, there also now is a men's group with active members.

"As you can see there are goats all around my house," Aisha said. "This is my house (where meeting site set up). I have realized that raising goats is more profitable than raising vegetables; and I'm proud to show off my goats today." One animal can change improve household incomes and sustainably improve family fortune. Let us continue making strides to avail more families and women groups’ goats and other livestock.