Kilimanjaro, TZ – APM aims to improve her dairy project for a sustainable income and home improvements – Sep 2025

APM is a Lishe Bora employee who assists and mentors community families, and school garden clubs, that have organic vegetable gardens that grow breakfast ingredients. She aims to improve her independent dairy business that supplies milk to the community families for children’s care.

Her only cow failed to conceive recently due to health issues, so she had to sell it based on veterinary advice. She used the proceeds to build a better home for her family, and save some funds with the Village Community Bank (Vicoba) in order to restart her cow project. She has continued caring for two remaining calves, hoping to benefit in the future. She learned an important lesson that buying a pregnant heifer is more productive and sustainable than purchasing a lactating cow, which often comes with hidden risks due to possible age-related issues or misleading information from sellers.

APM now plans to improve her cow shelter using her vicoba savings fund while seeking a loan of TZS 2 million to buy a pregnant heifer. Her long-term goal is to raise the male calf until it fully matures, fattened to sell it for a profit. The income will pay for further improvement of her dairy business and home by completing her house.