Healthy milk for all!
VETAID is working in the self-declared republic of Somaliland and neighbouring Puntland in the Horn of Africa to improve the quality of milk and dairy products which are produced. This means that local families can include milk in their diets and earn an income from the sale of surplus milk from their animals.
In Beer (pronounced Ber) village, our work has made a real difference for Sahra Abdi Artan (left) and her family. Sahra has a small herd of cows and goats which provide milk for the family to drink and for her to sell to earn an income. She also buys camel milk from nomadic animal herders who come to the village every morning. Sahra then sells the milk at a small profit to traders from the main town, Burao.
In June 2007, Sahra took part in a milk training workshop run by VETAID. Following this training, Sahra now earns 50% more money from milk sales:
“We learned (about) milk hygiene and the importance of clean milk from healthy animals,” Sahra explains, “The milk cans which we received from VETAID are more durable and easier to clean. The milk that we used to store in the plastic containers had a much shorter life than it does in the metal cans.”
The improved quality of the milk means that her children are less likely to suffer from milk-borne diseases and Sahra can also get a higher price for the milk she sells:
“The training on milk collection has increased the amount of money I can earn from the sale of milk,” she says, “Because the milk quality has improved, I get 6,000 Somaliland shillings (around 23p) for every litre of milk I produce now. I used to get just 4,000 shillings (around 15p).”
VETAID also trained Sahra to test the quality of the milk she collects, before selling it to traders. By testing the milk and ensuring its quality, the women are able to negotiate a fair price for their product due to the high demand for fresh and hygienically-handled milk.
Sahra has been shown how she can maximise the income she earns through the sale of milk and dairy produce and has used this knowledge to build a better future for herself and her family.
Help us to continue our work with Sahra:
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View photos of our work, including a camel dairy farm
Children can find out more about camels in Somaliland in our Kids Area
