Pay it forward!
The project aimed to improve the living conditions of 580 rural households in seven villages situated around the towns of Kpalimé and Notsé. It combined training, the construction of animal shelters, and provision of goats, sheep, chickens and turkeys, as well as technical and sanitary support.
Mr Kossivi Dokpoe is a young sheep breeder, member of the Mawulolo group, a village located in the Notsé area. He is 32 years old and the father of three children aged 4, 2 and 3 months. As a child he raised chickens with his father, whose income took him to the third grade in Notsé. As school fees became too costly, Kossivi abandoned his studies to take up farming (cultivating maize on a small plot of land) and chicken breeding. But very soon bird flu ravaged the henhouse, he gave up and became interested in sheep farming: "I learned about the Mawulolo group and I joined, we got to know ESF Togo with whom we signed a partnership agreement and I received my credit in animals on 29 December 2011 with 6 sheep."
Kossivi was lucky enough to receive two pregnant ewes at the beginning of the project. Since then, there have been a total of 15 births, he has given away 2 ewes on a "pay it forward" basis and sold 4 respectively for a total of USD 223. Today he has 13 animals (6 ewes, 2 lambs, 2 ewe lambs, 1 ram and 2 year old ewes). He told us "these sales came at difficult times in my life. The first sale took place when my two children were ill and the USD 87 was used to pay for their health care and to provide for the family's nutritional needs. The second sale was used to buy agricultural by-products (cassava peelings, soya beans, maize and local bran) for animal feed. The last two sales allowed me to pay my wife's maternity expenses. Without these sales, I don't know what would have happened to me. To tell you the truth, I don't know how to thank you."
Kossivi confided in us about his perspectives, the first being to allow others to benefit from the advantages of the microcredit by returning the rest of the animals (4) and the second to take care of the remaining capital for more benefits because "for me, these animals are comparable to an account that I could have in the bank. They have allowed me to care for and feed my family.
