Global Partnership: Sweet Charlette’s Donate-A-Cow

Poverty in Kinigi/Nyange community

Ecotourism activities have a profound impact on alleviation of poverty, regarding employment opportunities, health service, education, water supply, electricity and infrastructure [1]. However, tourists have little interest in contributing to community benefit, and its phenomenon is associated with the issue that the majority of locals in communities still lack awareness on how to invest in tourism and interact with tourists, lack the minimum qualifications requirements, entrepreneurship knowledge and poor levels of investment knowledge [1][2]. As a result, some locals, especially in vulnerable groups, have not obtained significant improvement in their daily lives, and still ought to struggle hard for living.

Innovative ideal: pay-it-forward

In 2019, an international volunteer, named Charlette Adams joined a partnership with SACOLA. She discovered the deficiency in local support towards vulnerable groups in Kinigi, and created a “pay-it-forward” idea that would see the recipients donating the first female calf to another member of the community, who in turn would do the same.

Fig. 1 Volunteer Charlette participates in SACOLA cow-donating ceremony with the manager of the Governor's Camp Sabinyo Lodge, Michael Hughes and chairperson of SACOLA, Pierre Celestin NSENGIYUMCVA.

Charlette’s idea has inspired a movement. The generosity is contagious. Subsequently a couple, Debra and Rod, donated a cow to another member of the SACOLA community, with the “pay-it-forward” idea helping to see more beneficiaries of this generosity in the future. Since 2019, Sweet Charlette, along with friends such as Bruce and Esther Wagner and donors Debra and Rod, have generously donated numerous cows, which have been distributed to vulnerable members of the SACOLA community. To date, the cow donation program has produced and donated over 1000 cows.

Fig. 2 Cow receiver MUKARUREMA Floride with her cows which was donated by Ms. Charlette in 2019.

SACOLA’s Management

For the purpose of supporting vulnerable members in the communities, whenever it comes to parturition of a newborn calf, SACOLA and Kinigi/Nyange local government would arrange a receiver from the vulnerable members. With funding from Charlette Adams, the newborn calf would be purchased, represented by SACOLA, and be donated to the vulnerable member in the SACOLA cow-donating ceremony.
Regarding looking after the cows,some families need assistance from the program to learn how to take care of their cows or how to inseminate them. The program’s veterinarian through SACOLA will assist in this.

In addition to funding the purchase of so many cows, one of the volunteers, Chris Eubank further provided funding to be used for the building of the much needed cow stalls which were constructed to improve the well-being of the cows.

Alignment with UN SDGs

No poverty

Vulnerable members in Kinigi/Nyange suffered from poverty. A cow produces milk, manure and itself finally can provide a big amount of money for selling to the market. Some families’ children were suffering from malnutrition and were not able to attend the school. Cows produce milk and manure from which one part is used to satisfy the family needs and the other part sold for getting money, in order to pay school fees and other cost of living.

Partnerships for the Goals

In this project, SACOLA collaborates with international volunteers (Charlette Adams, Chris Eubank, Debra and Rod) to tackle poverty in Kinigi/Nyange. The tremendous support from overseas contributes the financial resource for the Rwandan rural village, aligning with Target 17.3: Mobilise financial resources for developing countries.
The innovative idea: pay-it-forward, developed by Charlette Adams enhances the global partnership SACOLA for sustainable development. The shared knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources support the achievement of sustainable development in Kinigi/Nyange, Rwanda. Which aligns with Target 17.G: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development.

Reference

Kayihura, C. (2019). Tourism activities and poverty alleviation in Musanze district; Kinigi Sector (Doctoral dissertation, University of Rwanda).
Nielsen, H., & Spenceley, A. (2011). The success of tourism in Rwanda: Gorillas and more

Note: to see more about the detail, background story and update of this project, please visit Sweet Charlette 's Donate-A-Cow Program.