Background

**Charlette’s Story**
The story started with a 60 minute story on Rwanda gorilla conservation success tied to ecotourism. The story showed a learning centre, and talked about 10% of income going to the local community. The organisation was not named, but it showed that the organisation used part of the money to purchase cows and sewing machines with the idea of creating sustainable programs that would support the community.
That organisation was SACOLA and the person watching the story was Charlette Adams.
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.
Charlette wanted to create 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.
Charlette’s idea has inspired a movement, we have witnessed the generosity of others to donate 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.
Sweet Charlette not only donates cows, but also a “Smart Room”, which helps locals access the ICT skills.

Empowerment

Woman Empowerment
There has already been a positive impact of this project. As well as providing milk for the family, some families get money from selling milk and the manure. So donating cows has already had a positive impact on recipients and their families.

Looking after the cows

Some families needed assistance from the program to learn how to take care of their cow or how to inseminate them. The program’s veterinarian through SACOLA will assist in this.

For the quality of the cows' life, the last impact report identified that the cows needed a stall to shelter from bad weather. All beneficiaries are thankful to the program and generosity of Sweet Charlette who in addition to funding the purchase of so many cows, upon receiving the last report, immediately 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.

Celebration !

In 2019, a ceremony was held, attended also by the leaders of the SACOLA community, and the manager of the Governor’s Camp Sabinyo Lodge, Michael Hughes. There was great cheer all around and a beautiful day and moment was enjoyed by all. Charlotte in July of that year donated another set of cows, primarily to widows, empowering these women and their families to make better lives for themselves. Charlotte was presented with a token of the community’s appreciation.

Woman’s Stories

Floride’s Story

“My name is MUKARUREMA Floride. i am a widow, fifty five years old (55 years) with 5 children. my occupation is subsistence agriculture. In 2019 I received a cow from SACOLA supported by Ms Adams Charlette. my cow has already delivered three babies and one of them was given to another vulnerable family respecting “pay-it- forward” policy. My children were suffering from malnutrition and were not able to attend the school. The remaining cows (3 cows) helped me to feed the family with milk and paying school fees. now our life has been improved greatly.”

THAMARI’s Story

“ I am THAMARI (51 Years old) with a family of ONE child. THE COW I WAS GIVEN is in good conditions and has already delivered the calf. WE USE and sell manure from the cow and make some money. WE CONSUME AND SELL MILK AS WELL. Actually OUR FAMILY LIFE HAS POSITIVELY CHANGED. THANKS TO THE DONOR (ADAMS CHARLETTE) TO HELP US BUILDING THE HOUSE FOR THE COWS.”

Domithile’s Story

“My name is Uwimana Domithile, 42 years old. i have four 4 children and a husband WHO, unfortunately, Is sick since two years AGO. this cow helps me to take care of my husband and feeding children. in addition, the cow gives us the milk and manure FROM which ONE PART IS used TO SATISFY THE FAMILY NEEDS and an other part SOLD for getting money. WE ARE SO THANKFUL.”

A BIG THANK YOU !!

The families are very thankful for the cows that have been given. They all said that the cows improved their lives and will improve their lives even more in the future.

They are very grateful for your support. They will always remember how you helped them.

Update

Cow Donation Ceremony 2022 in Kinigi

In 2022, SACOLA gratefully received the fund by Charlotte Adams and immediately prepared a cow donation ceremony in one of the villages in Kinigi. **25th September 2022**, 14 cows were ready to be donated to local women.

SACOLA’s chairman, Pierre Célestin NSENGIYUMVA gathers local villagers into the community centre. Local villagers sit down in the community centre with SACOLA’s Members. After briefing, SACOLA’s members head local women off to meet these cows. 14 cows stand in a row and hitch on trees. One-by-one, each local woman picks a letter, on which the cow's name can be found, and each cow allocates to its belonger. Some ladies are taken picture with a new coming member with joy on their face.