”Credit Cows“ – That’s the name of the programme which helped the Mukebita family escape poverty. The family is based in the diocese of Bukoba and member of a Kolping Family. As Richard Celestine Mukebita, his wife Domina Richard and their seven children could not make enough money to survive with crop farming, they received two “credit cows“, as they are referred to by the Kolping Families when they speak about the milk cows of the milk cow programme. Today the family is doing well: The animals do not only give milk but also dung which is suited very well for making compost. By putting compost on the arable soil the fields become significantly more fertile. The crop yields now feed the whole family. The first calf is passed onto another Kolping Family, and this is how the loan is paid off by the Mukebita family. This allows their children to have a trouble-free peaceful childhood.

“Before joining the group I could not even harvest a bunch of bananas from my field. Since 2010 I can harvest around 6 bunches of bananas a month weighing 60 to 80 kilos. I also cultivate other crop plants like beans, manioc, and sweet potatoes which I mix up with the bananas on the field. Due to the compost, the vegetables also grow better and securing food for my family is no longer a problem. All what’s left can be sold and have more income. We are also able to pay the doctor and school fees for our children. We are planning to build a better house in a few years’ time.” 

Kolping does a great job together with the Kolping Families: in addition to training, small loans, and water projects it also supports aids orphans. This gives the Kolping members the opportunity to set up their own good business.