Ida Baloyi lives in the rural northern parts of the Limpopo Province. She is 35 years old, married and has one child. In 2006 she joined the Khongode Project and, after meeting with Heifer International South Africa (Heifer), she began to get really excited about the idea of being a goat farmer. “I was unable to buy my own goats to farm with,” she said.
Heifer International South Africa (Heifer) is a community development organisation that partners with rural communities to end hunger and poverty in South Africa and care for the Earth. By providing training, support, livestock, seeds and tree saplings, Heifer helps poor rural women and men become successful small farmers. As part of Heifer’s model of Passing on the Gift®, each person who receives livestock passes on the same opportunity to another family in their community.
Before beginning a project, Heifer meets with community members to work with them to assess the feasibility of farming as a community. Afterwards, Heifer, together with the community members and other stakeholders, will develop a project focusing on food and income generation activities through agricultural interventions. Sometimes a project will begin immediately but more often Heifer must seek funding for the project before beginning implementation.
Mrs Baloyi was so determined to be a farmer that before the project began she took a huge step and went back to university. She knew this would enable her to be ready to make the most of the opportunity to farm when Heifer gave her animals. She was accepted and even offered a bursary to pay for her studies. Studying meant being away from her family and home for long periods of time, but Mrs Baloyi didn’t give up. In 2011, she graduated from the University of Limpopo with a Diploma in Animal Production.
In the meantime, in 2010, she was elected the chairperson of Heifer’s Khongode Agricultural Project in Mutale Local Municipality, Vhembe District. Through the project, she received numerous trainings such as goat management, community development, vegetable production and Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development. With her academic background combined with the practical training from Heifer, she is able to lead the group and assist others. “The knowledge that I have acquired in the University I'm utilizing in our project as the Chairperson of the project”.
“I want to be a well known farmer throughout the country, even internationally,” she says. “To be involved in this project makes me to be a farmer. Every day I wake up and check my goats to see if there are any problems and look after them. My two goats have kidded and I have two male offspring and one female offspring. My goats are in good condition and also, as a leader, I ensure that everyone takes care of their goats so that all of us can achieve the project objectives which are fighting for hunger and creating job opportunities for us.”
Mrs Baloyi joined this project because she had a dream of becoming a successful goat farmer. With her training, the support and shared effort of her fellow project members and the resources provided through the generous support of Anglo American Chairman’s Fund, she is well on her way to achieving that dream. During the next two years, as well as selling goats for income, Mrs Baloyi will pass on goats, worth thousands of Rands to another needy family, as part of her commitment to this Heifer project. She is creating a chain of giving and sharing with other poor families the same opportunity to make a dream come true that was provided to her.
Mrs Ida Baloyi
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