Grandmother Felinya Bizwick’s story
Felinya Bizwick, aged 63, belongs to one of the nine FOCHTA Gogos Groups that have been formed since 2007 to help widowed grandmothers create income generating activities to alleviate their poverty.
The FOCHTA Gogos program also helps the grandmothers care for their grandchildren, some of whom are FOCHTA beneficiaries.
Currently, FOCHTA has 800 gogos, with over 110 goats being distributed to them, as well as chickens and beehives.
Felinya received a goat in 2007, and that goat has so far produced 15 kids. The first kid was given to another gogos (as was required) and she has since sold seven, with seven remaining.
In addition to applying the goat manure to her garden as fertilizer, she has used the money received to buy a blanket, food, clothes, kitchen utensils and iron sheets to prepare her roof.
She said: “ without FOCHTA, I would have been a beggar, but now I am able to support my family. At the same time, it is nice that I go visiting the sickly and needy ones with other gogos members”.
If you wish to buy a goat for the gogos program it will cost you only AUD$65.