KIGALI - 350,000 vulnerable families are expected to receive cows, in the next seven years, through the cattle stocking programme known as One Cow per Family (Girinka).

Dr. Theogene Rutagwenda, the Director General of Rwanda Animal Resources Development Authority (RARDA) said yesterday.

"Girinka is one of the government’s priority areas in development and this is why this number (350,000) was projected,” Rutagwenda said.

Girinka , initiated by President Paul Kagame in 2006, is one of the initiatives by the government to fight poverty in the country.

At the beginning of the programme, about 257,000 families were targeted to benefit from the project, but the number was later increased.

Rutagwenda explained that about 107,500 families had, by yesterday, received cows.
In August last year, the government launched a campaign to raise 3,000 cows from willing farmers and other well-wishers.

The project hopes to raise 3,000 cows annually for the next seven years.

He noted that so far, about 1,750 cows and Rwf 400 million had been raised.

"Many supporters of the programme are still pledging. With this number of cows raised, we are optimistic that we will exceed the projected figure before the year ends,” he observed.

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