When I traveled to Africa, I learned how livestock ownership could change a family’s life. A donkey can serve as a taxi or means to haul water. Chickens give eggs that can be eaten or sold. A goat can enable a girl to get an education. This is the premise for
Beatrice’s Goat
by Page McBrier (author) and Lori Lohstoeter (illustrator)
Atheneum Books
picture book ages 5-9
Beatrice lives in Western Uganda. She helps her mother care for her five brothers and sisters. She also hoes, plants, and grinds cassava flour to sell at the market. She watches other children at school and wishes that she, too, could learn to read. But, this was not possible because they do not have money for books and a uniform.
One day news comes that Beatrice’s family will be given the gift of a goat. It will be Beatrice’s responsibility to care for the goat. They build a shed and plant a pasture. Soon, the goat arrives and is named Mugisa which means luck. Beatrice develops a loving relationship with Mugisa who does seem to bring luck. Mugisa delivers twin kids. When the kids no longer need the milk, Beatrice and her family can drink the milk. They sell the extra milk and eventually there is enough money for Beatrice to attend school.
Beatrice’s Goat is based on a true story. Heifer Project International helps families to change their lives by giving them an animal and training them to care for it. Having a supply of fresh milk helps families to overcome malnutrition. The income from the extra milk enabled children to go to school as well has provides necessities. The project continues to help families in Uganda and many other places in the world.
You can read more about Heifer Project International here.
Becky at Kid World Citizen shared a project this week where children can help Sole Hope by making shoes out of old jeans for children in Uganda to prevent infections from jiggers that live in the sand.
I am looking forward to celebrating my May birthday with friends by having a shoe cutting party for Sole Hope.
How cool with the sole cutting party! What a great book with the goat and them highlighting the Heifer Project. I know one year a few Christmases ago instead of getting gifts for me and hubby, we did something similar through another organization; I got a goat and hubby got a well 🙂 (we donated the money for the projects in countries that needed the help)
betty
That sounds like my kind of present!
The Sole Hope project sounds great! I love the drawings from the book and the story..
Isn’t it amazing what you can do with an old pair of jeans?
Love the idea behind Heifer Project International. So many good causes out there to support.
Stephen Tremp
A to Z Co-host
V is for Vortex (the paranormal kind)
There are many projects but think how much better the world would be if everyone tried to do at least one thing to help others!
I’ve been to a couple of countries in Africa but not Uganda. So thank you for introducing us to this country through a PB that seems like a great read. I love the mention of the project at the end of your post.
I haven’t been to Uganda yet but hope to some day. I like making things so the project looks like a good one for me.
O this book is so sweet!!