The Goats Changed Lokesi’s life
When IM’s partner organisation came to her village, they identified Lokesi Esemu, a woman who had long experienced exclusion because of her disability. Today, she has goats, chickens and her own vegetable garden. But perhaps the biggest change is that she has found a stronger sense of belonging in her community.
By the time the sun rises over the village in Malawi, Lokesi Esemu has already started her daily chores. She cleans around the house, collects water and looks after her animals. Her vegetable garden is a little further away, about 300 metres from her home. She walks there early in the morning and spends a couple of hours tending to the crops before returning home.
Life has not always been like this. Growing up, Lokesi faced discrimination because of her physical disability. Her parents never allowed her to go to school, and for many years she was excluded from parts of her community. When her husband died, she also became dependent on her sons for her livelihood.
But then YICOD came to the village.
Youth Initiative for Community Development (YICOD) is a local, youth-led organisation in Malawi that works to improve the lives of women, children, young people and other vulnerable groups. Through locally based initiatives, the organisation focuses on livelihoods, food security and empowering people to shape their own futures. IM is one of the organisation’s most important international donors.
During a visit to the area, YICOD identified Lokesi’s situation and gave her the opportunity to take part in initiatives aimed at strengthening women’s livelihoods. It started with vegetable seeds for a garden. Today, she grows vegetables that her family can both eat and sell.
She also received five chickens through the project. Over time, they have multiplied, and she now has 26. An important part of the initiative is the principle of passing on: when the animals produce offspring, some of the young are given to other families in need of support. So far, Lokesi has passed on ten chicks to two other participants.
Five goats and new opportunities
Last year, she received another addition to her livelihood: five goats, one male and four females. The four female goats are now pregnant, and soon the herd may grow.
The goats could become an important asset for Lokesi. They offer her the opportunity to build a larger herd, which can provide both income and food for her family. There is also the possibility of passing on offspring to other families, allowing the support to benefit even more people.
Lokesi says she is very happy with the support she has received. But the changes are about more than animals and the opportunity to earn her own money.
Previously, she was not allowed to join the village’s savings and loan group, known as a Village Savings and Loan (VSL) group. These groups allow members to save money together and borrow from the collective fund, for example to invest in small businesses. Today, Lokesi is a member herself.
“Before, I lived a miserable life,” she says.
Now she feels more included in her community and has greater opportunities to shape her own everyday life.
A dream of becoming self-sufficient
Her days are still filled with work. She tends to her garden, collects water from the borehole, looks after her chickens and goats, and makes sure there is food on the table. Two of her sons still live at home.
Looking ahead, Lokesi hopes to become self-sufficient in food. She wants to continue developing her garden and see her herd of goats grow. And she has another, more concrete dream: one day, she hopes to slaughter one of her own goats and serve goat meat to her family.
Five goats may seem like a small beginning. But for Lokesi, they represent something much bigger: an opportunity to build a more secure life, provide for her family and continue a journey that has already transformed her life.
Text and photo: Malin Kihlström