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Jonah's Story
Jonah the Village Vet
“Home improvements, piped water, a bicycle, a carpentry course for my son, tools, cooking pots…”
Jonah is exhilarated as he explains how he has benefited from the Meru Dairy Goat and Animal Healthcare Project in Kenya. Jonah used to be a coffee farmer but his income dwindled as global prices fell. The effect on his family was devastating: “Poverty is unjust. As the money from coffee became less, I couldn’t look after my family. I hired myself out as a labourer, but we just got poorer and poorer.”
Jonah was chosen by his villagers to be trained as a Community Animal Health Worker – commonly known as a ‘village vet’. With training from FARM-Africa, Jonah provides vaccines and drugs at an affordable price. He prides himself on being one of the best:
“I treat about 62 animals a month but sometimes as many as 120. The local animals are much healthier now – in fact, a fatal chicken disease has almost disappeared from Meru now because we vaccinate against it. We can afford to eat three meals a day. In January, my daughter went to school. I could not have paid the fees before. As it was, I was left with some money in my pocket. I am so happy with my job.”
