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Pakistan Livestock Program
Background: Our partnership with Messiah Ministries began in Pakistan in 2022. We focused on programs to train young women in sewing and to support a persecuted Christian village that had been attacked and had their homes burnt to the ground. Both programs were successful, and we have seen two classes of women graduate through the sewing program since then. We then started working together to serve communities in the Punjab Province on a deeper level, beginning in Youngsonabad. Our partners did an asset-based community development (ABCD) assessment to learn more about the strengths and needs within the community. From this in-depth assessment, we arrived at a few programs to start with immediately. One of the biggest issues is that women in Pakistan are very oppressed and are not allowed to do much outside the home. This is why we started with a sewing ministry in the beginning of our partnership. Another solution to this problem that the community arrived at was providing women with livestock they could raise, care for, breed, and milk. 24 goats were distributed to needy women in July through a new livestock program, "Youngsonabad Livelihood Project." The program has been very successful so far, and we aim to distribute 50 more goats to 50 more women. Each woman has pledged to give back a goat kid to the program for another woman once she breeds her female goat. In this way, the program can continue to help more and more women at a highly reduced cost.
Our overarching goal with everything we do through our partners at Messiah Ministries is to support Christians who live in dangerous environments where persecution is common. We also serve the Muslim population by meeting physical needs and opening the door to sharing the Gospel message of Jesus Christ through all program activities.
According to a 2024 report by Open Doors Ministry, Pakistan is the 7th most dangerous country in the world to be a Christian. Pakistan is right in the middle of the 10/40 window, the least evangelized countries.
Current: We are raising funds to pay for the second phase of the goat distribution. Our partner team selects the women based on need and their ability to carry out the requirements of the program. The program will consist of two orientations that include sharing the Gospel, goat distribution, monitoring of the program and assessments, as well as two goat-rearing classes for the women that will teach them the following:
We believe training the women in the above will allow for a much greater success rate. As the women raise their goats, they can milk them to supplement food for their family and sell the milk in their village. They can also breed them at the appropriate age and make money from selling the goats or keep them to provide more milk. One goat kid from each woman’s first litter will return to the Youngsonabad Livelihood Project to be given to future women selected for the program.
Cost:$168 per goat (including goat, ongoing goat-rearing classes, orientations, monitoring program, home visits)
Total goal for the program is $8,400 for 50 goats for 50 women
Asset Based Community Development
Our partners at Messiah Ministries completed their first Asset-Based Community Development Assessment. Meetings with the village chief, key informants such as the local church pastor and school principal, daily wage laborers, brickmakers, and women in the community. The strengths and assets found in the surveys and interviews were put together in a report that will guide how we work at a deeper level in the community of Youngsonabad. The first program from the assessment is the “Youngsonabad Livelihood Program,” focusing on livestock distribution and job training. Photos here show ABCD meetings with villagers from various roles in the community and phase one of the livestock program.
