Be a cool kid, buy your dad a goat gift this Father’s Day

All the cool kids know it – goats make people smile! This Father’s Day, you could spread smiles the world over with the gift of a goat from the Oxfam Unwrapped range.

It’s the present that keeps giving back by changing the lives of families who depend on animals for their livelihood.

Goats are easy to care for, hardy and resilient even in times of drought which means they play an essential role for families living in poverty. They provide nutritious milk as well as fertiliser for crops and the money earned from selling extra milk can be sold at the local market and used to buy supplies for school, medicine and other household essentials. Plus their little kids can be passed on to another family when they grow up so many others will reap the same benefits.

Be a cool kid and buy your dad a Goat (€35/£25).

Augustina with her husband Joshua and two of their three children – daughters Ava and Emily. Photo: Adam Patterson/Oxfam

Augustina Danaa (32) is from northern Ghana and part of an Oxfam programme, run with local partners, which helps farming families to thrive despite the effects of climate change.

Augustina and her family have received a kid goat as well as chickens and pigs. She has also received training on how best to care for animals so that they stay healthy and strong as well as practical, weather-resistant farming techniques like composting which increases crop yields.

Augustina is also one of the first women to be involved in a bee-keeping project in the area.

Augustina harvesting honey. Photo: Adam Patterson/Oxfam

Before she got involved in the project, Augustina harvested and sold shea nuts. The work was very labour intensive and dangerous too as she was constantly at risk of being bitten by snakes when at work. Her income was small and erratic and the family relied heavily on what her husband Joshua earned. For four months of every year, her family did not have enough to eat.

Augustina says: “We couldn’t grow or buy enough food. I used to feel sick and unhappy. It was a bad situation. I couldn’t get enough food to feed my children, which made me feel bad as a mother. We would survive on a cup of rice each day, which meant each had just two spoonfuls. That was it.”

Now the future is much brighter for Augustina and Joshua and their three daughters since she joined Oxfam’s project. Their honey is a valuable commodity, which also keeps the family healthy. Their animals provide them with a more nutritious diet as well as additional income. Last year, she and Joshua enjoyed the best harvest in years thanks to their training in new composting techniques.

“I cannot express enough joy for the support and training we have received in these projects,” Augustina explains. “There is a great difference in my life. Now the story is different. I am benefitting from the bee farming, agricultural activities and livestock. Now we have food. We eat a variety of foods and meat. I can now buy school books, pencils and uniforms. With the rest, we can save for our children’s education.”

Feeding time on Augustina’s farm. Photo Adam Patterson/Oxfam

Other great gift ideas from the Oxfam Unwrapped range include ‘A Share in a Farmyard’ €7/£5 gift which makes sure people have the best opportunities to sustain and grow their livelihoods while Educate a Girl (€25/£19) is full of girl-power – giving girls and women the chance to learn, grow and reach their potential!

You can purchase any of our 15 life-changing Unwrapped gifts here.

Our full range of gifts are also available from your local Oxfam shop.