629 cows have been donated to poor residents in Girinka program since August 2012, Dr. Ferdinand Mwumvaneza, in charge of livestock in Gakenke district has revealed.

Mwumvaneza explains that those cows were donated by different projects, NGOs, cooperatives working in Gakenke and others from resident to resident as a way of extending Girinka program.

World vision donated 100 cows and up to 200 cows donated by Girinka beneficiaries where one must give a cow to the poor neighbor after his/hers gives birth.

However, close to 1200 cows were donated in Girinka program in 2011-2012 and it’s planned that before August 2013, more 1000 cows will have been given to the vulnerable households, says Dr. Mwumvaneza

He asserts that the district concentrated on taking good care of the cows through vaccinating them to prevent them from diseases.

Though 35 cows have been vaccinated in the last three months, cows will be vaccinated in March 2013 to prevent them from “igifuruto” which has been common in some sectors of Gakenke district.