How ARCD’s Cow per Family Initiative Aims to Strengthen Livelihoods in Zanzibar
Published Date:
Emergency assistance meets immediate needs, while livelihood projects aim to help families build skills, productive assets and income over time. Africa Relief and Community Development (ARCD) is preparing its Cow per Family Initiative with local partner Green Hub Organization Zanzibar (GHOZ). The planned project aims to support 18 families with dairy cows, livestock-care training, feed, veterinary support and shared infrastructure.
The initiative prioritizes vulnerable women, women-headed households and young people. Beyond providing a cow to each participating family, the project aims to establish a shared system for housing livestock, collecting milk and developing access to buyers. If the model succeeds, participating families could benefit from milk for household use and potential income from selling surplus milk.
However, dairy farming requires more than purchasing an animal. Reliable feed, veterinary care, hygienic milk collection, suitable housing and access to markets are all important to maintaining a productive herd. ARCD’s planned package takes these ongoing needs into account.
Why Livelihood Support Matters in Zanzibar
Vulnerable households may face barriers to earning a stable income, particularly when access to productive assets, employment opportunities and financing is limited. Supporting families with livestock, practical training and shared infrastructure offers one potential way to develop additional livelihood opportunities.
The following labour statistics provide context for the initiative’s focus on women and young people. These are Zanzibar-wide figures, not statistics specific to the households expected to participate.
Women Have Less Access to Work
Tanzania’s 2025 Integrated Labour Force Survey reported an employment-to-population ratio of 51.1 percent for women aged 15 and over in Zanzibar, compared with 75.7 percent for men. The ratio counts people in any kind of work, formal or informal, so the gap reflects access to work of any kind rather than to formal jobs alone. The survey’s authors describe the disparity as particularly stark in Zanzibar, even as employment rose nationally. They provide context for the initiative’s focus on women, women-headed households and young people.
Young Women Face the Highest Unemployment
The same survey found that among people aged 15 to 35 in Zanzibar, 17.0 percent of young women in the labour force were unemployed in 2025, compared with 6.0 percent of young men. Overall youth unemployment on the islands fell from the year before, but the gap between young women and young men remains wide. Livestock skills alone will not close it. A working community dairy, though, could create roles in feeding, milk collection and marketing that do not all depend on owning a cow.
Who Controls Livestock and Milk
In its analysis of Tanzania’s dairy sector, prepared for a separate national dairy project, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) notes that men generally own the cattle while women own the milk, and that women’s lack of assets leaves them without collateral for credit. For a project that prioritizes women, that pattern makes clear arrangements for ownership of the cows, milk income and cooperative decisions an important part of the design. Those arrangements shape who actually benefits from each animal.
>> Related Post: How ARCD Helps Children Access Education in Africa
What this Initiative Plans to Provide
The Cow per Family Initiative is designed as longer-term livelihood support rather than a one-time distribution of livestock. Its planned package combines a dairy cow with the resources needed to care for the animal and participate in a shared milk collection system.
The intended benefits include household milk consumption, potential income from milk sales and practical livestock-management skills. These outcomes are not guaranteed: they depend on animal health, adequate feeding, effective project management and reliable market access.
The planned support covers five key areas.
1. A Dairy Cow for Each Participating Family
The initiative plans to provide a dairy cow to each of 18 participating families. The client’s current budget estimates the cost of one cow at $1,200, excluding the additional costs included in the full first-year package.
A dairy cow can provide milk for household consumption and may generate income if the family can sell surplus production. However, the amount of milk produced and the income earned will depend on the cow, its feeding and care, and the availability of buyers.
The initiative’s broader approach is intended to pair livestock ownership with the resources and training needed to manage the animal responsibly.
2. Feed for Ongoing Dairy Production
Feed is a recurring expense, not a one-time purchase. The project budget estimates approximately $75 for one month of hay and supplements, with an indicative annual feed cost of $600–950 per cow.
Supplemental feed may include hay, alfalfa, grains and agricultural byproducts, depending on local availability and the animal’s needs.
Planning for this expense is important because inadequate nutrition can affect a cow’s health and milk production. Including feed in the first-year package helps recognize the ongoing costs involved in maintaining a dairy animal.
3. Veterinary Care to Keep Cows Healthy
The client’s budget allocates approximately $50 per cow for a year of routine veterinary care. This estimate covers vaccinations, deworming, tick control and one or two veterinary visits or basic emergency services, as needed within the planned package.
Preventive care helps reduce avoidable health risks and supports responsible livestock management. Training families to recognize health problems and seek appropriate assistance is also important, particularly when a cow represents a significant household asset.
The final cost of treatment may vary depending on the animal’s health and the services required, so the budget should be understood as a project estimate rather than a guarantee that every possible veterinary expense will be covered.
4. A Shared Cowshed for the Community
Rather than building separate shelters for every household, the initiative plans a shared cowshed designed to accommodate 18 cows.
The proposed structure includes a shaded roof, suitable flooring, feeding and watering facilities, a water tank and adequate drainage. Shared infrastructure is intended to support routine livestock care and make it easier to organize feeding, watering and veterinary visits.
The client estimates that the full cowshed could cost approximately 10,000–20,000, with $500 representing an indicative contribution toward one family's share of the facility.
A shared space can also support future milk collection arrangements. Its effectiveness will depend on appropriate site management, hygiene, maintenance and clear responsibilities among participating families.
5. Milk Collection Equipment and Livestock Training
The planned package includes milk collection equipment, with an estimated $150 providing a family with a basic kit. This may include a 20–25-litre milk can, a bucket, a strainer and cleaning supplies.
Depending on the final procurement choices, equipment may include food-grade stainless-steel or hygienic plastic containers, testing strips, cleaning brushes and sanitizing products. Appropriate handling and cleaning procedures are essential to maintaining milk hygiene.
Participating families are also expected to receive livestock-management training. This can help them understand feeding, animal health, daily care and the responsibilities associated with a shared facility.
The longer-term vision includes developing a community dairy model through which milk can be collected, marketed and potentially used to produce other dairy products. Establishing a sustainable system will require effective coordination, hygienic handling, market access and clear decisions about how revenue and responsibilities are shared.
>> Related Post: ARCD Distributes Back-to-School Kits to 250 Orphans in Ghana
ARCD and GHOZ: The Partnership Behind the Initiative
The Cow per Family Initiative sits within ARCD’s empowerment programs, which include training and economic support for communities, including women and young people.
Green Hub Organization Zanzibar (GHOZ) is expected to support local implementation, including community mobilization, beneficiary identification and verification, livestock and site management, and monitoring.
ARCD and GHOZ plan to track indicators such as animal health, milk production and household livelihood progress once the project begins. These measures can help the partners understand whether the initiative is progressing as intended and identify areas that need attention.
How to Support the Cow per Family Initiative in Zanzibar
Donations can help fund the different components required to establish and maintain the planned livestock project. A cow is only one part of the investment: families also need feed, veterinary care, milk collection equipment, shared infrastructure and training.
ARCD’s current cost estimates outline several ways to contribute, from helping cover an individual expense to supporting a family’s broader first-year package.
These amounts are based on the project’s current budget estimates. Actual expenses may vary with procurement, transport, livestock needs and construction costs. The $3,000 figure is an indicative full-package amount, while the cow-only estimate is $1,200.
To understand the available donation options and support the initiative, visit ARCD’s Cow per Family Initiative campaign page.
>> Support the Cow per Family Initiative as ARCD and GHOZ prepare the project for its first participating families.
FAQs
1. How will families be selected for the Cow per Family Initiative?
According to the project information provided, 30 community volunteers have been recruited to support household mapping. Door-to-door mapping, volunteer training and beneficiary assessment are planned, while final selection remains subject to the relevant ministry response and verification process. The initiative intends to prioritize vulnerable households, including women-headed households and young people, with consideration for families able to take responsibility for livestock care.
2. Why will the cows share one shed?
A shared cowshed is intended to bring feeding, watering, animal care and future milk collection activities together in one location. This approach can support coordinated livestock management and provide a foundation for the proposed community dairy model. Its success will depend on appropriate maintenance, hygiene and clear responsibilities among participating families.
3. What does the project budget include for feed and veterinary care?
The current budget estimates approximately $75 for one month of hay and supplements and 600–950 for a full year of feed per cow. It also estimates $50 per cow for a year of routine veterinary care, including vaccinations, deworming, tick control and limited veterinary visits. These are planning estimates, and actual costs may vary.
4. What does the $3,000 full-family package include?
The $3,000 example represents an estimated first-year package that includes a $1,200 cow, first-year feed, veterinary care, milk collection equipment, a share of the community cowshed and training. The client’s broader estimate for the complete package is 2,400–3,900 per family, depending on costs. Donors should consult the campaign page for the current available giving options.
5. How could a community dairy benefit participating families?
The longer-term plan is to help participating families coordinate milk collection and explore opportunities to market milk and potentially develop other dairy products. Pooling milk may help small producers access buyers, but income is not guaranteed. Production, hygiene, market demand, operating costs and the way revenue is shared will all affect the results.
6. How else can I support the Cow per Family Initiative besides donating?
You can share the campaign page with friends, family, colleagues and community groups to help raise awareness.
