The Goat

An excerpt from our last newsletter:

During the holiday season, we were grateful to welcome Deanna’s mother and father to Tanzania. One of the purposes of their trip, aside from spending time with us, was to meet the child they have been sponsoring through Children of Promise.

They had the opportunity to meet Neema and her father and spend some very meaningful moments together outside our offices here in Babati. When it came time for Deanna’s folks to leave Tanzania they considered what else they might be able to do to help Neema and her family outside of their normal giving. One of the things we suggested was purchasing a goat for her and her family. Livestock is very valuable here and provide both milk and meat for a family.

They handed me the money necessary to purchase the goat just before they left and I promised to send a picture when we had delivered it to the family. That was the last I thought about it until now.

The goat arrived today, riding on a mini-bus. The owner brought her from Mbulu, holding her in his lap on the bus. They lifted her down and set her outside our office. We operate inside of a walled center, but the compound is open and is often active with people, animals, and cars driving through. Today 2 semi-wild dogs were inside the center when the goat was brought to us. Immediately after she was set on the ground the dogs began to chase her, and the man responsible for holding her rope lost his grip. What followed was a mad dash of goat, dog, and man. She raced towards the back half of the compound, seemingly trapped by the 4-foot high fence that surrounds that half. She neared the fence line and didn’t even slow down, in one leap easily clearing the chain links and now free on the streets of Babati.

The men scampered over the wall and continued sprinting behind the goat, screaming to anyone in front of them to grab the fleeing animal. It would be another two kilometers before she would even break stride. After barreling down the dirt roads that line the center she made her way through a small business section as curious onlookers laughed and children giggled at the seemingly possessed animal. From there she took a sharp right and began climbing the long hill towards the road that crossed the northern edge of town.

When she reached the next intersection, hope intervened. She stopped for a moment to smell another group of goats that were meandering along the road, opening just enough of a window for a passerby to grab hold of her. The three men, panting and drenched in sweat, walked the remaining distance up the hill to take back our little friend.

At the moment she is sitting in my office, waiting to be picked up by Neema and her family later this afternoon. Even now she is defiant, kicking the small shelf she is tied too. I shudder to think of what other gifts she will leave me before moving out later today. But she is worth it. Not only will she provide necessary resources to a family in need, but she has already given three middle-aged men more exercise than they’ve had in years.