Irish aid organisation Bothar launched its Christmas appeal today and has set itself a target of helping 3,000 families in the developing world out of abject poverty by way of airlifts of various Irish livestock and other animals.
There are 16 different animals inlcuding camels and water buffalo, which are sourced locally, in the Bothar catalogue this year but, CEO David Moloney, says it is the Irish goat which remains one of the most popular.
"No other animals we send to families have nutritional values or yields like our goats or cows," he said.
"Our goats, for example, can give up to six litres of milk per day, enough milk for a family of six. The milk doesn't require homogenisation either so they are perfectly adaptable for the very need recipient farming families.
"Goats are one of our most popular gifts in our Christmas campaign. We sent around 300 of them in recent weeks to Africa and because they are sent 'in-kid', it's a Christmas gift that not alone saves lives but keeps on giving as the farmers that receive a Bothar goat promise to give the first born female goat to another already trained and prepared family," he added.
Donations start at €10 for a share of a Cameroon snail farm to right up to €5,000 for a Bothar Global Village Gift – a gift of livestock for 17 individual families.
Bothar's Christmas Gift Catalogue can be viewed online at www.bothar.org.