Animal Tracks

Farm animals that transform lives

1 in every 2 refugee households in Uganda faces food insecurity, and 1 in every 3 refugee children in Uganda is

In these circumstances, where people are unable to work or learn, they're forced to become dependent on aid and become trapped in cycles of poverty. But when we talk to refugee communities, one thing comes up again and again: Farm animals are empowering and provide steady nutrition and income. And from these conversations, Animal Tracks was born!

Animal Tracks is a global program where we provide goats, chickens, pigs, or sheep-along with training and community support-to help families create reliable sources of food and income.

1 in every 67 people on Earth has been forced from their home because of conflict or crisis.

Give the gift of a goat and transfrom a refugee family’s life today

DONATE

When you donate to Animal Tracks, you change lives through:

Financial Stability

Families can breed and sell goats, chickens, and pigs. We provide support like entrepreneurial training, co-op memberships, and vet care to set their businesses up for success.

Self Sufficiency

Many people we've met previously owned and cared for animals, and left them behind when they fled for safety. Animal Tracks restores the traditions they have known for generations.

Economic Mobility

The additional income from breeding animals pays for children's school fees, medicine, housing, or food, which immediately improves quality of life. Animal Tracks isn't just about survival-it's about equipping

FAQ

What do families do with goats?

Families utilize goats to provide additional income. How depends on the region where they are distributed.

In Jordan, we see families selling goat milk and products made from goat milk. They also sell male baby goats (but keep the females to grow their herds). We distribute Shami goats (also fittingly known as Damascus goats), a friendly breed native to the Middle East. They are prolific milk producers—a female Shami goat can produce between 350 to 650 liters of milk each year.

In Uganda, Congolese refugees don’t consume goat milk. Instead, they sell goats for meat. We distribute Mubende goats, a well-adapted goat breed that is right for the climate, already vaccinated, 1 to 3 years old, and most of them already pregnant.

What do families do with chickens?

Families utilize chickens to generate additional income. Some chickens are bred as egg layers. We distribute the Saso breed, which is native to India but thrives in Uganda and is likely to yield approximately 75% more profit than the local breed. Families breed other chickens for meat as broiler chickens.

What do families do with pigs?

Families breed and sell pigs to generate additional income. In Uganda, there are countless roadside BBQ stands selling pork dishes.

How did Animal Tracks start?

Animal Tracks (originally called Gather for Goats) was born in 2017, when Hayley, LHI’s Founder & CEO, was distributing aid supplies to Syrian refugees in Jordan. When Hayley, who speaks Arabic, asked people what they needed, the response was overwhelmingly, “goats!”

Many families who fled to Jordan are Bedouin and have been cultivating livestock for generations. But when the Syrian civil war broke out in 2011, families had to leave everything behind, including their herds—some of which numbered in the hundreds.

So we got to work. In collaboration with local experts and refugee communities, we launched Animal Tracks—starting with Shami goats for Syrian families in Jordan. Since then, we’ve followed the Animal Tracks to so many more places, helping even more families across different regions rebuild their lives with goats, chickens, and pigs.