After the collapse of the communist regime and the collective farming systems and the long transition period, farmers of Shalsi community faced hard conditions, poverty, unemployment and social problems. Elbasani community, known as the big steel factory center in the past, suffers from unemployment and environment pollution. Most of the families live with $2 per person per day. Unemployment, emigration and very low income are main social problems in the area.
Farmers are hard workers, but they need to improve their skills and knowledge in working with dairy cows. First, they need to have resources to work and develop the family farm.
The project supports 32 families with a pregnant Holstein heifer donated by Bothar Ireland. Passing on the Gift philosophy will double the number of beneficiary families. The farmer’s families involved in the project will be supported with training, technical assistance and agriculture supplies.
The goals of this project are to support the poor farmer’s families to increase their income by selling meat and dairy products, to increase the number of pure breed heifers in the community and to improve farmer’s skills in animal husbandry and farm management.