Adding to basket
Betty, together with a group of other people in her community, decided to take care of the earth and of their animals, and so produce organic cheeses with a high nutritional content of calcium, proteins, and phosphorus. This would also counteract the nutritional problems of milk with a high saturated fat, triglyceride, and saturated fatty acid content. Her first step was not to tether her cows, nor to keep them shut up far from the pastures where they enjoy being, nor to cut off their horns, so that they would calve in a natural way and the milk they provided would be fresh and of a high quality.
Betty lives in her parents' home in the community of Achica Baja, in the Viacha sector of the Ingavi province, in the La Paz Department of Bolivia, about two hours from the city of La Paz.
She will use this loan to buy a pair of cows of a modern improved breed, in order to generate milk of a better quality for the production of organic cheese.
Betty's dream is to grow and, in the medium term, to have her own organic farm. This would be sustainable and self-sufficient, using biodigesters and biogas. This would require livestock producing at least 12 kg of manure daily, which mixed with 60 litres of water would produce methane (for energy generation) for four hours each day, so avoiding carbon dioxide emissions and protecting the environment.
This is the third time Betty has sought a loan from IMPRO, and her first time with Kiva.
Translated from Spanish by Kiva volunteer anonymized. View original language description.
