This research collaboration aimed at improving child survival by examining the effects of the increased consumption of goat milk, goat meat, and soybean flour on childhood nutrition in rural Malawi. Through a women’s network, partners distributed soybean seed and seedlings, as well as local goats and purebred Saanen goats for breeding.

Introducing the Saanen breed increased the local goats’ milk yield and helped the local breed better ward off diseases and parasites. Participating families donated goats back to the project for distribution to other families. The income generated from these animals helped augment the earnings of the women participating in the program and improved the quality of life of their families, because crossbred animals were often sold for 10 times as much as local goats.

At a time when infant and child mortality rates in the country were 134/1,000 births (between birth to five years of age), there were no deaths among the 120 children who participated in the project.