Goat Money.

Catherine Glass and Kasey Moran, Faculty, Alumna

In 2006, Biology and Health Sciences Instructor Catherine Glass established a program to raise money for a group of mothers in the small Kenyan village of Olkoroi as part of her PhD work on public health. The idea was to provide livestock as a means of income for women, helping empower them in a male-dominated society that sees the women denied education and married off at a young age.

Inspired by the work Catherine was doing, biology student Kasey Moran partnered with her sister Korey to launch an annual art auction called “Goat Money.” The funds raised go towards purchasing goats for the women of Olkoroi. Goats are an important form of currency in Kenya, allowing the women to pay for items such as food and school fees, as well as providing them with a source of income by selling milk and breeding new offspring.

“As a mother, an educator, and a feminist, I have enormous admiration for the women in Olkoroi, their work ethic, the care they provide for their families, the support they provide to the local primary school, and the lengths that some women will go to support their children – particularly daughters, because girls face more obstacles in a traditional community.” – Catherine Glass

To date, the microcredit program has raised more than $20,000, helping more than 350 female participants improve their lives and the lives of their children.