Give a goat for Christmas, says aid agency Oxfam

LONDON - Looking for a last minute Christmas gift? Think goat.

You will pay £24 ($65.44) for a goat or £10 for a brood of chickens, tell a friend or relative that this is their Christmas present, and it will be sent to a Third World family to provide milk, meat, manure and offspring for trade.

People have bought 31,000 goats and 500,000 chickens under the scheme set up by the international aid agency Oxfam, not to mention 650,000 tree seedlings to provide wood and shade and prevent soil erosion. Other aid agencies have similar projects.

"Not only do people like the idea of giving something so unusual at Christmas, but you can also see how a goat, chicken, bike or midwife will make a difference to a person struggling against poverty," Oxfam manager Douglas Graham said.

- REUTERS