The Goat Train Project is a grassroots community initiative set up by our founder, Josh, in 2024. Based on the shores of Lake Bunyonyi in southwestern Uganda, it is dedicated to creating real, lasting change through practical support such as education, resources, and community-led projects. The project works to empower local families, improve opportunities for children and disadvantaged communities, and build a more sustainable future from the ground up.
Our founder, Josh is a local boat captain born and raised in southwestern Uganda, on the shores of the breathtaking Lake Bunyonyi. While the landscape is rich in beauty, many of the surrounding communities face significant challenges. Growing up, Josh experienced firsthand the struggles faced by local families, especially children and vulnerable groups.
After finishing high school, Josh entered the tourism sector where he became a boat captain. Deeply connected to his community, he has spent years guiding visitors across one of East Africa’s most beautiful landscapes, using part of his income to support nearby communities. He has worked closely with school children, the Batwa communities, and other vulnerable groups, offering assistance wherever he could. But the needs were greater than what he could provide alone.
Inspired by a vision to create a larger, sustainable community project designed entirely for the betterment of the local community and environment, Josh founded the Goat Train Project. The project focuses on education, clothing and bedding, swimming lessons, environmental conservation, sustainable construction and health initiatives. With land already secured for volunteer accommodation, a library, community facilities, and a safe swimming area, the project is becoming a growing hub for meaningful impact and connection.
The Goat Train Project is based on Lake Bunyonyi in southwestern Uganda, near the border with Rwanda. The lake is just a few hours from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home to one of the last remaining populations of wild mountain gorillas on earth.
Back in early 2022, Josh met Rupert from England, and together they made a decision to cancel the rest of the trip and buy 50 goats for the local Batwa community instead.
A goat was given to each family in this indigenous community, who were displaced from the rainforest and their traditional hunter-gatherer way of life, and are now landless – farming neighbouring land for barely enough income to get by. The goats were given to raise, breed, and eventually sell, offering a more sustainable source of support alongside their daily work.
What started as a straightforward idea, quickly became a far greater logistical challenge, resulting in over a week of tracking down every person in the area with a goat to sell, arranging where to hold them and how to transport them.
On the day of the handover, they made two journeys by boat carrying 25 goats at a time, arriving to an unforgettable reception of songs and dance. The boat they used became known as the “Goat Train” and the moment became the foundation, the symbol, and the beginning of the work Josh continues to build on the ground today.
Josh envisions a thriving hub on the shores of Lake Bunyonyi, where volunteers from around the world come together to teach, offer swimming lessons, support community initiatives, and help conserve the local environment.
Building work is already underway for volunteer accommodation with facilities, a community library and education space, and a safe swimming area. Crafted entirely from natural materials, the completed site will be a place where knowledge, skills, and opportunity can flourish. It will empower local communities, protect cultural heritage, and inspire lasting change – a legacy that will benefit generations to come.
Your gift doesn’t just help, it directly transforms lives on the ground, creating opportunities, building futures, and changing the story for children and families across the region.