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Kenyan learning dairy business in North DakotaHANNOVER, N.D. (AP)--Nancy Kericho put her two daughters in boarding school and left Kenya to learn the dairy business here. After six months, she is half done with her internship through Global Cow Ltd., at the Ole and Jessica Johnson dairy farm in Oliver County. Kericho, 30, hopes that working in North Dakota will improve her skills in animal husbandry. She said she needs skills that are valuable back home, so she can support her daughters, who are 11 and 12. Kericho was running a small artificial insemination service in Kenya. "I made some money, but not much," she said. Kericho said she couldn't see a future for herself, even though she has two years of animal husbandry training from college. "I could see the only way was to employ myself to take care of myself and my children," she said. She applied to Global Cow, which places about 100 people a year from undeveloped countries. Global Cow was started as an international learning program 40 years ago by the Holstein industry and is sponsored through California Polytechnic State University. Kericho came up with $650 for the program costs and $1,700 for an airplane ticket to North Dakota. Kericho is paid $6.25 an hour and provided with a place to live at the Johnson's. She said she would like to continue her studies when she gets back home in Kenya, to become a veterinarian. Kericho said she likes the work and the Johnsons, who moved to North Dakota from Washington three years ago, with their 10 children. The Johnson's have 245 dairy cows and 250 animals for stock and beef sales. Ole Johnson says the best part of bringing in Kericho is the chance to be a teacher. He said he teaches Kericho everything he can. She uses the computer that maintains individual cow production records. At a glance, she noticed No. 852 was slacking off with less than 5 pounds of milk that morning and was acting ornery. "We call her 'hamburger,'" Kericho said. Johnson also has hosted people from Peru and Hungary as part of the Global Cow program. "We learn from each of them," Johnson said. He is impressed by their courage to leave all they know to come to his farm. "It's been a huge adjustment for Nancy," Johnson said. "I can only imagine what she's gone through." Date: 12/21/06
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