'Give a Mum a Goat'
This pilot project (funded by Friends of Jeevika Trust) was started in late 2005 and is based in two villages near Agra, and close to the Central Institute for Research on Goats at Mathura who have provided technical guidance during the planning and implementation of the project.
Goats are often referred to as the 'poor man’s cow' - they are hardy and can survive in harsh conditions where sheep and cattle cannot, are easy and cheap to feed; they breed rapidly, are a great source of manure and give healthy and nutritious milk and meat.
We started by identifing a pilot group of 100 of the most vulnerable women in these villages to participate in the scheme. The scheme involves providing each woman with a female Jamnapuri goat (the breed recommended by the Institute as most suitable for the area) together with initial and follow-up training in goat-rearing and management.
Starting with just one female goat, each woman can build her own source of milk, manure, meat and money for the benefit of her family. Within a year she should be able to pass on her first female kid to another disadvantaged family, allowing this new start to help another household and so sustain and expand the scheme. After this she can keep or sell the kids and even build a small herd.
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Questions have recently been raised in the press about the suitability of goats to help disadvantaged rural communities. We consider that the watering, feeding and maintenance of goats in our projects are not only beneficial in many ways to the families selected, but are sustainable based on advice from the Central Institute for Research on Goats. We also ensure that money donated to Jeevika Trust for this scheme is applied directly through our sister organisation Schumacher Centre for Development in Delhi to the cost of purchasing goats and supplying training and support to the families. |
My husband was a labourer but he died three years ago. I have two sons and a daughter. My sons had t leave their studies to earn a living by doing daily wage jobs to look after the family. Thus my family was having a tough time for survival. During this time Schumacher Centre for Development came to the village to help women in my area. They distributed goats to the poor women of the village like me. This goat is pregnant now and I hope I will be able to earn some money by selling milk. My goat has given me a light in my life to live for.
Ratan Devi, Agra, Uttar Pradesh
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