Rearing goats empower women in rural Bihar
Pashu sakhis such as Phulchun Devi of Jhitkahi village help women rear goats by offering various services as para-veterinarians
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Article Author: Rearing goats empower women in rural Bihar
Media Source: Vikalp Sangam (India)
Date: 7 July 2019
In India, the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme is implementing a women’s empowerment project named Mesha (meaning goat or sheep in Sanskrit) with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Aga Khan Foundation. The potential of small ruminants to empower poor communities is being capitalised only since the past…
In India, the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme is implementing a women’s empowerment project named Mesha (meaning goat or sheep in Sanskrit) with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Aga Khan Foundation. The potential of small ruminants to empower poor communities is being capitalised only since the past decade. The potential is more for women beneficiaries of Mesha, as the women not only take care of the goats, but also support their family financially when in crisis, with the income from goat rearing. In order to create increased awareness and provide goat related services on ground, a cadre of over 230 women para-veterinarians was developed across the villages. Trainings helped them not only to provide preventive veterinarian services, but also to charge for their services.