GOAT REARING TO SUPPORT WOMEN-LED BUSINESSES
In Bundelkhand, seasonal droughts brought on by climate change have ravaged communities that are entirely dependent on rain-fed agriculture. With a generous grant from the Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation, Asia Initiatives partnered with Parmarth Samaj Sevi Sansthan to offer low interest loans to participants to purchase goats. Women earn SoCCs by participating in village cleanliness drives, re-enrolling school drop-outs, planting trees around water sources and organizing and attend reproductive health sessions that they redeem for low-interest goat loans. The funds recovered from the loans have been used to initiate a microcredit program, where the loans revolve within the community through Self Help Group bank accounts.
Goats are incredibly useful. They supplement agricultural income, their milk can be sold for extra income and used to improve the nutrition of families themselves, and goat kids can also be sold at the market. The SoCCs for Goat Rearing project has eliminated forced seasonal migration due to drought and improved holistic wellbeing among participants.
Jasoda, was among the first to take advantage of this opportunity when the SoCC program was initiated in her village. She received a loan to purchase three goats, and now has three goat kids. She participated in SHG meetings and activities. A beaming Jasoda says, “The program is a boon for me as I don’t have to go to cities any more for labour. I am hopeful to have good income by selling goat kids and this business will help me to bear the expenses of the education of my children. Their future is secure and so is mine.”
INITIATIVES
Micro Credits & Livelihood
LOCATION: Bundelkhand, India
LOCAL PARTNERS: Parmarth Samaj Sevi Sansthan
PROJECT FEATURES:
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Grant through Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation
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Women who participate in community meetings, financial literacy classes and participate in SHGs get SoCCs which can go towards low interest loans to purchase Goats and start a micro business
This is a multiyear project, to learn more select year program:
This project contributes to 7 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
YEAR 1
PROJECT FEATURES, YEAR 1:
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We received a grant from the Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation to support goat rearing for marginal income and landless women farmers in Bundelkhand, India.
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By the end of the first year, 70 fewer families are living below the poverty line
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Initial target to be reached was 70 women
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Women who participate in community meetings, financial literacy classes and participate in SHGs get SoCCs which can go towards low interest loans to purchase Goats and start a micro business.
In Bundelkhand, seasonal droughts brought on by climate change have ravaged communities that are entirely dependent on rain-fed agriculture. With a generous grant from the Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation, Asia Initiatives partnered with Parmarth Samaj Sevi Sansthan to offer low interest loans to participants to purchase goats. Women earn SoCCs by participating in village cleanliness drives, re-enrolling school drop-outs, planting trees around water sources and organizing and attend reproductive health sessions that they redeem for low-interest goat loans. The funds recovered from the loans have been used to initiate a microcredit program, where the loans revolve within the community through Self Help Group bank accounts.
Goats are incredibly useful. They supplement agricultural income, their milk can be sold for extra income and used to improve the nutrition of families themselves, and goat kids can also be sold at the market. The SoCCs for Goat Rearing project has eliminated forced seasonal migration due to drought and improved holistic wellbeing among participants.
YEAR 2
In Bundelkhand, seasonal droughts brought on by climate change have ravaged communities that are entirely dependent on rain-fed agriculture. With a generous grant from the Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation, Asia Initiatives partnered with Parmarth Samaj Sevi Sansthan to offer low interest loans to participants to purchase goats. Women earn SoCCs by participating in village cleanliness drives, re-enrolling school drop-outs, planting trees around water sources and organizing and attend reproductive health sessions that they redeem for low-interest goat loans. The funds recovered from the loans have been used to initiate a microcredit program, where the loans revolve within the community through Self Help Group bank accounts.
Goats are incredibly useful. They supplement agricultural income, their milk can be sold for extra income and used to improve the nutrition of families themselves, and goat kids can also be sold at the market. The SoCCs for Goat Rearing project has eliminated forced seasonal migration due to drought and improved holistic wellbeing among participants.
PROJECT FEATURES, YEAR 2:
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70+ women have been signed up as participants.
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Under the program, these women have been supported with 3 goats through project and 1 goat will purchase by respective beneficiaries.
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Within 18 months each woman beneficiary will return total 8 goats (with min. age 6 months) to Self Help Group and these goats will further distributed to other identified beneficiary.
YEAR 3
In Bundelkhand, seasonal droughts brought on by climate change have ravaged communities that are entirely dependent on rain-fed agriculture. With a generous grant from the Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation, Asia Initiatives partnered with Parmarth Samaj Sevi Sansthan to offer low interest loans to participants to purchase goats. Women earn SoCCs by participating in village cleanliness drives, re-enrolling school drop-outs, planting trees around water sources and organizing and attend reproductive health sessions that they redeem for low-interest goat loans. The funds recovered from the loans have been used to initiate a microcredit program, where the loans revolve within the community through Self Help Group bank accounts.
Goats are incredibly useful. They supplement agricultural income, their milk can be sold for extra income and used to improve the nutrition of families themselves, and goat kids can also be sold at the market. The SoCCs for Goat Rearing project has eliminated forced seasonal migration due to drought and improved holistic wellbeing among participants.
PROJECT FEATURES, YEAR 3:
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110 women received loans for goat-rearing
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AI expanded its work with Parmarth Samaj Sevi Sansthan to increase the number of women and families supported from 70 to 155.
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Lately, farmer suicides have skyrocketed, making the need for a secondary livelihood in place of farming critical. As a result, we have designed a SoCCs program focused on women empowerment with the goal of providing an alternative livelihood, while simultaneously increasing income potential.
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One hundred fifty-five women earn SoCCs by participating in community welfare initiatives and can redeem SoCCs for micro credit loans to purchase and rear goats.
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The goats have already produced 321 offspring, further supporting a sustainable livelihood.