|
| An example of a goat from the Give a Goat project by DanChurchAid. |
Two years down the line the goats are grassing, growing and breeding and helping single women and vulnerable families in rural India secure a source of income and a better nutrient food intake.
The goats are short and fair in Andhra Pradesh, but mostly black and with long hair in Rajasthan. Various localized weather and fodder conditions apply, making it very sensible to purchase only those types of goats already present in the area.
Giving out goats to single women
In India, giving goats to single women amounts to political activism. Single women are not recognized as family units by the government and have little access to government schemes, housing projects or public distribution system cards (PPS card) that secures access to discounted food items.
Most live alone because they are either widowed or abandoned by migrated or bigamist men. In India, women often marry older men in a young age - a cultural tradition making the prevalence of widows high.
Widows often find themselves socially excluded no matter if they are young or old. In traditional rural Indian communities re-marrying is generally frowned upon and the economic situation often turn very dire when the husband and family bread winner pass away.
More than 2.000 goats
Sahanivasa works in the state of Andhra Pradesh in Southeast India and have administered more than 2.000 goats since 2006. This rights-based organisation is one of three local partners of DanChurchAid facilitating that goats given by Danes reach those in need in India.
In order to mobilize ownership all potential goat receivers from one village are called together in a group. They are told how many goats are available and through discussion the women decide themselves who are more urgently in need for support. As the goats reproduce, all will eventually get one.
All implementing partners have a clause about passing on the very first offspring of the goats. Once the lambs are no longer dependent on milk, it can be sold or passed on to other vulnerable families or single women.
Giving out goats has provided all partner organisations with an opportunity to mobilize groups who are otherwise difficult to reach out to, explain DCA program officer Ravi Shankar Behara.
Stronger as a group
"In these groups single women get to talk about issues and burdens, which are normally kept private. Financial constrains, health problems, fears, solitude and social exclusion are amongst such issues. The partner gets a chance to educate the women about their rights and discuss ways to address their concerns," Ravi Shankar Behara explains.
The women pay 20 rupees a year to be members of Sahanivasa.
A total of 11 goats have been distributed in Mathuvari Palli, where 25-year old Saradha lives together with her two girls. The village has a total of 36 families. Most are Mala Dalits, a very low ranking group in the Hindu caste system still prevalent in India.
"After the meeting we made applications for housing, pensions and land. We are still waiting, but it is in process. Earlier when we went on our own we would never get it right. Now that we go collectively and with the backing of the NGO, the government will give us what we are entitled to, says Saradha.
When one female social worker from Sahanivasa came to 25-year old Saradha's village, 42 people signed up to become members. 24 were single women.
Desert goats
In the desert state of Rajasthan a different approach has been applied. Here five goats are given to poor families with many children living below the poverty line. Gita Devi is 25 years old and mother of four children. She and her husband live in a hamlet, next to the fields they cultivate. They do not own the land, but the five Marawara goats grassing near by are theirs now, bought six months back with the help of Society for Upliftment of Rural Poor (SURE). Gita Devi had saved 3.000 rupees and got a 6.000 rupees loan from the local NGO.
In order to borough money for the goats, families must agree to sell the first lamb at a nominal amount. This is done to ensure good care and a sense of ownership rather than charity.
Some money from goats sold at market price have to be put into a communal bank account. After one year interests will make it possible to buy new goats for other vulnerable families. This way the initiative is made sustainable and does not rely on continued funding from either DCA or SURE.
Goats secure a better nutrient food intake
| Give a Goat |
|---|
| The Give a Goat project is a fundraising initative by DanChurchAid, where companies or private individuals can donate livestock, crops or other items for the poorest in the areas where DCA works. Buy a goat on the danish subsite. |
The longhaired Marawara goats are appreciated for their wool and meat, but also provide milk and yoghurt, a nutritious addition to all too often poor diet.
As in Andhra Pradesh, the groups formed around goat husbandry are used as a point of departure for further rights-based learnings. During training sessions the goat beneficiaries are also informed about environmental issues such as controlled grassing, straw feeding and the use of local herbs for curing ills. Then the villagers avoid costly medicine if the goat falls sick.