“The most significant change that happened in my life is that I received only two lactating sheep with 2 baby lambs in 2018 and now after two years, I own eight sheep and eight lambs”, said Khadija Hashemi, a farmer in Bamyan province.

Khadija Hashemi, 45, is a mother of eight children who lives in Parjoyak village of Yakawlang district together with her husband. Before she got any support through FAO, she mainly relied on her husband’s income – who is a smallholder farmer – to make a living. However, the income the family was making was not enough to cover even the basic needs of the family of 10 members. She always wanted to support her husband to improve the livelihoods of the family, however she didn’t get a chance to do so until she received a support through FAO’s Households Food and Livelihoods Security (HFLS) project. “Now that I have these sheep, I get 5-6 liters of milk every day; I use the milk for household consumption and sell the surplus milk to the neighbors”, says Khadija with a smile in her face. “This is a great source of income, and the money I earn through the sale of milk, I usually spend on my children’s education and daily household expenses”, adds Khadija happily. Khadija is also a member of the sheep rearing group in her village that is formed by HFLS project. “I eagerly participate in the meetings organized by the group as it helps me increase my social inclusion in the community and helps me build a strong relationship with other women in the community”, says Khadija confidently. “Being a member of this group also gives me the opportunity to exchange my experience with other women and learn new techniques on better livestock management”, adds Khadija with a pride in her face.

The HFLS project has targeted 1,200 most vulnerable women households in Bamyan through distribution of lactating sheep and lambs to improve their food security and nutrition. Thanks to the generous support provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), each vulnerable household received two lactating sheep and two lambs and 100 kg pure alfalfa, 20 kg wheat bran, and 20 kg de-oiled cake.  The project also provided four rounds of vaccination for the livestock provided. Further, the women also received training on better livestock management, such as training on identification and treatment of livestock common diseases, preparation of nutritious feed, and bran management. The project also facilitated the linkages of these women farmers with the government-run Veterinary Field Units (VFUs) for better livestock management practices and future support.

Bamyan has abundant pastureland and the province provides suitable space for rearing livestock. Majority of the people in this province therefore are involved in animal husbandry, mostly raising sheep and goat. While women in rural areas are the primary caretaker of livestock, they play an important role in managing the food security and nutrition of the households by keeping and rearing livestock.