Nepal making headway to improve livelihood in rural areas
ACHHAM -The Government of Nepal has mobilized funds received Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) to improve the food security and livelihoods of the people in the hills and mountains of the Far and Midwest regions of Nepal.
The most of the people of hilly and mountainous districts of Far and Midwest regions of Nepal are facing problems to make their both ends meet because of off-season unemployment. A large of number men move to southern plains of Nepal and different places of India in search of work leaving behind their women at home to shoulder the household responsibilities.
Jashu Rana, 35 year woman of Kuntabandali VDC in Achham district, is facing the same situation like most of the women of the district. After her husband left home for India in search of work, she was toiling hard to look after her 4 sons aged between 5 to 15 years. Cattle rearing was the only source of income of Jashu. She had an old shed where goats were kept along with cows and buffaloes. She used to keep 8-10 goats. Because of lack of knowledge on goat rearing, her 4-6 goats died every year. The loss made her anxious. She thought of giving up goat rearing.
In April, 2016, Jashu heard about Farmer Field School to be conducted in her village by Agriculture and Food Security Project (AFSP) with the technical assistance of FAO. In collaboration with District Livestock Service Office (DLSO) of Achham, AFSP helped the villagers to form Workali Women Goat Rearing Reform Group (WWGRRG), which is a women group of the farmers having 25 rural women as its members. Jashu was also enrolled in the Group as a member. AFSP conducted Farmers Field School (FFS) on goat rearing for the members of the Group. FFS on goat rearing was conducted for a period of 15 months to provide training to the 25 members of the Group on goat rearing.
During the training, AFSP distributed grants to the members of the Group to construct improved sheds for goat rearing. The Group members also received forage and fodder seeds. Awareness on Peste des petits ruminants (PPR), also known as sheep and goat plague, is another important knowledge the Group received during the training.
For the first time in her life, Jashu witnessed vaccination of goats in the village to control PPR. She constructed the improved goat shed after receiving grants from the project. Improved process of goat rearing that she learnt in the FFS proved to be a boon to her. Jeshu regained her confidence to keep up goat rearing.
According to Dr Mahesh Prasad Shreevastav, the District Technical Officer (Livestock) of AFSP, Jashu and the members of the WWGRRG learnt techniques to keep their goats healthy. Currently, she has 30 goats and earns NPR 70 000 per year from goat rearing. FFS proved be a powerful medium in the process of empowering rural women.
Encouraged by her success she achieved within a year, Jashu says that she is planning to go for commercial goat rearing by upscaling her current status as a small holder.