SustainableLivelihoodforWomen:

Goatrearingandarduplantation

(ProcessDocumentonsustainablelivelihoods

forwomeninvillagesofRajasthan)

Dr.AmitKumar

IsabelSofiaLopesAntunes

FinancedbySirDorabjiTataTrust(SDTT),Mumbai

KumarappaInstituteofGramSwaraj

Jaipur(Rajasthan)

2014

Copyright (2014)

All rights reserved.

Any part of this work may be translated or copied in any form, by any means, without writtenprior permission, as long as the source is properly acknowledged.

The views and interpretations expressed in this report are of the author's and do notnecessarily reflect those of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT).

Photographs:Amit Kumar, Hanuman Sahay Sharma

Authors: Dr.Amit Kumar, Isabel Sofia LopesAntunes

is Project Director with Kumarappa Institute of Gram Swaraj in Jaipur. Hehas been working in the field of rural development especially in water resource management,rural livelihoods and micro finance for more than 15 years.

is research scholar at Research Institute of Social Sciences,University of Coimbra, Portugal.

Published by:

B-190, University Marg, Bapu Nagar, Jaipur 302015

Rajasthan (India)

Phone: 91-141-2708695

Email: kigs_in@yahoo.com, kigs_in@rediffmail.com

Website: www.kigs.org

About theAuthors:

Dr.Amit Kumar

Ms. Isabel Sofia LopesAntunes

Kumarappa Institute of Gram Swaraj

Contents

Chapter 1 Background 4-7

Chapter 2 TheGoatProgram 8-21

Chapter 3 ArduPlantation 22-28

Chapter 4 Agriculture-GreenManureandother Initiatives 29-40

Chapter 5 Conclusion 41-43

Chapter 1

Sustainable Livelihood for Women's Cooperative Society and SHG

members

Background

The state of Rajasthan, especially in the villages, has been facing several problems

related to agriculture and farming. The unfertile and arid land along with the continued use of

poor agricultural techniques by the farmers makes this activity almost unprofitable. The

traditional way of doing farming is therefore outdated. There is a considerable hesitance in

implementing with new types of plantation, soil fertility etc. in the agriculture fields.

Insufficient productivity of the animal farming adds to the problem. The villagers don't have

access to information, or either knowledge to improve a good rear or to increase their

productivity (in terms of giving milk or other breeds). Agriculture is even though one of the

most important sources of income in the village's families, but as an industrial activity is

quite rare and uncommon.

In that context Kumarappa Institute of Gram Swaraj (KIGS) decided to take actions

and initiated a project with the aim to tackle the insufficiency of agriculture and animal

farming production, in order to create a sustainable livelihood for women.

Women have an important role in the family, although they have to face several

challenges: taking care of their children and the family and also to overcome their difficulties

to work outside home, along with the non-rights of owning property. For widows the

situation is even more difficult, as they don't have any other source of income. The only way

for them to deal with these problems is doing farming and animal husbandry in order to

increase their self-confidence and contributing in the family income.

The project

was thus prepared in consultation with the program staff of

(SDTT) which was based on natural resources, ecology, manpower, animal force etc.

available in the villages. Efforts were made to empower the Community Based

Organisations (CBOs) and Federation to demand services and schemes from the government

departments at their door steps. The project's aim was to make the best use of natural

resources and manpower, so as to achieve the goal of overall development of the area.

Kumarappa Institute of Gram Swaraj (KIGS) has been involved in promoting Self

Help Groups in Niwai block of Tonk district in Rajasthan from the last ten years. As a result

Sir Dorabji Tata

Trust

Building Local Partnership

of the great efforts put up by KIGS workers and members of the SHGs, these SHGs have now

formed a women cooperative society

, registered with the Cooperative Society office at Tonk on

March 31, 2010. This society is wholly owned and managed by women of the Niwai block.

Presently the society has about 975 members which are increasing continuously. This project

lasted for three years i.e. from April 2011 till March 2014. Along with the cooperative

society KIGS wants to highlight the importance of local ownership in order to: facilitate

empowerment of Gram Sabha (village council); to promote democracy and strengthen both

civil society and the security of the individual; to support full participation of women as

equal partners in the society and to strengthen the grassroots capacities by building

confidence, problem solving capacities, resilience and training for skills among local people.

This was a new initiative where all decisions and implementations are in the hands of rural

women and they need support in terms of information dissemination and training. Presently,

the members of the society are saving Rs. 100/200/500 per month as recurring deposit which

is given as loan to the members. The society has started livelihood initiatives through micro

finance and goat farming along with fodder plantation as one of its main component.

Similarly, programs of women empowerment and rural development are also being taken up.

The project is being implemented in nine villages of Niwai block in Tonk district and

its nearby hamlets covering about 700 families. The villages are situated within a radius of 15

km. from Niwai and are as follows:-

1. Sakatpura (Seendra Gram Panchayat)

2. Barodiya (Seendra Gram Panchayat)

3.Abhaipura (Khandwa Gram Panchayat)

4. Khandwa (Khandwa Gram Panchayat)

5. Nala (Khandwa Gram Panchayat)

6. Chikana (Khandewat Gram Panchayat)

7. Jhujharpura (Khandewat Gram Panchayat)

8. Damodarpura (Khandewat Gram Panchayat)

9. Hingotiya (Khandewat Gram Panchayat)

This project aims to increase food security and improve the socio-economic

conditions of the members of the Laxmi Nidhi Women Cooperative and SHGs through

interventions in goat farming and appropriate technology transfer in agriculture.

Laxmi Nidhi Primary Women Multipurpose

Cooperative Society Limited

Background 5F

It also wants to tackle the development and promotion of sustainable agriculture

practices for small and marginal women farmers and agro-forestry through fodder crop

demonstration and plantation of fodder trees in the project villages which are relevant,

affordable, ecological, sustainable and replicable. All this must be done by the women

cooperative society and CBOs in order to develop their skills, and empower them by linking

them with technical and financial institutions. It will prepare them to align themselves to

governmental projects and programs through advocacy and follow up. One of the aspects of

'advocacy' in this project was taken under MGNREGA framework. Women have

participated in different trainings such as: women leaders on CBO promotion and

management; women leaders on leadership development and women leaders on basic

functions of PRI, rights-based approach and RTI use.

Finally the project aims at documenting the advancement in learning and enables

them to share them for the replication and adoption at larger level.

In conclusion, this project wants to provide different avenues for agriculture (for

instance ardu plantation and goat rearing).

VillageMeetinginProgress

Background 6F

WomenCo-operativeSocietyMeetinginProgress

Background 7F

Chapter 2

TheGoatProgram

An Introduction to the Goat Program: The role of the Stakeholders

The importance of Sirohi rear in goat farming

Kumarappa Institute in the beginning of the project didn't have a prior experience of

goat farming. The Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) introduced them to The Goat Trust in

Lucknow to give them technical training. The technical expert and the Director of The Goat

Trust visited the project area to have an idea about the environment and the goats in the area.

After the field visit they were of the opinion that the quality of goats was good

enough and that there is no need to go outside the villages to buy Sirohi goats. This has saved

a lot of money and time which was used in purchasing more goats and improving the quality

of goats. The technical team of The Goat Trust has also given a practical training to the

selected in the villages.

The breed goat and buck are species native to Rajasthan, as referred by FAO.

This kind of rear is especially important as it provides a double source of income -

agricultural and animal (meat and milk). FAO does also recognize that this rear has a better

lactation even in severe weather conditions. In the Indian social context the goats can help

the provision of the livelihood and security for small farmers and to landless laborers, as it is

the case of most members of the women cooperative society.As Mahatma Gandhi stated, the

goat is Poor Man's Cow", as it used to be the only source of cash income for many families.

Therefore the goat has an overwhelming impact in rural India. It is also considered to b