Self-reliance thru' goat farming
The other village women of Panjonkhara in Gorapara union of Manikganj sadar upazila are taking a keen interest in the activities of fifty-year-old Selina Begum. Selina has carved out a financially better future for herself through rearing goats.
“I've just sold two goats,” she says, “for about Tk 20,000. I'm hoping to sell more very soon. Starting two years ago with a single goat, Selina currently has fourteen, worth around Tk 1.4 lakhs.
Selina found her entrepreneurial spirit in part through loneliness. Her 23-year-old son Badhon died some years ago and her only daughter Soma married last year. With husband Mosharraf Hossain employed at the Bangla Academy in Dhaka she often found herself in a quiet household, shared only with her mother-in-law Halima Begum.
“To start with I took a Tk 70,000 loan from NGO Muslim Aid Bangladesh,” she recalls. “With that I bought a piece of land and a goat. I take care of my livestock as well as I can, feeding them at home every day.” Selina says her success in building a flock from one goat has brought her great satisfaction.
Moreover, other ladies in the village are taking note. “I took an NGO loan two months ago to buy two goats of my own,” says neighbour Manowara Begum. “I am trying to look after them well, hoping within a year I can also have a goat farm. I have seen how goat husbandry can bring about a bright future.”
“I hope to take an NGO loan to buy two or three goats soon,” says another neighbour Nurnahar Begum. “I'm really interested in goat farming as a way to achieve economic self-reliance.”
According to district livestock officer Dr Md Forhadul Alam, goat husbandry is profitable in particular because goats give birth twice a year. “Goat milk is also very nutritious,” he says, “Skins are in good demand, even from abroad where goat skins are often used to make vanity bags. Goats are indeed a good way for a villager to become self-reliant. With proper animal care high profits can be expected.”
“We encourage women in particular to achieve economic autonomy through goat and cow rearing,” says Muslim Aid Bangladesh upazila branch manager Zahedul Islam. “We provide the loans and also advice on how to use the money wisely.” He notes that many women from Panjonkhara have expressed interest in loans to start goat husbandry projects.
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