Sustainable Development through Dairy Products for 50 Women from Rural Villages

Project location: India, Vallur Mandal, Kadapa District
Project start date: April 2009 - Project end date: March 2010
Project number: 2008-38
Beneficiary: Integrated Rural Women & Child Welfare Social Service Society

The Integrated Rural Women & Child Welfare Social Service Society (IRWCWSSS) is a non-governmental, non-profit making voluntary association, registered under societies Registration Act. XXI of 1860. Regd. No. 373/96. Registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. 1976. with Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi, Regd. No. 010160377.

 
The project cofunded by the Nando Peretti Foundation aims to provide 50 Milk Animals in order to improve the income level of 50 poor Christian Women in Valluru Mandal of Kadapa District, Andhra Pradesh State, India. Kadapa District was constantly submitted to drought in the past two decades. All the proposed beneficiaries come from scheduled castes (lower castes) and all of them are Christians. The natural resources for irrigation and industrial development are very limited. Most of the tanks and the streams in this area are have gone dry. The farmers irrigate only 30% of the land, with the limited water resources available and with the help of rainfall. Therefore, the availability of employment in agriculture is limited to 90 days per year only. Most of the men migrate far away to earn something to maintain their families.
The majority of people living in the target area are illiterates and still believe in superstitions. Although they are a great number, they are constrained to live at the borders of the villages. The richer upper castes live in the villages and enjoy all their amenities arbitrarily, such as the schools and the community wells. The lower castes' people are discriminated in using wells and the children are humiliated at schools by other students and teachers.
As mentioned above, there are no irrigation sources sufficient for cultivation. Therefore, the agriculture depends on rainfall, which alters from year to year. If the monsoon fails, the poor farmers are affected by serious drinking waters lack crisis.
To face these problems, the Team Members of IRWCWSSS approached the rural women and conducted a series of meetings with them to identify some way of alternative sustainable livelihood. After considering the women skills, it was decided to supply them with local available Milk Animals, i.e. buffalos, to increase their incomes. The women have knowledge of taking care of Milk Animals and the animals food is available in the lands around the villages.
The project aims to provide milk animals to 50 poor women in Vallur Mandal of Kadapa District, to offer them a self-employment opportunity and a regular resource and to provide similar help to the other women beneficiaries through the revolving of funds. 50 Milk animals will be purchased with the involvement of beneficiaries and a Veterinary Doctor in the neighbouring weekly animal markets. Short term training will be given to the beneficiaries in raising the milk animals, by the Veterinary Doctor.
The Organisation will arrange milk-marketing linkages among the beneficiaries, through Milk Collection Centres of Government and Private Milk Dairies, existing in most of the villages.
The Project Coordinator will regularly visit the villages and help in maintaining their accounts as well as their reimbursements to the Revolving fund.

With the help of collected Revolving fund, IRWCWSSS will provide financial help to purchase milk animals to them for replacement of old animals and to purchase new animals for the other beneficiaries. Hence, this grant will revolve and helps not only 50 beneficiaries but also others in future.
At present the beneficiaries earned Rs.50/- to Rs.70/- as agricultural labour. For implementation of this project they can earn Rs.137/- (Rs.4100 / 30 days) per day. Hence, this project helps them to increase their income levels almost double.
IRWCWSSS will collect Rs.50,000/- per each month to the Revolving fund. By utilising the Revolving fund, IRWCWSSS will purchase and distribute milk animals to 4 other poor women in the villages. So, by implementing this project, 50 women will be benefited directly at the beginning of the project and 100 women will be benefited at the end of the year.