INITIATIVES. When women in rural India turned Dr Dolittle

Attending to a sick cow in the middle of the night might not be everyone's cup of tea, but for Radhabai, from Nangli Megha village in Alwar, Rajasthan, the training in animal welfare and health practices came to her aid. Radhabai was part of a women's self-help group that received a six-day residential training as part of the Pashu Sakhi (animal friends) project in Rajasthan.

An initiative of the Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP), which is a consortium project of the Centre for Microfinance and six non-Government organisations (NGOs), the project aims at empowering women farmers, enhancing the household income in rural households by improving productivity in agriculture and livestock, and promoting sustainable livelihoods.

Pashu Sakhis have become lifesavers of livestock in the rural hinterland, says Malika Srivastava, Assistant Development Manager, Tata Trusts. Not only do they know most of the names of medicines to treat minor illnesses of livestock, these Pashu Sakhis tend to serve the community as animal doctors, earning a decent income in the bargain.

Many of the Pashu Sakhis have also become entrepreneurs by selling medicines for animals, cattle feed and nutrients. Most of them earn an extra Rs 3,000 per month to add to their household incomes.

Srivastava said these women entrepreneurs were slowly being recognised as service providers since they generated awareness and imparted knowledge about improved livestock rearing practices. Pashu Sakhis also tend to maintain vaccination records and monitor and report disease outbreaks. Most are linked to government veterinary hospitals and dispensaries in the area.

Noting that improved animal health and shelter, feed and fodder practices had brought about a reduction in animal mortality as well as savings on veterinary care costs, Srivastava added that better market rates were being realised on the sale of animals.

The Tata Trusts have co-funded the Pashu Sakhi Initiative under the MKSP through a grant of Rs 36.5 lakh from May 2013 till April 2016. The total project cost is estimated to be around Rs 1.32 crore. The MKSP project is a sub-component of the National Rural Livelihood Mission and is supported by the Ministry of Rural Development, the Tata Trusts, and US NGO Heifer International.

Not CSR

Speaking to BusinessLine , Srivastava said the Pashu Sakhi initiative was not a corporate social responsibility activity of Tata Group companies. "The Tata Trust is one of the oldest philanthropic institutions in the country. It was set up in 1932 by the founder of the Tata Group. Tata Sons is the main holding company," she said.

Noting that Tata Trusts extend grants for welfare activities, she added that support to individuals as well as to projects that fall in line with the larger vision are encouraged. Rural livelihood is a basic focus area of the Trust, which caters to "select, remote and underserved tribal pockets, where the issues are slightly different."

Srivastava said the Trust invests heavily in building capacities for women in rural pockets. For these women entrepreneurs, the experience gained in treating livestock helps, since it is an important asset and supplementary source of livelihood.

"Currently, 1.21 lakh women are part of the SHGs, and most have savings and a credit link with banks," she said. The agency has tried to focus on the livelihood enhancement of these women. "Veterinary medicines are not available in remote pockets. Most farmers don't even have purchasing power, but goats are crucial for the landless in Rajasthan. Each goat is like an ATM. Whenever there is any distress, it can be sold locally," Srivastava said, adding, "It is not just about bringing a good breed of goat or sheep, one has to sustain it. We ensure a support system in terms of healthcare."

Ensuring entrepreneurs

Stating that many women farmers have ended up becoming entrepreneurs, Srivastava said many SHGs have further formed into federations. "In Rajasthan, we work with 5-6 partners. Pashu Sakhi is part of an overall livelihood programme, where we improve the quality of life of rural households. We are keen to replicate this in other states," she said.

Even as there is huge scope to improve the per capita productivity of cattle in India, which is presently quite low as compared to other countries, ensuring more women entrepreneurs is also on the agenda.

Though the agency did train men to undertake the role of a Pashu Sakhi, they realised that there was a high turnover. "Rural areas have high migration. For more income, these men tend to move to cities. In the case of women though, we realised that whatever investment we made towards capacity building was not going to waste. It is also a source of additional income and women readily take to it," she said.

US NGO Heifer International, which also works in Bihar and Odisha, was instrumental in supporting the concept’s piloting in Alwar, Rajasthan in 2009. As the pilot got mainstreamed by May 2013, the Pashu Sakhis, besides preventive care, have also taken the lead in introducing new ideas such as artificial insemination.

Srivastava noted that the Tata Trusts are encouraged when some of their successful initiatives are adopted by mainstream development agencies for wider replication. Buoyed by the success of the Pashu Sakhi model, the Animal Husbandry Department in most districts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have launched their own Pashu Sakhi schemes, generating more women entrepreneurs.

COMMENT NOW