Goats mended her life…

Asha Pendur with her goats

Asha Pendur got married and went to Kalamb. She had dreams in her eyes to savour life with her life partner. Time started moving where adversities followed her. Due to domestic problems her in-laws compelled her along with their family to leave the house.  They thought that it was better to leave house and go rather than be obliged and lose self-respect.

She came back to her parents in Shivara. Her old parents received them with compassion and offered them a place to stay. At that time they did not have a single penny to purchase asset or land. Her husband started going for odd jobs. They saved some money and took some money from IRDP as loan to purchase goats. 

It was a hard time for her to meet both the ends meet. She became dependent on her parents who never complaint. Her parents had 4 extra mouths to feed. Her parents mortgaged farm partially. Now Goatry brought some relief to the family. She again took loan and bought goat. 
  

Now she started doing well. She was in a position to contribute to domestic expenses. Gradually she started accumulating money bit by bit. In the meantime she lost her parents. She secured back her mortgaged farm. She also bought new land. Her total holding was 4 ½ acre. 

She became member of SHG named Laxmi and saved Rs.50/month. Her husband became member of SVM. She took subsidy of Rs.1400 from SVM’s revolving fund in 2010 and added Rs.1000 from her petty cash. She bought another goat. Today that goat has 2 kids. She earns Rs. 2500/ kid every 6 months. The cost of he-goat is Rs.4000 each. She-goats are kept and he-goat is sold to butcher. This season she earned Rs.9500/ in span of 6 months from these goats.

She cultivates cotton, jowar, redgram, moong and soyabean in her farm. But hers is un-irrigated rain fed farm. She earns a very little profit which is sufficient only for meeting daily needs of the family. Now her children are growing. Her daughter cleared the entrance exam of nursing and money was required to pay her fees. It was her goatry business which helped in paying her daughter’s fees. 

Her son would clear his HSC exams this year. She would definitely be in a position to pay his fees too. She is very hopeful about this business. While sharing her views she said,”we were happy to be shortlisted as the beneficiaries of this project. The major benefit was agricultural help that we got from SVM. It taught us organic farming. Till now we were in to chemical farming only. Due to training and sheti shala (Livelihood literacy class) our farming concept is totally changed and we applied LIESA technique which reduces is less cost intensive and profit was more. We availed the subsidy for purchasing goat and it helped me in paying my daughter’s fees. My children’s’ education will now be possible without taking loan. In fact, after 2010 we have not availed loan on agriculture from private money lender either. This project has made me self sufficient. Life is always been a challenge to me. Today I have become triumphant.”

(A Case Study of Asha Pendur, Village : Shivara, Organization: ISER)