Heifer international model can benefit Mariyayee, a goat recipient from Tamilnadu Government.

Mariyayee is 52 years old poor rural women, (extreme right of the photo, the gray haired person). She is a widow and she has a son and daughter in-law with two grand children. This family lives in a simple hut, seen in this photo. Left to Mariyayee, her daughter-in-law 29 years old Amudha appears in this photo. The extreme rights, left to a girl child 45 years old Sarusu and her daughter in-law namely Saradha 27 years old are seen in this photo. In middle two men, the left the SEVAI Staff Devendran and the right the Panchayat President M.Prabakaran are seen in this photo. Mariyayee works and her 4 other family members are living in this hut. Her two grand children are going to local school. Her son and daughter –in-law are Agriculture labourers.Mariyayee is member of self help group promoted by SEVAI.The family gets meager wage. The meager wage of the family is not sufficient to send her grand children to school and run her family. The family members do not get regular agriculture labour works in this dry area of Musiri Block of Trichirappalli District. SEVAI staff Devendran met Mariyayee in the village women self help group meeting and discussed about an alternate livelihood. They approached the local President and Government authorities and got 4 goats to support Mariyayee’s family through Government grant. She is expected to be able to earn enough income through goat rearing. Mariyaee is able to multiply the goats by careful rearing and she can sell one goat for around Rs. 2500 after a year. Now the goats will multiply and she has a movable asset of Rs.10000. She is self pride and could spend enough time with her grand children and members of the family. The goat is a multi-purpose animal producing meat, milk, hide, fibre and manure. Mariyayee says that she can rear well her goats if she get detailed goat rearing training. In her village namely Manapalayam Cluster in Musiri 80 such Self help group member families received 4 goats each under the scheme of goats rearing.SEVAI Staff K.Devendran who got training under Heifer Project in the tsunami affected coastal area enlightened the goat recipients in Musiri Block and further said to the recipients of the goats” Goats have very few demands of housing and management. They hardly need separate housing and happily share their homes with their owners or his other livestock. Goats can be raised by landless agricultural labourers, ladies and children because they can thrive well on variety of leaves, shrubs, bushes, kitchen waste etc.       Goat farming can be a profitable occupation for a farmer and can fit well into mixed farming.       Goats are cheaper to maintain, easily available and have a friendly disposition. Goats are capable of adapting to various agro-climatic conditions ranging from arid dry to cold arid to hot humid.       Goats are more tolerant to hot climate than other farm animals. Goats suffer from fewer ailments than other large animals. Goats have got increased digestibility of crude fibre and can produce even on poor quality roughages. Goats give more production per unit of investment. Goats are smaller in size and have a younger slaughter age.   Goat meat has no religious taboo and is relished by all sections of society. Goat meat has less fat and is more in demand. Goats are called the foster mother of man, as their milk is considered better for human nutrition than other species of livestock. Goat milk is cheap, wholesome, easily digestible and nutritious. Goat milk is finer than cow milk i.e. the fats and proteins are present in a finer state and are more easily digestible, especially by children and invalids. Goat milk has lesser allergic problems than other species of livestock. Goat milk is used as a ayurvedic medicine for personas ailing with asthma, cough, diabetes etc.. Goat milk has higher buffering qualities and this enhances its value for patients suffering from peptic ulcers, liver dysfunction, jaundice, biliary disorders and other digestive problems.   Goat milk has higher phosphate content, which is beneficial for vegetarian communities. Goat milk has a higher content of B-complex vitamins. Goat milk is suitable for preparing various milk products. Goats can be milked as often as required, preventing milk storage problems and refrigeration costs.” K.Devendran further enlightened the 12 corner stones of Heifer stones for goat rearing for development of poor and needy population. –Govin