Women given goats to earn livelihood

Project initiated to address financial issues of rural masses

FAISALABAD: The University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) and Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) on Thursday distributed 37 goats among seven rural females under poverty alleviation programme.

The distribution ceremony was organised by the Department of theriogenology, UAF under a project funded by TIKA for women empowerment and poverty alleviation.



Speaking on the occasion, Theriogenology Department Chairperson Professor Dr Zafar Iqbal Qureshi said, “Majority of the population lives in the rural areas and depends on agriculture and livestock sectors. These people lack financial resources and guidance to generate their livelihood on permanent basis.”



The project was initiated to address financial issues of rural masses and to make them financially viable, he added. He said that 51% of the population of the country consists of women. “It is need of the hour to involve women in economic activities,” he remarked. As many as 75 rural women have been given five beetal goats so far under the project.

TIKA Deputy Programme Coordinator Ibrahim Katrici said that the project was meant to increase the income of women farmers that would result in reducing poverty.



Faculty of Veterinary Sciences former dean Professor Dr Laeeq Akbar Lodhi said that the project was initiated to empower womenfolk that would help alleviate poverty from the country. Initially the project is being run in Faisalabad and Samundri.

Earlier in November 2016, as many as 260 poor women of Kot Chatha District received sheeps and goats free of charge under the Punjab government’s Ghareeb Parwar Scheme. Around 520 animals were distributed among these women in a bid to develop livestock sector.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 13^th, 2017.