Attaining financial security on International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
Jijabai Darade stands out as an excellent example of attaining financial security on International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
Jijabai Darade lives in Rameshwar village of Osmanabad district, Maharashtra. Her husband was a landless labourer, and after his death she was faced with raising her young children with no source of income. She attempted many different activities to earn a livelihood – including manual labour, opening a grocery shop, tailoring and farming by leasing land. However, she was unable to meet her daily expenses.
Jijabai was part of a Self-Help Group, where a fellow member associated with SSP urged her to try her hand at goat rearing. Borrowing money from her SHG, Jijabai bought one cow and ten goats. While she didn’t have the support of her family initially, after seeing her business grow and receiving a stable income to run the household, she is now viewed as a leader amongst both her family and the community. Jijabai became associated with SSP since 2019, after the Covid-19 pandemic pushed her into a difficult economic situation. She undertook various trainings from SSP related to animal husbandry and goat rearing.
Jijabai raises the Osmanabadi breed of goat, which is known for its taste and tenderness. At any given time, she has at least 30 goats on her farm. She also composts the animal waste to create organic manure, using it to increase productivity of her farm, which she still leases from her father. Her tailoring work also generates some income, which she has continued to do. In 2020, Jijabai joined a Farmers Producer Group (Tulja Bhavani Utpadak Shetkari Gath) facilitated by SSP, made up entirely of goat farmers. Through SSP’s support, they are being given loans and being linked to various markets to sell their goats.
Given her role as a leader of local women, Jijabai has also worked with Block level mentors to support in accessing government schemes related to animal husbandry. She received training from the government’s Animal Husbandry department on raising cows and goats, and now supports other women farmers in doing the same. After joining SSP, Jijabai has been able to support her family, with an average income of approximately Rs. 1,20,000 annually.
She now wishes to expand her business, and says “I want to scale up my practice by purchasing a mini-mill for pulse processing, and expand my reach to surrounding markets for greater sale of goats and other products”.
Swayam Shikshan Prayog
17th October, 2021