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The South Asian Times | সাউথ এশিয়ান টাইমস

Women becoming self-reliant rearing goat in char areas in Kurigram

Laili Begum, Kurigram Correspondent.  

Published: 01:09, 26 March 2023

Women becoming self-reliant rearing goat in char areas in Kurigram

A total of 16 rivers including the Dharla, Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dudkumar, Gangadhar,Zinzeram and Sonavory are flowing in Kurigram district causing more than three hundred char and island char are situated here.
At present most of the rivers in the country including Kurigram have been losttheir navigability and become dried up. Fishes are also disappearing gradually.Goat rearing is gaining popularity in the vast tract areas of char as well as riverbasin of the rivers day by day. Men and women of riverside areas become eager to rear goats as it needs low cost but it is more profitable. Most of women are plyinga vital role to develop their respective family rearing goats.
One house wife Mazeda 18,mother of a son while her husband went away to aunknown place in search of work leaving his wife due to poverty she returned herfathers' house at JowanSatara area in the char areas of Teesta River in Kurigram.Most of the people of the char areas are poor and ultra-poor. They have to live on hand to mouth. There is no opportunity for self-reliant there. Sometimes they haveto work in the char land as an agriculture laborer with few wage. If she failed tomanage work several days passes taking half feed and without feed with her child.
In this situation, a Non-Government Organization named MJSKS funded by Rural Development Academy of the government started its activities in the char areas fordevelopment of marginal farmers as well as char people. The organization also dolinkage to get service with associate as well as various government serviceorganizations.
The house wife Mazeda received assistance from the NGO and bought a goat attaka four thousand only four years back. Meanwhile her goats increased at twelveat present. She got taka thirty thousand selling goats. Some varieties of her goatsgave birth three times in the year and per delivery she received 2 to 4 kids. Noadditional cost are needed for those kids except grass of char areas and it isprofitable, Mazeda said.
Many women like Mazeda changed their poverty and fate rearing goat in charareas. Josna Begum, a neighbor of Mazeda has 12 goats. Morium Begum has 9goats, Rabeya- 9, Kashem Ali- 8 Mofijal -8 and AbulHossain has 7 goats.Josna Begum told that we are rearing goats in raised up places with bamboo (masa)receiving training. We treat out goats in time for various diseases. High breedvariety of goats give birth 3-4 kids at a time.
AzadurRahman, husband of Sherina Begum in the same char told that our housesgo under flood water every year. Earlier the goats including other domestic animalsdied in the period of flood suffering from various diseases due to lack of dry placeand food. But now we are rearing goats in raised up places with bamboo (masa)receiving training. I have now 6 goats, 8 sheep and 6 cows. I may sale those if I amin need of money. Now we are better than previous times.
Pally Livestock Physician (quack) of that area Harunur Rashid said he receivedvarious training in this regard and gives advice and treatment to these rearinganimals in the char areas. The farmers are benefitting selecting high breed animalsand reproduction as per his suggestions, he added.
District Coordinator of SWISS CONTACT FarhadHossain told that the lifestyleamong the people of char areas have been changed in a large scale after we startedwork there. Mass job opportunities have been created in the char areas bycultivating and rearing animals. We also ensured as they will get the fare price oftheir produced crops including domestic animals.
Kurigram district acting livestock officer Dr. Mohammad Eunus Ali said there isno doubt that domestic animals of char areas are plying a vital role to fulfill thedemand of milk and other vitamins among the people of the district. We areworking with non-government organizations as all the service of the government toreach in the remote char areas. We provide all kinds of facilities about rearinglivestock, goat rearing, detecting disease and nursing, advice and treatment in the char areas , he added.
 

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