SERP trains 2,359 SHG women as Pashumitras

Hyderabad: The Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) has trained 2,359 self help group women and positioned them as Pashumitras, which is purely a self-employment programme.

Livestock (Dairy /Goat & Sheep/Backyard poultry) is a critical source of livelihood for rural poor especially women in Telangana. Telangana State is bestowed with abundant livestock resources giving employment to most vulnerable rural households largely landless, marginal farmers particularly to the SC and ST communities. However, poor farmers were not getting desired production levels from their livestock due to lack of knowledge of improved management practices both in feeding and breeding areas and also there is a serious gap in availability of veterinary services.

As part of livelihood intervention, SERP has been promoting livestock based livelihoods under State and Central projects in rural areas with an objective to empower SHG women and to create additional & sustainable income to SHG women of PoP, SC and ST families with essential backward & forward linkages (Small Ruminant Value Chain).

Accordingly, SERP has conducted training programmes on First Aid Veterinary Health services to the interested SHG members with minimum educational qualification 10th class and trained 2,359 SHG women. they are not being paid any honorarium by the SERP. According to the officials, this year 2022-23 SERP has planned to give training to 1,250 SHG women from villages identified by TSLDA where there is no availability of minimum veterinary health services. Now, SERP has started six days training to SHG women with 60 members per batch on First Aid Veterinary Services.

Training classes would be taken up by the faculty of concerned subjects and also subject matter specialists from the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department. The cost of the training per candidate is Rs.7,500. Supply of bags with medicines and equipment kit is Rs. 2,500. The certificate would be issued to the Pashumitras after completion of the training.