Maharashtra's 'Goat Bank' Makes Disaster-Hit Families Financially Secure in 6 Districts

Disha Sanstha, an NGO introduced 'Goat Bank' initiative three years back to help crime victims and families hit by disasters to become financially independent. The organisation gives one or two goats to a family for rearing and the first kid born to a goat is returned to the NGO. Thereafter this kid is given to another family.

Amravati (Maharashtra):An NGO in Maharashtra has made around 60 devastated families of Nagpur, Yavatmal, Hingoli, Parbhani, Nanded and Amravati districts financially secure through an innovative 'Goat Bank' initiative.

Under the scheme, families are given one or two goats to rear. Down the line, these families no longer need to work as daily labourers or search for work. Instead they raise these goats for their livelihood.

Amravati-based Praveen Khandappasole and Jyoti Khandpasole who set up Disha Sanstha, said that the scheme is aimed at helping the disaster-hit families or crime victims to become financially independent.

After studying the deplorable condition of families during the Covid-19 pandemic, Disha Sanstha came up with the 'Goat Bank' initiative. "The families raise the goats and the first kid of the goat is returned to the organisation. This new member is handed over to another family. Many families manage around Rs 6,000 a month by rearing goats," Praveen Khandpasole, head of Disha Sansthan said.

"The initiative gives a new ray of hope to those who have nothing. The 'Goat Bank' is in place for the last three years and till now, 60 families have been given one or two goats. Presently, many of these families have raised their goat strength to 17 or 18 from one or two. These families have got a new way to become financially empowered," Khandpasole said.

"Originally we started with helping the crime victims get justice but later we thought of a way to make them self-reliant and came up with the concept of 'Goat Bank'. Providing a token financial aid never works since the family needs a way to make a living for survival. We are helping to make them financially secure," Jyoti Khandpasole of Disha Sanstha said.

Disha Sanstha has given goats to 15 crime victim families in Amravati, 22 families in Yavatmal district, 5 in Nagpur district, 12 in Hingoli district, 5 in Parbhani district and 7 in Nanded district. Jyoti Khandpasole said that another 350 families across these six districts will soon be given goats under this initiative.

Disha Sanstha was established in Amravati in 2009 but the organisation started functioning from 2010. This organisation also works to bring justice to destitute children and generates educational awareness among slum children.

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