News

The kids are all right: How rural India’s ‘goat nurses’ help animals – and themselves

India is home to one-sixth of the world’s goat population. Although these creatures can be a critical source of income for families, poor access to veterinary services and owners’ limited knowledge of animal health led to high mortality and morbidity rates.

But results from one novel initiative indicate the tide may be turning. 

Why We Wrote This

A story focused on

In rural India, a goat is a valuable asset. For the women who have been trained to care for them, they’re also a path to greater dignity and respect.

The Pashu Sakhi, or “friend of the animal,” program works to fill gaps in veterinary care by transforming rural, semiliterate women into animal health care workers. With support from the Indian government, around 60,000 women across India have been trained to respond to medical emergencies and provide services like deworming and vaccination, leading to a spurt in goat populations in several states, say program coordinators. 

Goat mortality in the Jharkhand, for example, was once 50%; authorities now report that figure is below 15%.

Livestock owners pay a fixed sum for each service, and “goat nurses” also receive a small stipend from the government. But there’s a less tangible outcome, too – the building up of women’s self-esteem and independence. 

Basmati Devi says that being a wife was once her only identity. “People used to know me by my husband’s name,” she says. “Now they know me as a goat nurse, and it feels good.”

Dressed in a light-blue sari, Ritmani Devi cradles two black baby goats as she guides a flock of ducks toward its coop. The birds scurry between the legs of an older goat, quacking nonstop. 

A few years ago, this muddy yard was much less lively. Ritmani Devi’s goats would often die, she says, and the ones that survived weren’t very healthy. This was common here in the east Indian state of Jharkhand and throughout the country.

India is home to one-sixth of the world’s goat population. A goat is a valuable asset for a low-income family, ready to be sold at a moment’s notice in case of emergencies. But with owners lacking basic animal health knowledge, that’s all they were – a one-time, last-ditch safety net, rather than an alternative stream of income. Plus, poor access to veterinary services led to high mortality and morbidity rates among goats.

Why We Wrote This

A story focused on

In rural India, a goat is a valuable asset. For the women who have been trained to care for them, they’re also a path to greater dignity and respect.

Now, results from one novel initiative that began a decade ago indicate the tide may be turning. The Pashu Sakhi, or “friend of the animal,” program works to fill gaps in veterinary care by transforming rural, semiliterate women into community animal health care workers, or “goat nurses.” With support from the Indian government, the World Bank, the Gates Foundation, and others, around 60,000 women across India have been trained to provide services like vaccination and deworming, leading to a spurt in goat populations in several states. They are paid for the care they provide, and gain a sense of pride and independence. 

For Basmati Devi – who is not related to Ritmani Devi, but like many women in Jharkhand uses Devi (meaning “goddess”) like a surname – being a wife was once her only identity. “People used to know me by my husband’s name,” she says. “Now they know me as a goat nurse, and it feels good.”

Goat nurses to the rescue

At the community hall near Ritmani Devi’s home in Getalsud village, the walls are painted with training material, including illustrations of common symptoms to look out for, like swelling under the animal’s mouth or pale eyes, and tips on how to negotiate better rates for goats in the market. 

Previous ArticleNext Article