Goatery Enterprise - A Lunching Pad for Income Generation: A Case Study of Tulsi Nari Sangh

This paper discusses the achievements of Tulsi Nari Sangh of Khajuria village in Orissa, India, which had the following features:

• Located in a remote area;
• Founded with the support of KRIBHCO;
• Initially formed to avail access to credit and saving;
• Had three literate and all married members.

The group functioned in the following way:

• Each member saved Rs.10 per month;
• Defaulters paid a fine;
• The rate of interest was five percent;
• The President and the Secretary were responsible for the record keeping and documentation.

As per the paper, the group:

• Assured a sustainable livelihood by:
  • Buying, multiplying and selling goats;
  • Using profits from the goatery business to develop dairy units;
  • Initiating agricultural diversification - green gram intercropping, potato farming and rice trading were some of the activities.
• Generated more income by:
  • Obtaining a contract from the Block Office to construct the village road;
  • Starting a coconut plantation;
  • Developing and selling an indigenous vitamin medicine for pregnant women;
  • Renting out agricultural equipment bought with the aid of KRIBCHO.

In conclusion, the paper states that:

• All income generating activities were possible because of the profits generated by the goatery business;
• The average annual income of each member increased by Rs.4,500;
• KRIBCHO contributed by providing grants, training, exposure visits and developing a focused orientation for the group.