A quick Google search will yield results with studies which indicate that no other single human activity has a bigger bearing on the planet than mass meat production. The world is divided in its stance on this issue. But, in the middle of this storm are some initiatives that are aiming at genuine organic meat production as well as the upliftment of communities associated with such projects. Child Fund India’s recent initiative Women Holistic Empowerment and Enhanced Livelihood (WHEEL) Impact Bond is a perfect amalgamation of the two goals.
The initiative, which began in 2016 in Madhya Pradesh, is now being launched in Maharashtra and aims at establishing micro-entrepreneurs in the remote areas of these states. The project was founded when members of Child Fund India were working with mothers and young women in the Jhabua hills and Dhar district. “These communities have been grappling with migration and the associated problems. Parents were forcing their newly married girls to go to cities and earn back the money spent on their marriage. Seeing the girls struggle, it was imperative that we launch a project. However, nothing seemed to work,” said Neelam Makhijani, CEO and country director, Child Fund India.
It is then that the team noticed how homegrown poultry was being used for personal consumption in two districts in MP. “It was of course for their personal consumption but we could see the potential for expansion,” said Makhijani. With a high demand for Kadaknath chicken meat, poultry became a viable option. The NGO built a shed for each woman and provided 100 chicks.
“Our research has shown that it is important to provide chicks that will survive. We make sure that these chicks are at least 21 days old. It is a delicate bird and a small infection can affect all of them,” she says. With a mix of Kadaknath and the traditional variety, groups of 20 women are formed and trained in poultry farming and basic mathematics. “We also look for an office bearer in the group, someone with better business acumen,” she said.
Talking about the funding, she shares, “As an NGO, we were looking at impact investing as there is already so much money that has gone into development but there is hardly any result visible. We are also aiming at getting investors who would be interested in buying the products.”
The project has also impacted the women positively and with the extra income, they are able to have a bigger say in their household matters as well as able to spend more on the education of their children, shares Makhijani. “We also had advocacy sessions with men and the cases of domestic violence have also come down with this project. It took a lot of effort to talk to the husbands and fathers-in-law, but it worked out slowly,” she says. Child Fund India works with children from the time of their birth till they attain the age of 24. It has been active across 15 states of India.