Strengthening of Veterinary Field Units and Poultry Husbandry Program in Badghis Province
Donor / contractor |
AECID/TRAGSA |
Budget |
US$ 1,037,512 |
Period |
December 2008 – December 2010 |
Area |
Province Badghis |
The programme consists of two parts: one project to strengthen the veterinary field units and the other to distribute chickens to the poorest women in Badghis province.
Strengthening of veterinary field units
At the start of the programme, Badghis province had 25 veterinary field units with 28 active paravets. These VFUs were not performing very well on the one hand because of severe drought and the consequently high livestock mortality, and on the other hand because of the insufficient knowledge among farmers.
DCA-VET is training 12 paravets and 14 new veterinary field units will be established. Also a number of basic veterinary workers will be trained to reach the sparsely populated areas where no VFU is available. In addition, DCA-VET is working on improving the awareness of farmers, in order to convince them of the importance of the quality animal health services provided by a VFU.
A Provincial Veterinary Centre which contains a laboratory and storage for vaccines and medicines will be established which must serve as the focal veterinary place of the province.
Poultry project
This
project is aimed at the poorest women in Badghis province. 36,000 chickens will
be distributed among 1800 women (each will receive 20 chickens). The women will
also be supplied with chicken feed stock and materials to build a chicken coop.
They will be extensively trained in the caretaking of their chickens. The produced
eggs deliver an important source of proteins in the scarc
e
menu of the families involved. Also, the surplus of eggs can be sold and thus
provides the family an additional income.
Women join together to support each other. Within such a group of women they can exchange their experience in the caretaking of the chickens. They can also support each other in selling the eggs.
From each group one woman will be trained in the veterinary caretaking of the chickens. This woman then can perform the necessary vaccinations and give advice on caretaking and feeding of the chickens.
Premature ending of both projects
Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control the projects were stopped prematurely on the 3rd of April 2010.
Latest revision 23 June 2010