As a popular activity to help poor women the Cow and Roat Rearing Project was started in 2013. The project not only hand over cows and goats, the project, more importantly, provide a method of gaining benefits from the nurturing the animals. The woman with a cow or goat gives back the first calf to IIMC after the animals come to the maturity to be separated from their mothers. If the calf is female the project gives it to another woman who is in waiting list, and on the contrary, if the calf is male, it is sold off and the proceeds come to IIMC’s fund. Once this agreement is fulfilled, the woman owns the old cow and goat, and she would be enjoying the whole benefit comes from the animals for good. While we want cow and goat look after the economic benefit, we more importantly keen to see the milk comes from the cow and goat is consumed in the rearing family to fulfil nutrition requirement.

IIMC gives the possibility to poor women in remote villages to receive a cow or a goat, provided that the first calf is given back to the organization. In case the calf is female, this is passed on to other women in need. On the other
hand, if the calf is male, this is sold and the proceeds are directed to IIMC funds. Once the first calf is given back to IIMC, the woman-beneficiary has full powers on her cow or goat: successive calves can be kept or sold on the market; the animal is milked daily and the milk is generally used for consumption within the family. Any excess of the milk obtained every day is sold on the open market, and women are able to get from 30 to 40 Rs/lt, implying that the milking activity is very profitable for them. To date 110 cows and goats have been distributed to 55 different women. The project has proven to be very successful and the Women Peace Council team expects to increase the number of beneficiaries by approximately 20 women each year.