The 401Goat Plan

Have you ever thought of adding a few goats to your retirement savings plan? The idea is not so crazy to some rural villagers in Dhuseni, Nepal.

Shyam Achhami, a talented mason, and his wife, Shanti, have worked hard throughout their adult lives. They have raised healthy children, and like most villagers, had hoped that their children would reciprocate by helping them in their old age. However, due to the lack of economic opportunities in the small village of Dhuseni, their children have left home in search of jobs, leaving Shyam and Shanti alone.

Now the older couple is having trouble procuring enough income to take care of themselves. Recently, they had to spend all of their savings to pay medical bills for Shanti, who became very sick.

Life seemed very bleak for this aging family. Once active and productive members of the community, both Shyam and Shanti were now burdened with age and financial woes. But now, there is a light at the end of this dark tunnel - or should we say there are goats! The village of Dhuseni, with the help of CHOICE Humanitarian, has begun a goat farming program.

Shyam, and 33 other families have now received loans to buy goats. Shyam drops off the goats in the jungle for grazing every morning and does household chores during the day. Shyam says, "I am happy to start goat farming. Now we will be able to secure funds for all the difficult times." They are so happy to be active again, working hard to support themselves.

Shyam with his goats.

Shyam's goats will multiply quickly as mothers give birth to twin kids every six months. This will give Shyam the ability to sell the baby goats for additional income and to repay his two year loan. Shyam will also receive goat farming training and be connected to experts with knowledge on goat nutrition and overall health.

With just a simple loan, these villagers are finding ways to alleviate poverty in their lives. What a beautiful example of how a small amount of support and training can make all the difference for an entire community! Thank you to all those who support CHOICE Humanitarian. To learn more about how you can help, visit http://choicehumanitarian.org.

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