Preeti Kumari is shattering stereotypes in rural Bihar, India at just 20 years old.
Faced with limited job prospects in an impoverished region that has low literacy rates and restrictive social norms — especially for women — Preeti’s prospects were bleak.
“I was either studying or taking care of domestic chores,” she said. “There was nothing else to do or expect from the future.” The determined young woman decided the only way to better herself was to start her own business.
And thanks to your generous Friends of Heifer® gifts, that’s exactly what she did.
Preeti joined Heifer’s Bihar Sustainable Livelihood Development Program, which provides training and support to the area’s women goat farmers.
Preeti learned how to best care for her goats so they would grow healthy and strong. She was taught how to apply first aid, how to vaccinate and deworm farm animals and how to identify and treat common diseases in livestock.
Preeti stresses how important this expertise is for farmers in her community.
"Producers do not know how and when to get their animals vaccinated," she said. "They often let them loose for grazing and scavenging, which causes parasite infection — and depletes their animals' health."
However, it was hard to convince Preeti’s elders to listen to her advice or consult her when their livestock needed medical care. "People often looked at me with apprehension, thinking how a young girl could train them and help them grow their business," Preeti said. "They often questioned my capability."
But with you and Heifer by her side, she persevered.
Preeti started meeting people in her village. She offered them preventive veterinary health care services and built awareness around animal health and production. All the while, she worked hard to enhance her skills. She also helped women strengthen their goat farms and scale their businesses.
Gradually, people started to recognize her work and seek her out.
“I started with earning 500-700 rupees in a month,” Preeti said. And with your ongoing support, she was able to buy a scooter to cover more villages and reach more producer households. This yielded healthier livestock for the region and better financial returns for Preeti.
"Today, I am taking care of almost 5,000 goats in three divisions and earning nearly 12,000 rupees a month," she said. That’s nearly three times the average per capita monthly income in Bihar.
She went a step further by helping farmers improve the quality of their livestock. Preeti reinvested her income and built a goat shelter that accommodates 60 to 70 goats.
"The farmers purchase the goats, they’re kept here for seven to eight days, vaccinated, dewormed and then sold to the rearers for breeding purposes," she said. "The offspring of these goats are then sold at the market."
From her goat enterprise, Preeti earns about 20,000-25,000 additional rupees a month, dramatically increasing her income. She also plans to open a store to sell quality seeds, animal feed and agricultural products.
With your support, you’ve helped Preeti excel in a place where she never thought she could. She’s become a respected advisor to local farmers and a dynamic business leader. She also advocates for engaging youth in farming — to help her peers find similar success.
Thanks to your generosity, Preeti’s journey is just getting started.
"Even when the Heifer project ends, I will continue to do what I am doing. I have learned skills that cannot be taken away from me, and I will keep using them to grow," she said.
As a caring Friend of Heifer, you are helping to create this kind of powerful change — in Bihar and around the world. You’re doing your part to end hunger and poverty … so women and families can have hopeful, self-sufficient lives.
Thank you for everything you make possible!
