Laxmi’s family is landless. The small house she and her family live on is on government land. When she received two goats from Heifer it seems like she and her husband would no longer have to struggle to put food on the table for her son Bishal (8) and daughter Trishala (1). Things were so bad for the family that Bishal had to go live with his maternal uncle as Laxmi could not feed him. But things have been better than they expected.
A steady income from goats has enabled the family to lease a plot of land and grow crops. Half of this goes to the land owners but the half that remains gives the family something to rely on. Laxmi and her husband have planted mustard and lentils. The burms of the land have fodder growing in them for the goats. In the next few months the goat kids will be old enough to sell. The family lives comfortably for now, but there is much to do. Laxmi’s dream is to buy a plot of land in the same village. With Heifer’s inputs and training, Laxmi feels she can live her dream.
Editor’s note: This post is part of a series that follows the progress of specific families, starting at the beginning of their work with Heifer. Initially, this series will focus on our programs in Asia/South Pacific, where our colleagues have chosen one family in each region in the countries where we work and will bring us quarterly updates.
