Animal Breeding Project – October 2024

In October 2024, we travelled to the southern provinces of Nepal as part of our animal breeding project.
The regions we visited are located in the hot, humid lowlands near the tropics. This landscape is characterised by vast plains, scattered villages and a climate that is challenging for both humans and animals. Living conditions there are very simple, and many of the families we visited live in extremely modest circumstances, often far away from reliable infrastructure.

During our trip, we visited several villages where families who had previously received support from our project live. This support took two forms: firstly, the provision of livestock – mainly goats, cows and chickens – with the aim of providing the families with a sustainable source of income and food. Secondly, through construction measures such as the erection of small stables or the improvement of shelters, which enable the animals to be kept even during the rainy monsoon season.

In conversations with the villagers, their gratitude was clearly evident. Many reported that the support had enabled them to significantly improve their previously precarious living situation. Families who previously struggled to obtain sufficient food or income now have the opportunity to use milk, eggs or meat themselves or sell them at local markets. With their first earnings, some families were able to purchase necessary everyday goods or carry out small repairs to their homes.

It was particularly impressive to observe that even small, targeted assistance can have a lasting effect. Where hopelessness and a lack of prospects previously dominated, there is now a sense of independence and confidence. The project thus not only contributes to the immediate improvement of living conditions, but also creates the basis for the long-term, self-determined economic development of the families.

The experiences of this trip have once again highlighted how important it is to support rural communities not only on an ad hoc basis, but with a sustainable approach. The combination of material aid, knowledge transfer and practical support has proven effective in achieving long-term stabilisation of living conditions.