HYDERABAD: Speakers at a workshop appreciated the role of community livestock extension workers (CLEWs) in Thar who have taken responsibility to provide services to livestock holders and families who need their assistance.

The 22-day training workshop got under way on Monday. It has been organised by the Thardeep Rural Development Programme (TRDP) in collaboration with the Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) Tandojam.

Sixty-five CLEWs would be imparted training, including 12 women from four union councils of Umerkot, mainly in the desert areas.

Dr Khadim Lakhair, a former district health officer (DHO) and TRDP’s member board of directors (BoD), said that vaccination programme for human population was under way. He said that while polio vaccination saved hundreds of lives, the drive to vaccinate livestock might achieve 100pc results to save animals, which contributed heavily to the rural economy.

He said livestock was the main source of livelihood for communities living in the desert region as they were dependent on rains. In case of delay or failure of rains, such people faced problems to feed their animals because of arid condition.

Provincial coordinator of a German NGO, World Without Hunger (WWH), Sarwan Baloch, said Thari people had folk wisdom to diagnose ailments in animals and suggested treatment on their own. But, he said, the provincial government had limited services in livestock extension to help the rural communities.

Mr Lakhair said livestock was source of milk and meat to maintain nutrition level among people.

Prof Mohammad Ismail Kumbhar of SAU said that training of workers might lead to an end to poverty because CLEWs would be able to earn through their skill to adopt treatment methods, scientifically. They were capable to vaccinate, conduct surgery and other methods, he said. He said those workers might adopt business plans in livestock field which could be profitable. They might understand situation, weight, size and age of animals for successful business models, he added.

Sumera Manjhand, project manager of ‘Strengthening Food Security Resilience by Adapting Climate Change through Multi-level Approach’ said they selected participants as per criteria for training. Mostly, she said, they could diagnose diseases and suggest treatment for animals.

She said CLEWs could help herders not only in their villages, but in the neighbouring villages. Those workers could transfer that knowledge to others nearby. She said they had formed village organisations (VOs) to help each other at doorsteps. She said that after exposure visits of three cattle farms in Umerkot and Hyderabad, CLEWs learnt farm management, feed mechanism, milking process and pasture management.

Sarwan Bheel, a livestock extension worker, shared how he was able to apply methods on his own to diagnose disease and treat animals. He said: “We got opportunity to learn these methods, like farm management, hygiene, feeding and vaccination to save our own animals.”

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2020