University of Agriculture Faisalabad Scientists Prof. Dr. Zafar Iqbal Qureshi and his team have successfully implemented model of poverty alleviation and women empowerment with the support of Turkish International Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TiKA) and this model can easily be replicated throughout the country under Prime Minister Program for poverty alleviation through distributing milking animals to poor rural families.
According to the details Faculty of Veterinary Sciences UAF team lead by Prof. Dr. Zafar Iqbal Qureshi initiated said program with the support of TiKA, Islamabad Pakistan by distributing newly cowed, healthy with normal reproductive tract cows to selected poor women farmers of Tehsil Samundari and Dijkot, most of selected women were widows.
The selected families were provided animal health care facility, vaccination and reproductive management support under the Project team, to provide services round the clock at farmers' doorstep. Resultantly poor families not only successfully raised their animals but multiplied after successful delivery process by the help of project management team.
Prof. Dr. Zafar Iqbal Qureshi, along with project management team visited Chak No. 470, 472, 480, 485 G.B. Samundari and Chak No. 270 R.B. Seema, 272 RB Kahna and 281 RB Khalil Pur on successful completion of project in various public meetings.
He said that Prime Minister Initiative for poverty alleviation through distributing cows and buffaloes as well as backyard poultry to the poor communities is step towards right direction and need of the hour. He maintained that UAF had successful model for Prime Minister Initiative and University can play its due role to materialize this program.
Prof. Dr. Zafar Iqbal Qureshi added that in the first phase with the help of TiKA, UAF team distributed a set of five milking beetle goats to each poor family and enabled them for self sustainability by uplifting their lives through selling of goats' milk and their progeny. He was of the view that an extensive effort was made to select real poor community and same parameters were adopted in second phase project where 30 cows with calves were distributed among real poor families in October 2018 and this project has been completed with lot of success stories.
Prof. Dr. Zafar Iqbal Qureshi, while addressing the concluding ceremony said that all animals will be owned permanently by temporarily selected owners. The owners of animals thanked the UAF and TiKA for providing them animals for uplifting their living.