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Community Assessment Report - Project Kamadhenu
Project Focus: Economic empowerment of underprivileged women in rural Karnataka through sustainable livestock support.
Geographic Area: Ramanagaram District, Karnataka, India
Background:
Rotary Bengaluru Ullal, though a newly chartered club (July 2023), has demonstrated remarkable initiative and commitment by executing service projects worth INR 30 lakhs (USD 35,000) in its inaugural year. One notable initiative was Project Kamadhenu, which provided 5 cows to economically disadvantaged women, leading to measurable improvements in household income and food security.
Identified Community Need:
During ongoing interactions with rural communities in Ramanagaram, the club identified a critical need for a stable, recurring income source among women-particularly single mothers. These women often lack access to conventional employment, land ownership, or credit facilities. Dairy livestock, specifically cows, offer a viable path to financial independence through milk production and related by-products such as cow dung for manure.
Proposed Intervention:
The project proposes to scale Kamadhenu by providing 50 cows to selected beneficiaries. A systematic field survey will be conducted to identify eligible women based on the following criteria:
• Single mothers or women-led households
• Lack of stable income source
• Willingness and basic capacity to care for livestock
Sustainability and Oversight:
Each cow will be selected with veterinary guidance to ensure health and early lactation. Milk will be channelled through registered milk federations to guarantee regular payments. Rotary Ullal will conduct post-distribution follow-ups to ensure animal welfare and provide basic animal husbandry training, supported by volunteer veterinarians who are also Rotarians.
Impact Expected:
• Direct economic upliftment of 50 families
• Improvement in nutrition and education outcomes within these households
• Empowerment of women as primary earners and decision-makers
• Community resilience through sustainable livelihood development
Community Involvement:
The project design is based on firsthand interaction and needs assessment in collaboration with local leaders and women's self-help groups. Continuous feedback will guide implementation, and beneficiaries will be involved in peer learning and monitoring.
Budget - each cow costs Rs 70,000 including Insurance. Hence the total project outlay is Rs 35,00,000 (Rupees thirty five lakhs only) equivalent to USD 41,176 (US Dollars forty one thousand one hundred seventy six only).
1 USD = Rs 85.
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