[ad_1]
The cow has been a cultural and utilitarian animal in India for ages. It was considered even as a unit of wealth during the Rig Vedic days. But lately, the cow has acquired political capital. People have been killed in the name of protecting the cows. But the animal has a different story to tell of a country just across the Indian Ocean on a different continent. This country is Rwanda in Central Africa where Prime Minister Narendra Modi today offered 200 cows to the local population to support the Girinka program of Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
The cow is also revered in Rwanda and is considered the best gift for the Rwandan government. ambitious scheme. Called Girinka program, it was launched by President Kagame in 2006 to fight against poverty and child malnutrition, and improve the food, nutrition and financial security of the population. Girinka literally means "you have a cow".
According to the website of the Rwandan government dedicated to Girinka, the program aims to reduce child malnutrition rates and increase the incomes of poor farmers. . "These goals are achieved directly through increased access and consumption of milk, providing a heifer to poor households," says the Rwandan Ministry of Agriculture, which sets the objectives of the Girinka program.
Why the cow? [19659002LaculturingwasgoodforthefamilywithcowardsIntheRaddishRadianadditionisthemostprofessionalofthefamilyThewinehavebeenmodeledfromtheCharacterofthesocialstateofthecrownthatwasmildwinescakesandpeauxandbestfruitswhichaRwandaiswouldoffertoafellow
. the cows. But here the dowry is paid by the groom's family to the bride. Girinka itself dates back to a 17th century Rwandan king called, Mibambwe Gisanura, who decreed that "no child should ever miss daily milk". With that began the practice of donating cows in Rwanda. President Kagame revived Girinka in 2006.
Why now?
Like many other sub-Saharan countries, Rwanda has been a poor country. Low agricultural productivity and lack of industrial growth have been the biggest challenges in Rwanda. A significant number of rural families depend on subsistence farming on small farmland. This has led to widespread poverty and low income for farmers.
President Kagame launched the Girinka program to meet the country's basic needs, especially in rural areas facing critical food insecurity. Girinka has helped Rwanda reduce poverty through dairy farming and improving people's livelihoods. As a by-product of the Girinka program, Rwanda has seen increased use of bio-fertilizer, which has helped to combat the degradation of soil quality and erosion. The need for fodder for cows has led to the planting of herbs and trees, thus improving the environment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with villagers in Rweru, Rwanda, where he donated 200 cows under the Girinka program. (Photo: Twitter / @ narendramodi)
And, how does it work?
Under the program of the Girinka family, a poor household receives a cow of reproductive age. When the first female calf is born of the cow, it is given to a neighbor as a mark of fraternity and national solidarity. A beneficiary is selected at the village level in each district of Rwanda. The government is planning a budget for fodder, vaccination and other veterinary services, and artificial insemination.
Rwanda aims to move from a group of middle-income countries to a middle-income group in the next two years through the Girinka program. In order to distribute cows to 3,50,000 families, Rwanda had already provided heifers to about 2,50,000 families by June 2016.
According to the Rwandan government, the Girinka program promoted unity and reconciliation among Rwandans and brought the cultural principle of the country back into the focus. It is here that the cows connect to Rwanda with India. This explains why PM Modi decided to give 200 cows to local Rwandans.
See also | PM Modi Offers 200 Cows to Rwandan Residents
Source link
