Mrs. Sumiyati, Beneficiary of the Goat for Widows Program

At the end of April, Mrs. Setiawati as the coordinator of the Goats for Widows program carried out goat monitoring activities for members who were part of the program. This time he headed to Harapan Mulia Village, which can be reached in 35 minutes from Sukadana using a motorbike.

The Goats for Widows Program, which was established in 2009, aims to provide assistance to widowed mothers who are part of the most vulnerable community. This program provides an opportunity for widowed mothers to become more independent and have a livelihood that can support family life. Apart from getting a baby goat to care for, widowed mothers also receive training on checking goat health, care and cleanliness of goat pens, and treatment of goat diseases.

Mrs. Sumiyati, who is 60 years old, is one of the beneficiaries of the Goats for Natural Healthy and Sustainable Widows (ASRI) program since 2014 from Harapan Mulia Village. He said that the number of goats he currently has is eight, and one of them is currently about 5 months pregnant. He gave all his goats names and looked after them carefully with the help of his brothers. If the goat is sick, such as scabies, Mrs. Sumiyati will immediately contact Mrs. Setiawati so that it can be treated immediately. After treatment, he usually applies used oil to goats infected with scabies in the hope of reducing the itching.

During her eight years of caring for goats, Mrs. Sumiyati once experienced a bitter story, namely that her goat went missing for 2 days. When we searched near the mountain, it turned out that the goat had been attacked by a snake. Since then, Mrs. Sumiyati and her family have always been worried that at any time their other goats would also be attacked by snakes. Mrs. Sumiyati admitted that she was very happy and grateful to ASRI for helping her family economically through the goat program for widows. From selling goats three times, he was able to make improvements to the house, such as repairing the roof and buying other building materials. He also hopes that the goats he cares for will continue to develop and increase in number. "I hope to have 20 goats in the future," said Mrs. Sumiyati.