The Livestock Veterinarian
A story about stewarding God’s Creation
Farming is full of uncertainty. Agriculture requires rain, pastoralists need protection from illness, and farmers have to stay healthy enough to manage all of the above.
Being a farmer who focuses on only one aspect of farming can be risky if something happens. Somesh Bidika, aware of risks involved with single stream farming, decided to branch out to include livestock rearing.
Somesh has a passion for animals and always kept them around his house. In the past, when his animals got sick he would try to bring in a veterinarian from another town to help resolve the illness. However, this was an expensive practice—he had to pay for the vet’s travel, time, and any medications used. Beyond that, once the vet finally arrived, many times the animal was already dead.
Tearfund’s local partner in India recognized how precarious life was for the people in Somesh’s community, the Saura people. For years they had worked to teach new agricultural techniques and introduce saving groups to improve food security, but people like Somesh wanted to reduce risk and branch into new areas. Under the initiative of the community, Tearfund’s local partner developed a training on livestock and poultry management for farmers.
Somesh enjoyed the training immensely, soaking in as much knowledge as possible to bring back to implement on his own farm. The part he was most excited about was the session on Village Veterinarian Assistants, which trained selected people in the village on how to recognize certain diseases in animals and treat them. Since the training, Somesh has become actively involved in livestock management for his entire village.
“Now we no longer have to call a vet from another village because we are able to spot symptoms and treat them before our animals die.” Somesh’s life is forever changed because of generous donors like you!
