RANGPUR, Sept 08, 2025 (BSS) - Once, housewife Renu Bala was about to give up due to extreme poverty of her family. Her husband struggled to run the family on a tiny income. She could not even think about the education of her children.
 
However, Renu Bala, wife of Manoranjan Adhikari, has successfully taken her family out of the poverty cycle by breaking the chain of poverty by raising goats through goat farming in recent years. 
 
She is known as a self-reliant woman in village Panjar Bhanga on the banks of the Teesta River in Kawnia upazila of Rangpur district. 
 
Talking to BSS recently, Renu Bala said that in order to earn a living in her poor family, she bought two goats for Taka 4,000 after borrowing money from an NGO more than a decade ago and a local relative and started raising the goats. 
 
In the beginning, it was very difficult to manage food, medical treatment and care for the two goats with limited resources. 
 
Within a year, the goats gave birth to four kids. In this way, the number of goats continued increasing when she sold some of her goats and decided to start a goat farm.
 
But with strong morale and hard work, her farm gradually grew from those two goats. Now, in addition to 60 goats of four breeds, she has 12 cows, worth around Taka 13 lakh, on her farm, five of which have been giving milk. 
 
"At that time, on the advice of the Kawnia Upazila Department of Livestock, I bought Jamuna Pari, Toja Pari, Harian and Black Bengal goats and set up a farm using the matching method, with assistance of my husband and family members," Renu said.
 
She started cultivating hydroponic and Napier grass, which is excellent food for goats, in the fallow land next to her house, and continued meeting most of the goat's food needs with that grass. 
 
Also, she started feeding his goats jackfruit leaves collected from the village.
 
Renu Bala said, "I want to make the farm bigger if I get help from government or private organizations. Then, I will have the opportunity to raise more goats and provide work to my family as well as the people of the area."
 
??Local people Haripado Adhikari, Dulal Roy, Abdur Rahim, Sekendar Ali, Mahfuzar Rahman said that Renu Bala is now an inspiration to the women of the village and adjoining areas. 
 
Many women are now taking the initiative to raise goats following Renu Bala's footsteps. 
 
Ordinary housewives like her have now become an example of self-reliance through raising goats. 
 
??Aklima Khatun, who came to visit the farm from the nearby Pirgachha upazila, said, "I came to see Renu Bala's farm after hearing the news of her becoming self-reliant by building a goat farm. 
 
"There is a huge demand for goats in the local market round the year. The price is good too. Since goat farming is profitable, I took various farm suggestions from her and I will also set up a goat farm like her on my homestead," she said. 
 
?Kawnia Upazila Livestock Officer Dr ARM Al Mamun said, goats are a key factor in advancing the rural economy for a long time. With a little capital and proper care, families can become financially self-sufficient.
 
If women like Renu Bala are given proper training and support, it will have an impact on the rural economy of the entire area. 
 
"We have been regularly visiting the goat farm of Renu Bala, as well as providing necessary medicines and all kinds of advice for her further success in the future," he said.
 
To get the most out of goat farming, he advised all concerned to ensure their goats are vaccinated free of charge three times a year and to graze in an open environment.