Enhancing Food Security, Nutrition and Poverty Reduction through Self Help Groups: An experience from Pakistan

In Pakistan, rural communities are increasingly affected by external influence and rapid change. The process has affected the economic situation and has change traditional cultures. Livelihoods opportunities are shrinking as population and land fragmentation increases. Many small farmers have no option but to migrate to the cities.
Indigenous poultry, can significantly contribute to farmers’ livelihoods through increased food security and cash income. In 2015, SPSD-Pakistan took an initiative to form 25 Women Self Help Groups in district Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. The objective was to build and develop a chain of Indigenous Chicken Cooperatives to eradicate poverty, enhance food security and nutrition.
A 3 days comprehensive training was given to the members of SHGs on Sustainable Livelihood Framework, Start and Improve Your business (SIYB) and Risk Coping mechanisms. Indigenous chicken rearing cooperatives have been the most successful in 25 villages of district Muzaffargarh, Pakistan. This is perfect example of SSE executed by the Women SHGs to implement the SDGs that serve the commercial objectives of a business, offering economic prosperity, as well as Food Security and nutrition.
The initiative can be scaled up at district level and national level by just bearing the training and social mobilization cost of the group participants.