The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Visually impaired receive Jersey cows

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 30, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Visually impaired receive Jersey cows

R. Sujatha

Nethrodaya scheme for rural areas is funded by UK-based agency

CHENNAI: Nethrodaya, a Chennai-based non-governmental organisation, has launched a new scheme to help provide livelihood for the visually impaired in the State's villages.

Under the `Netradhenu' scheme, funded by a United Kingdom-based agency, beneficiaries are provided a Jersey cow each; the animals will be insured. The project is based on a similar scheme launched in the 40s to help elderly people in villages.

Nethrodaya called in a professor from Madras Veterinary College to help the beneficiaries identify good cows. Students of Madras School of Social Work, as part of their course work, will help beneficiaries deal with any problems.

The three-and-half-year-old organisation — run by the visually impaired — has tied up with private milk producer company Arokya to look after the cows' medical needs. Nethrodaya founder Govindakrishnan, alias Gopi, says the scheme should ensure that blind people in rural areas are not a burden on their family. Of the ten who have received cows, three are women. One of them, a 38-year-old man has received a marriage proposal as he can now take care of himself, said a pleased Gopi. His aim is to use local resources and help 40 more blind people.

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