Jugomaya Gogoi, 41, recalls the dreadful day of July 2019 when she stood helplessly to see her belongings being washed away by the raging water of Na-Nadi. The kitchen utilities, a month’s ration, grain stocked for the coming months and a trunk full of handwoven items were some of the precious belongings she lost that day.

She fondly recalls how she had stocked on those items after days of toil and hardship; “I had woven 3 pairs of Mekhela Sador along with a few Gamusas (cloth towel) which were ready for sale, but as luck would have it, all of them were completely damaged,” she rues. The loss was beyond comprehension as Jugomaya notes the hefty sum she had paid for the yarn along with the 4 months she had invested in weaving those fabrics.

Monsoon brings a new set of challenges for Jugomaya and her family residing in Lalukiya village, a tiny hamlet populated with 32 households and hemmed in between Na-Nadi and Kumotiya. “Incessant rain during the months of Jeth, Aahar, Shaun & Bhado results in overflowing of the river and waterlogging for almost 3 months, as a result of which we have to move to safe spaces. At times I prefer to stay at my house while my children are sent to my parent’s house,” notes Jugomaya.

The family of four earn their livelihood through odd means due to recurrent floods over the past few years have diminished the returns from agriculture. Presently her husband, a mason by profession is engaged in a neighbouring village as a daily wage labourer while Jugomaya supplements the household income by selling handwoven clothes. At times, she would travel to the Assam Arunachal Border at Banderdawa, located almost 82 kms from her village to sell the goods and earn a nominal profit of Rs. 150-200. Her financial predicament continues as their monthly expenses exceed household income, causing uncertainty towards the continuation of her children’s education.

Amidst all the despair, a series of positive developments paved its way into the village through the Flood Recovery Program implemented by Caritas India with support of HCL Foundation. The activities invoked a sense of relief to Jugomaya and many other households who have undergone a similar fate. Jugomaya was selected for the livelihood rehabilitation and on the persuasion of her younger son, she opted for a goat. “The idea of rearing goats sounded more feasible and profitable as it would require less investment and low inputs, plus we have easy access to Gogamukh market,” she notes.

Within a span of two months, the goat has given birth to a male kid which she expects to sell during the monsoon season. The average rate for a six to eight-month-old male kid is between Rs. 2500 to 3000, the price is further determined by the weight of the goat and the seasonality as most of the male goats are sold mostly for meat purpose. Looking into all the possibilities, Jugomaya expects to earn around Rs. 2500 from the first goat while preparing to increase the flock for breeding purpose. She has improvised the existing shed by raising its height and plans to widen the shed once the numbers increase. She has also gained some knowledge on the livestock upkeep and feeding as shed attended one such program organized by Caritas India.

The path to a stable livelihood seems long for Jugomaya and her family, however, she is thankful to Caritas India and HCL Foundation for helping her to take a leap forward through the initial livestock support. “The provision for goat assures an additional source of income for my family besides serving as a safety net in case of shocks or stresses resulting from floods and pandemic”, she states in a rejoicing note.

Caritas India in collaboration with HCL Foundation has reached out to 250 marginalized households in Dhemaji through livelihood support in the form of livestock, poultry, yarn and loom parts. These activities are aimed at regenerating livelihood options for the poor households who have been invariably affected by floods.