Shivia Livelihoods Foundation

Poultry Development Services (PDS) is a flagship programme initiated in 2011. It equips families in poverty with the necessary tools and training to establish a small chicken-raising enterprise at home. This venture brings up to a 30% increase in household income, empowers women economically, enhances children's access to education, improves family nutrition, and reduces reliance on exploitative money lenders. The programme fosters entrepreneurship, encouraging farmers to make a modest financial contribution.

AMS is an agricultural training and advisory programme designed for impoverished farmers. Launched in 2014, it takes a holistic approach to address their challenges through various interlinked interventions, such as soil testing, crop selection, access to wholesale markets for agri-inputs, and knowledge on making bio-pesticides and fertilizers. Farmers contribute a small amount to the training cost, and they are organised into Farmer Interest Groups to access further benefits like banking facilities and crop insurance. Upon completing the two-year programme, farmers gain self-reliance within their groups.

This programme, launched in October 2020 in Gujarat and Rajasthan, aids aspiring female entrepreneurs from low-income households. In collaboration with SAATH Charitable Trust, it delivers business skills training to 180 women in the Beauty & Wellness sector. After completing vocational training in beauty techniques, participants undergo a one-year formal business planning and management course. Graduates will be certified to run their own beauty businesses, generate a sustainable income, and even train other women, boosting their earnings further.

Initiated in November 2020 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, empowers women from low-income households through the food service sector. In collaboration with SAATH Charitable Trust, the pilot phase involved 20 participants. The training covers hygienic food preparation, quality home cooking, and food delivery, making participants highly employable and capable of earning a decent salary. With the increased demand for trustworthy home cooks and food delivery services due to the pandemic, the programme provides viable employment opportunities for graduates.

The goat farming programme, introduced in 2015 after extensive research, enabled impoverished families to achieve self-sufficiency by breeding and selling goats. Participants paid a small deposit, received expert training, and insurance for their animals, along with two female goats for breeding. As the herd grew, they sold some goats and kept others for breeding, eventually becoming self-reliant without external intervention.