In India, the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme is implementing a women’s empowerment project named Mesha (meaning goat or sheep in Sanskrit) with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Aga Khan Foundation. The potential of small ruminants to empower poor communities is being capitalised only since the past decade. The potential is more for women beneficiaries of Mesha, as the women not only take care of the goats, but also support their family financially when in crisis, with the income from goat rearing. In order to create increased awareness and provide goat related services on ground, a cadre of over 230 women para-veterinarians was developed across the villages. Trainings helped them not only to provide preventive veterinarian services, but also to charge for their services.

Rukhshod is now director of a national micro-lending organization (MLO) in Tajikistan, with five branches across three regions. Rukshod’s journey into this position reportedly began when she became the manager of the women’s committee of a small village organisation. Rukhshod was selected to lead the organisation in 2007 when several village organisations in her area merged into a federation. She was appointed to the position of Director four years later. Thanks to Economic and Social Connections: A Multi-Input Area Development Financing Facility for Tajikistan (ESCoMIAD), a joint project of the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Rukhshod received trainings in business planning, financial statement analysis and cash management enabling her to excel in this role.