Provincial Reconstruction Teams
PRT Ramadi PRTs Spur Iraqi Dairy Industry with Gift of Cows to Widows January 7, 2009
(Anbari women’s NGO benefits from U.S. partnership)
Fallujah -- Sometimes it’s the oddest sounding development projects that can result in important and sustainable benefits. And that goes for the 50 cows for 50 widows program kicked off recently by the local Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team (EPRT) in Anbar Province. While sounding peculiar, this simple project has a potential economic impact on Fallujah and all of Iraq that is far reaching. A disturbing reality in Iraq is that the widow’s pension system is inadequate and the sheikhs in Anbar who traditionally serve as a social safety net for the most vulnerable – women, children, orphans and widows -- are severely overextended. Also, on the security front widows with no means to support themselves or their families can be open to insurgent recruiters. Army Major Meredith Brown, the EPRT Civil Society Organization (CSO) Advisor, met the economic/security problem head on when she recently partnered with a local women’s non-governmental organization (NGOs) to develop the 50 cows for 50 widows initiative. Each widow in the program received a dairy cow and all but six of those cows came with calves. The cows are mixed breed, part Friesen for the increased milk production and part Iraqi to better withstand the climate. Brown explained the cows will furnish the widows with a constant supply of milk they can either consume or sell. Brown said, ‘The lasting impact of this project is providing the widows with income that could offer them and their children an alternative to joining the insurgency. The project was not without complications though. Brown first had to locate and purchase suitable cattle then enlist the help of veterinarian Dr. Kevin Rushing, EPRT Fallujah’s deputy team leader and an employee of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), to certify the cows as being disease free. A medical condition such as tuberculosis could have been a program ender so the cows were very carefully screened. Every widow signed an agreement pledging not to sell or butcher their cows for a minimum of one year; a stipulation mandated by the Iraqi NGO leaders. "It is the hope of the project leaders that the widows will learn to appreciate the economic value of the cows and keep them indefinitely," Brown added. For one reason, steady milk revenues should bring in enough income to allow the widows’ children to continue their studies in school. In Iraq milk and byproducts like cheese and butter are largely imported from surrounding countries. To lower costs and spoilage the PRT commissioned the American dairy company Land O’Lakes for a feasibility study on establishing a factory for a women’s co-operative to produce dairy products. As part of the plan Land O’Lakes International Division will train Anbari widows in updated animal husbandry techniques to ensure their ability to take care of their cows. The women’s cooperative would also receive training in factory operations, bookkeeping, marketing and management. According to the PRT’s Major Brown, Anbari women taking care of each other is the best way for Americans to help Iraqis. While the PRT initiated the cow project it will survive long after Americans have left Anbar Province. And that is a legacy she and the Team say they are proud to be associated with.