b'A COMMUNITYVaccination work is rewarding, but I have to CHICKENtravel some distance to purchase vaccines and deworming medicines from retails. VACCINATORSGEETA RANI JENASTORY LIKE MANY WOMEN IN RURAL ODISHA,LEFT Geeta Rani GEETA RANI JENA didnt have manyJena is trained employment opportunities outside of her home.to administer By BETHANY IVIE, World Ark contributorYet, when she heard Heifer India was offering tovaccines to chickens in her train new community vaccinators, Jena jumpedlocal community. at the chance to take part. The job was a perfectThe income she earns from this fita fantastic opportunity for a mother of twowork supports with no time to spare.her family.Jena is one of nearly 200 communityTOP RIGHT vaccinators trained through Hatching HopeCommunity India, which aims to improve the nutritionvaccinators are frontline health and income of 3.2 million people in the state ofcare workers for Odisha through the production, promotion andlivestock and consumption of poultry.poultry. Jena travels several Vaccination work is rewarding, but I have tomiles to collect travel some distance to purchase vaccines andvaccines from distributors deworming medicines from retails, said Jena,and bring them who used to provide vaccination services to 60- back to her 70 households across two villages.community. During the COVID-19 lockdown, it has beenBOTTOM RIGHT difficult to visit other villages and my incomeJena gently administers medicated eyedrops to her has dropped significantly. From earning aroundpatient. Her local community 2,000 rupees ($27) a month, I ended up earningunderstands the only 700 to 800 rupees ($9 to $11). importance of her services, and they To help farmers understand the importancehave become of vaccinating their birds, Heifer India hostedher primary trainings and educational campaigns designedcustomers during the COVID-19 to spread the word to local poultry producerspandemic.that chicken vaccines are good for business and available through community vaccinators. Now, farmers understand the value of keeping their birds healthy, but access during the pandemic continues to be a challenge. Farmers know vaccination is important, says Jena, who is ready to start working again. This is my main source of income, and I will start as soon as possible. If I can cover one more village, my income will increase.nHEIFER.ORG |11'