Lessons Learned Cash Assistance and Embedded Extension for Improved Goat Shelters in Post-Earthquake Nepal

A massive earthquake in 2015 led to large‑scale loss of life and livelihoods for communities in Nepal's Gorkha District. One of the key impacts on people's livelihoods was damage to livestock shelters, which led to distress sales and reduction in herd sizes, especially among vulnerable households for whom livestock was a key source of income. They could not afford to rebuild their livestock shelters due to lack of funds and other competing priorities, such as rebuilding their homes and restarting their agricultural activities.

To support the most vulnerable households to rebuild their goat shelters and adopt design principles for improved hygiene, CRS implemented a conditional cash transfer program. The twin conditions were that the selected households would participate in an orientation program focused on goat shelter design principles for improved hygiene, and would construct shelters based on the improved design. Considering the gaps in existing goat shelter designs and the poor economic conditions of participating families, CRS promoted two simple, cost‑effective design principles.