I was first introduced to Heifer as a young child at Vacation Bible School by Miss Debbie. During that week we collected money to purchase a goat. As I grew up, my parents and I began giving these animals to one another as gifts. My first year teaching, I gave my students a sheep. My second year of teaching, I helped to coordinate a Read to Feed campaign at our school which proved over $5,000 worth of animals to needy families. My third year of teaching, I began teaching more lessons to my students about economics and world hunger through the Heifer Education program. During my third year, our Read to Feed campaign raised over $6,000, even during these tough economic times.
I have always been a supporter of Heifer and I have always appreciated the independence it promotes for families around the world. All that being said, even I had no idea what I truly amazing organization this is.
In the 1940's, Dan West was doing relief work in Spain and Portugal after the Spanish Civil War. He passed out milk to families on a daily basis and realized that they needed more. He decided he should be giving "a cow, not a cup."
From that, the idea was born. He had no idea how far reaching the organization would go. Heifer has moved 9.2 million people from poverty to hope and has greatly effected a much larger number of hungry families around the world.
How exactly does it work? Well, this is what I know so far... Communities hear about Heifer, usually through word of mouth and begin organizing a plan. Heifer helps the communities find better ways to use what they have, then they decide who will get what animals. Even if only one or two animals are given, the whole community benefits. The first female offspring is then passed on to another family. I have been told that these "Passing on the Gift" ceremonies are beautiful and emotional. The first family is giving over a member of their family, a huge sacrifice. Often times they even tell the receiving family treats the animal loves, or ways he likes to be scratched. In giving though, the family is able to help another and is all of the sudden, the one helping others. What a since of pride that must bring! Heifer stays involved with the community, teaching them better farming practices and how to care for the animal for three years and keeps tabs on them for even longer.
A lot of the organization, farming and animal care in the communities is left to the women. This has had an incredible effect on the confidence of women, and gender equality.
We were shown an image of a common Honduras home: a small house on a hill with a single cow and little trees or grass. Over time, with Heifer's teaching, the house and surrounding area changed drastically. The family built a small hut for the cow. Since the cow was caged (of course let out for walks! :)), the grass around the house grew back and the family could more easily collect the manure. The manure was used with compost. A terraced garden was built because it helped keep the land from sliding, and it collected water better than a garden just down the hillside. And of course, the compost was used as fertilizer. With the money raised from crops, the man could purchase chickens. With the money from eggs and crops, a goat. The goat was also put in a pen, and with the money from the extra milk, the farmer made a pond and purchased tilapia. Tilapia are fast growing and eat almost anything, including manure! The family created a bio-gas contraption that used what else, but manure, water and sunlight to create methane gas that could be used for cooking. Incredible!! Of course, none of this happened overnight, but there it is again - hope!
Do you see why this all inspired one of our leaders, Sarah T., to say, "I love poop!"
Heifer also works with local organizations to make an even bigger impact on the community. Many times, it is these local organizations that help the families with better farming practices, while Heifer is able to provide the animals and the training for the animals.
Heifer also purchases animals in the local areas so that the animals are accustomed to the weather conditions, and it helps the local economy even that much more. I know that is a lot of information, but I just can't say enough about how impressed I am with this organization!
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