Tag Archives: Heifer International

Africa, Asia, Blog, South America, Women and Girls

How Heifer International Creates a Movement of Change for Families

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This holiday season gifting animals to families in need in low-income countries can mean the difference between them living in abject poverty or being self-sufficient. I interviewed Cindy Jones-Nyland, Chief Marketing Officer of Heifer International about how they work with families around the world and transforms their lives.

  1. When people buy animals as gifts for those in need, how long does it take for families to receive that gift? 

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We work with families to provide training regarding proper animal well-being techniques, including animal health, nutrition and breeding.  Heifer projects are customized to achieve the objectives of the communities with which we work so there is no standard timeframe in which animals are distributed. In general, animals are delivered within 12 to 18 months of the project cycle start.

  1. Which animals are most gifted during the holiday season? 

Goats, heifers and bees are pretty popular this time of year. Heifers are classic, and what’s not to love about goats? A gift of bees goes great with a jar of local honey for the recipient.

Continue reading How Heifer International Creates a Movement of Change for Families →

Blog, Food Security, Poverty

How You Can Help End Poverty and Hunger

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Did you know that Heifer International has been working for 70 years to end poverty and hunger around the world? Did you also know that they have also partnered with 20.7 million families in low and middle-income countries positively affecting the lives of over 100 million people?

Heifer International GiftsAs Heifer International celebrates its 70th year, you can also help end poverty and hunger by purchasing gifts from their Valentine’s Day Gift Catalog that make a difference. Here are some fantastic ideas:

  •  “Bee Mine!” Give Your Honey the Gift of Honeybees ($30) – A gift of honeybees includes a bee package, hive, box and training in beekeeping techniques. A donation of honeybees boosts income through sales of honey, wax and pollen, and stimulates growth of the family’s crops through pollination.
  •  “You’re my Sweet Chick!” A Flock of Chicks for your Favorite Chick ($20) – A gift of chicks helps provide a family in need with a starter flock of 10 to 50 chicks, along with training that will empower them to turn this gift into a lifetime of opportunity. Each flock of chicks provides eggs and protein for nourishment, and boosts income through sales of extra eggs and offspring.
  • “I’m Over the MOOOn for you!” A Heifer for the One You Udderly Love ($50 a share/$500): A heifer provides milk and nourishment to hungry families, boosts income through sales of extra milk, and encourages better crop yields by creating fertilizer. Heifers have many uses and are capable to bringing stability to the lives of people struggling with hunger.
  • “To the Best Kid” Give the Gift of a Kid to your All Star Kid ($120): A dairy goat can supply a family with up to several quarts of nutritious milk a day – a ton of milk a year. Extra milk can be sold or used to make cheese, butter or yogurt. Families also learn to use goat manure to fertilize gardens, instead of using synthetic fertilizers.

All photos courtesy of Heifer International

Asia, Blog, Children, Food

Heifer International Teaches Children About Giving

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Heifer International, the organization we affectionately know to empower families the world over through animal gifts that provide not only a way out of hunger, but also a way into sustainable self-reliance, just launched a new interactive educational tool teaching children the power of giving. Aimed squarely at children between the ages of 5-10, Heifer’s new character, Sarah the Goat, guides children through the process of what it means to give an animal gift to a family living in poverty.

Children even as young as five will be able to grasp the concept of how one animal -from a goat, to a chicken, to a llama – can immeasurably changed the trajectory of a family with little to eat and hardly a way to earn income. As parents it is important to introduce our children to philanthropy at an early age. Heifer International helps us do that by creating an easy-to-understand tool allowing kids to understand that small changes can result in sustainable difference.

Using Heifer’s educational tool, children are mentioned in writing by name (parents have to put it in to get started) to kick off the personalized lesson and then Sarah the Goat begins to ask  questions that  allows kids to think critically about the importance of an animal to families in the developing world. While the issues of poverty and hunger are huge concepts for children to fully understand Sarah the Goat brings those huge issues to a kid’s level without missing the greater point of doing something for others.

To use the educational tool with your child visit  www.heifer.org/alt-gift/sarah