Heifer International’s Beyond Hunger: A Place at the Table

We came to the table to help empower women worldwide.

The Beyond Hunger event in Los Angeles helped shine a light on the needs of marginalized women around the world. Heifer supporters Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson were recognized with the Noble Globe Award for their commitment to advancing the mission of Heifer International.

Former President Bill Clinton and Archbishop Desmond Tutu recorded personal video messages for Mary and Ted that were shown at the event. You can view the videos below. You can also view our photo gallery from the event here.

This event was only the beginning. Stay tuned for future developments in the Beyond Hunger movement to empower marginalized women and their families worldwide.

If you weren’t able to attend, you can still support Heifer’s work of empowering women.

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President Clinton’s Message
Archbishop Tutu’s Message
View the event program

“Now I Have a Voice”

In a world where too many women are powerless, you have the power through a simple gift to help them change their circumstances, their fate and their families’ future.

Enabling Change

Empowerment. Strength. Opportunity. Recognition.

Heifer International believes the role of women in development, both agricultural and economic, ensures them not only a place at the table, but at every level of leadership.

Making Women Central Players

“Women hold up half the sky”

– Nick Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn

Given the right tools and training, along with the opportunity to build assets and income while broadening the views of men to accept a woman’s seat at the table, working with Heifer International, these women will help feed the world.

A Sub-Saharan African worker.

In Sub-Saharan Africa 80% of agricultural workers are women. They raise 90% of the food consumed by their communities but qualify for only 10% of agricultural loans given.

A woman doing agricultural work.

Though women own less than 1% of the earth’s land, they produce a staggering 80% of the developing world’s food.

Source: The World Bank

These are the Women Who Will Help Feed the World

A still frame from the video '12 Stones'.
Heifer’s Cornerstones

12 Stones – A Documentary About the Cornerstones of Heifer's Work Around the World

Diane Lane

Narrated by Diane Lane

Their Stories Say it All

Sita Poudel
Chitwan, Nepal

Sita Poudel

Sita Poudel, of Chitwan, Nepal, received two goats in 1993 and has worked with Heifer International ever since. She even started her own nongovernmental organization, the Women’s Group Coordination Committee, which works with nearly 500 women’s groups in the country.

She ignores cultural limitations, offering her help to lower-caste groups. Even after being turned away by those groups dozens of times, Sita kept coming back.

“We are where we are today because of Sita’s guidance and support,” said Meena Chaudhary of the Prakash Women’s Group in Belsi. “We have learned from her that money is not the only thing that helps people. It’s the intention to do good and to help others.”

Felipina
Lampa, Peru

Felipina

Felipina was born into extreme poverty in the community of Aquisasa, Palca district, in the province of Lampa. She was sent to live with her uncle and aunt so she could attend primary school.

Despite a difficult upbringing, she and her supportive husband have succeeded in building a life together.

Felipina, known as Doña Fely, is now one of the most popular leaders in the district of Saint Lucia. She built a community center, started several handicraft classes and supported women in her community despite a dangerous social climate.

She has dreams of becoming a local government leader, hand-knitting teacher and example to her children.

Yogurt Mama
Ghana, West Africa

Yogurt Mama

Prior to 2007 dairy products made with actual milk were hard to come by in Ghana. Ayiku, 49, received a dairy cow from Heifer International four years ago.

She soon began processing her extra milk into yogurt, and Heifer connected her with marketing professionals who advised her on how to sell her product. She now can’t make enough yogurt to keep up with the demand. The 34 other dairy farmers in her group sell their extra milk to her, and she makes yogurt from all that milk and stores it in her home’s four freezers.

Joy Natural Yogurt comes in many flavors and is sold at supermarkets, schools and churches in her area. She makes her own labels with the help of her son, who is in college thanks to the money she’s made.

And she’s not done. She envisions her own Joy Natural Yogurt plant, as well as a stand-alone yogurt shop, too.

We Ask You to Join Us in This Pledge for the Future

With Heifer International, help empower women to achieve their dreams of hope, happiness, opportunity and prosperity through gifts of livestock and training.

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About Heifer International

Our work, our stories, our evaluations demonstrate that when we work in partnership with women, families benefit, communities benefit—positive changes do occur.

For Heifer International, development is not just about offering the opportunity of a livelihood and access to basic social services, it is about creating an environment where people can realize their rights, achieve self-reliance and participate meaningfully in society.

It’s also about creating long-lasting change, not just within families, but within communities and societies. The social justice and capital created through Heifer International’s Cornerstone trainings are shared not only among direct participants and beneficiaries, but friends, family and neighbors as well, creating a widening circle of policy and cultural change.

The Foundation of the Heifer Model is Our 12 Cornerstones

  1. Passing on the Gift
  2. Accountability
  3. Sustainability & Self-Reliance
  4. Improved Animal Management
  5. Nutrition & Income
  6. Gender & Family Focus
  7. Genuine Need & Justice
  8. Improving the Environment
  9. Full Participation
  10. Training & Education
  11. Spirituality