Story Reported by Zhang Han, communication and networking officer, Heifer China. Photos by Zhu Wenjing, communication and networking officer, Heifer China. Video used with permission.
Melodious singing resonated from the Heifer project activity room in Fuxing Village, Lizhou District, Guangyuan City, Sichuan, China, as women of a self-help group (SHG) taught donors visiting from Hong Kong to sing the Song of Heifer, which the group members wrote and composed.
The SHG consists of 22 female project participants who established a chorus. Through singing, these women became more confident and willing to help others. “Heifer was brought into our community; we pass on our love to others with sincerity,” said one member.
During their visit, 25 donors from Hong Kong saw how the women and their families live and work to raise pigs and implement project activities. The donor group included children and adults. In the afternoon, donors helped with farm work. Some of them plowed a field for the first time in their lives. The experience, as well as the 95F heat, made an impact on each donor. They were students and ordinary citizens, demonstrating that benevolence is not only an obligation of the rich. If everyone contributes a little, Heifer can bring huge changes to people and families in rural areas.
On his Facebook wall, one donor wrote, “After a four-day visit, I do need to deal with loads of work. But I think I need to work harder to donate more to Heifer in the future.”
A few hours’ drive from Fuxing Village, Heifer China is also helping survivors of the 2008 magnitude 8.0 earthquake rebuild their livelihoods. This umbrella project will provide 4,000 families with poultry, rabbits, goats, beef cattle, honeybees and silkworms (71,000 animals total) and extensive training in their care. Help us complete our goal of raising $3 million for this project (only $317,536 to go!).
Zhang Han, Zhu Wenjing, and Heifer China,
I am visiting China in a few weeks and would love to visit a project farm or Heifer China headquarters. I am hoping you may be able to provide me with the email address of someone to contact?
I have enjoyed Heifer projects for the last 4 years of veterinary school in Ohio and count my visit to a Heifer Project farm in Uganda as one of my most memorable experiences!
My thanks! I can be reached at my username at gmail.
Thanks for your interest in our work in the field. It may not be possible to visit a project farm as an individual, and visiting the China office would be up to the Country Program staff. This is, of course, to respect the dignity and privacy of our project participants and to protect the limited time and resources of our field staff. I'll contact you directly with some contact information, as they'll have a better sense of what they are able to do for you.
That's great that you visited a Heifer project farm in Uganda! I got to go there myself this past December, and it was amazing.
Oh, and congratulations on what sounds like your graduation from veterinary school.