Author Archives: Erin Snow

About Erin Snow

Erin Snow joined Heifer International in 2007 after earning a degree in Mass Communication from UALR. She lives in Sherwood with her husband and daughter. Passionate about cultivating positive and healthy relationships with her family, friends and the planet, Erin enjoys yoga, meditation, music, creative writing and travel.

From the Field: Heifer’s Work Around the World

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This weekly post shines a light on a handful of stories from Heifer.org’s “From the Field”From the Field section.

One of Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development is Gender and Family Focus. This element is present in a variety of ways in Heifer’s projects. Women often represent their families in self-help groups (SHGs) and become models for their families and even communities.

The values-based literacy program teaches Youern Sopheak, 18, more than just reading and writing.

The values-based literacy program teaches Youern Sopheak, 18, more than just reading and writing.

The Strey Tbong Pich women’s group in Cambodia is now in its second year of a values-based literacy progam. Participants of all ages worked very hard, despite challenges such as last year’s flooding, and recently successfully completed their final exams.

Female agricultural service cooperative (ASC) representatives, including Heifer project leaders, recently visited Ukraine’s Parliament on Human Rights to share about gender-equity isses rural women face. This is an important step in improving gender equity throughout the country.  

Finally, meet Rose Were, a farmer in Kenya and former Heifer project participant, who hosted more than 400 farmers at her four-acre farm for a World Food Day celebration on October 16.

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Irish Heifers Give Romania ‘Chance for All’

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Editor’s note: Story and photos submitted by Heifer Romania team

Heifer's Chance for All project launches in Zimnicea, Romania

Heifer's Chance for All project launches in Zimnicea, Romania.

The official launch of Heifer Romania’s Chance for All project started at noon on October 18 in Zimnicea, the southernmost region of Romania. The $2,464,300, or 1.9 million Euro, program was developed in collaboration with Heifer International, Heifer Romania, Bóthar Ireland and Danone Romania, with strong financial support from the Danone Ecosysteme investment fund.

Initial cattle beneficiaries are chosen through a lottery system

Project members wait for results of the lottery that determines the first cattle recipients.

The four-year Chance for All project is a socioeconomic program that will assist small farmer communities in five underdeveloped areas of the country.

The project aims to encourage small producers to work together to have long-term profitable businesses based on the production of high-quality milk. This initiative has a major training component, whereby farmers will participate in specialized courses on health, nutrition, and cattle reproduction and milking. This knowledge will enable them to obtain milk that is of European Union-quality standard.

Guests listen to a speaker at the Heifer project launch celebration.

Guests listen to a speaker at the Heifer project launch celebration.

In the first two years, more than 200 heifers will be distributed to 200 farm families. By the end of the project, 800 families will have benefited from the gift of heifers.

Chance for All will be implemented in two stages. The communities of Zimnicea, Cocorastii Colt and Belin will be assisted during the first year. The two remaining areas will be added at the beginning of the second year.

“Danone has made a long-term commitment to Romanian farmers and its partners. Year after year we have invested in sustaining milk production through programs oriented toward all types of farms, such as Danone Farm or Reaching West,” said Dieter Schulz, Danone CEO for Eastern and Southern Europe. “Chance for All is a new investment made by Danone for the sustainable development of Romanian zootechny and an aid for rebuilding, economically, families with low incomes.”

Irish heifers enter the quarantine farm.

Irish heifers enter the quarantine farm aboard two trucks.

“The project follows Heifer International’s main principle, Passing on the Gift®,” said Ovidiu Spinu, country director for Heifer Romania. “The families who receive heifers will pass on the gift, thus the initial support will multiply and the chain of beneficiaries will grow. By sustaining animal breeding, the milk quantity at European Union standards will grow and so will the families’ incomes.”

Bóthar Ireland sent 50 Irish heifers to Romania. They arrived on September 16 and were transported to a quarantine farm by a convoy of two trucks. The 50 farm families were determined by lottery draw and each heifer was sent to its new home on a small specialized vehicle.

Alexe's family welcomes their Irish heifer into its new home.

Alexe's family welcomes their Irish heifer into its new home.

“One month ago we sent the first heifers for the Chance for All project,” said David Moloney, CEO of Bóthar Ireland, in his message for the farmers of Zimnicea. “We loaded the animals somewhere in central Ireland, we crossed the sea to France, we drove over 1,800 miles, stopping twice at the ‘animal hotels’ and finally reached our destination: the quarantine farm in Oradea. Ten-thousand artificial insemination (AI) doses from the Holstein Frisian breed were also sent for this project, to maintain the pure Irish breed in the project’s locations. We hope that the gift from Ireland will bring you only satisfaction and aid you to develop your farm and that over the years, you, too, will be able to make such a gift.”

“Chance for All is a landmark project for all of us, bringing together a diverse set of partners to work with disadvantaged communities to achieve lasting economic and social impact,” said Pietro Turilli, vice president of Heifer’s Central and Eastern Europe program, in his letter of congratulations to the beneficiaries and partners involved in the complex project. “As you are all aware, the challenges for this project are significant, but then again, so are the potential rewards: building more resilient communities and linking them in a sustainable manner to markets through the provision of high-quality livestock, organization of community groups, social and technical training and assistance, and providing access to recognized and reliable market partners.”

With 30 journalists and bloggers attending, the celebration enjoyed good media coverage. Besides comments from local and regional authorities and messages sent from the USA and Ireland, two project members publicly expressed their thanks and commitment to achieving the objectives set for Zimnicea. “It was hard for me to believe that this place where nothing ever happens could become the pilot community for such an important people-oriented project,” said Mariana Moldoveanu, one of Heifer’s newest beneficiaries.

As the ceremony drew to a close and the first animals reached their new homes, we followed Alexe Ilie as his family welcomed their Irish heifer into its new home.

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From the Field: Heifer’s Work Around the World

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This weekly post shines a light on a handful of stories from Heifer.org’s “From the Field” section.

Heifer projects are filled with leaders, and they’re easy to spot. They typically have a grand vision that will improve their entire community. It’s their vision, combined with a passionate dedication to see it through, that inspires others to join the effort and, ultimately, reap great rewards.

Heifer project participants Tang Fuming and her husband in Xingjia Village

Tang Fuming and her husband in Xingjia Village

In China, Tang Fuming took the initiative to expand on her family’s small silkworm farming business by joining a Heifer project in her community. Once, her family earned barely enough to get by, but now they raise chickens and can afford medicine for their epileptic grandson. Today, Tang teaches her neighbors skills to empower them to improve their lives, too.

Anthonio Louis Fritznel has been blind since age 12, but that doesn’t stop him from doing what he can to make life better for residents of La Sucrerie community in southern Haiti. For two decades, Anthonio has inspired fellow community members with his true vision.

Schoolchildren in Armenia’s Lukashin village understand and appreciate the value of the leaders who teach them how to be the best they can be. During a Teachers’ Day celebration earlier this month, students showered their instructors with gifts and heartfelt thanks.

 

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Haiti Residents Learn Resiliency through Heifer’s REACH Project

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Oscar Castañeda, Vice President of the Americas Program, shares how Heifer’s REACH project is helping residents become resilient in the face of natural disasters through goat and pig raising and market linkages.

Learn more about Heifer’s ongoing Haiti reconstruction work.

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From the Field: Heifer’s Work with Cooperatives Around the World

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This weekly post shines a light on a handful of stories from Heifer.org’s “From the Field”Cooperatives: From the Field section.

Today is World Food Day and this year’s theme, as announced by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is “Agricultural Cooperatives – Key to Feeding the World.” Heifer empowers families around the world to achieve food security, and bringing them together as agricultual cooperatives is an effective method to end hunger and poverty. Learn more about Heifer’s cooperatives in the video and stories below.

In Cameroon, members of two self-help groups formed a dairy cooperative seven years ago. In addition to giving them food security, member families have tripled their income.

Hongyu’s Pastured Chicken Cooperative in China recently opened its own store. Now members sell the chickens they raise directly to consumers, with no need for a middleman.

Corina de Jesús Ramirez lives in Nicaragua. Joining a coffee cooperative has given her access to credit, better prices and technical assistance to improve both quantity and quality of production on her farm. Claudio Hernández Vásquez also belongs to a coffee co-op in Nicaragua. His success with growing coffee has allowed him to expand farming activities to include poultry, pigs, vegetables and basic grains.

Marfusha Cooperative was founded in Ukraine in 2009. This milk co-op, which started out small, now provides collection and cooling services and sells high-quality milk to the local Danone plant.

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Empowering Nepal with Innovative Goat Project

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Area Vice President Mahendra Lohani shares plans for Heifer’s signature Smallholder Livestock Value Chain Project in Nepal. Through improved goat production and an innovative spin on Passing on the Gift®, this project will empower 140,000 families to improve their lives.

 

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From the Field: Heifer’s Work Around the World

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This weekly post shines a light on a handful of stories from Heifer.org’s “From the Field” section.

Thinking outside the box, being open to doing things differently, can be the tipping point to success. Heifer’s work is carried out by innovative people who are constantly thinking of ways to improve their methods and reap even more success.

Bees and their honey make life sweet for coffee farmers in Guatemala

Since bees joined the coffee farming activities of Guatemala’s Tuiboch village, honey has become a sweet bonus business. Read Bees Improve Yield for Guatemala Coffee Farmers to learn more.

Staff from Heifer Poland and the Polish Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Public Affairs were on hand to celebrate the opening of two new projects in Armenia. Find out how this bi-national collaboration means successful project implementation in Fruitful Partnership Betwen Armenia and Poland Leads to Tangible Results.

Empowering a Remote Village to Improve Livelihoods tells how Lin Fengchen, a farmer in China’s rural Sangfang village, encouraged skeptical villagers to join a chicken raising cooperative. In addition to building a brand, Jianmenguan Natrual-Fed Chicken, cooperative members have dramatically increased their income through diverse and sustainable agriculture activities.

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Heifer’s Seeds of Change: Food Security in the Arkansas Delta, Appalachia

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Area Vice President Oscar Castañeda shares how Heifer’s Seeds of Change project addresses food security in the Arkansas Delta and Central Appalachia regions of the United States. By teaching residents effective farming techniques and connecting them to markets, these seeds hold great promise for a bountiful harvest.

 

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From the Field: Heifer’s Work Around the World

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This weekly post shines a light on a handful of stories from Heifer.org’s “From the Field” section.

No matter where in the world you go, Heifer’s there, and success is just a project participant away. Heifer empowers families to escape poverty, surpass sustenance and achieve significant success.

Rolly, from the Philippines, has realized huge success by using and selling vermicast, an organic fertilizer made with the use of African nightcrawler earthworms. Learn more about Rolly and his family in Project Participant Makes Compost Into a Sustainable Family Livelihood.

Fishing off the coast of Ecuador

A group of determined fishermen and women in Ecuador no longer pay exorbitant fees to rent a boat and dock. They developed a plan to purchase their own and, within two years, did just that. Read Sustainable Fishing on the Ecuador Coast to learn how they are planning to expand their fleet.

Choratan is a beautiful, yet dangerous, cross-border village in Armenia. Despite living in the constant shadow of Azeri snipers, residents continue to work hard for a better life. Cow Becomes ’Helper and Feeder’ for Lazaryan Family tells the success story of one tight-knit family and their cow.

In 2009, Heifer’s Sierra Leone program and Pennsylvania’s Arcadia University formed an intern partnership. Since then, seven students have interned in Sierra Leone. Check out Heifer Sierra Leone Hosts Visitors from Arcadia University to learn more about this successful collaboration.

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A Bright Future for Coffee Growers in Honduras

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Editor’s Note: Story by Christian DeVries | Photos by Russ Powell

Catalino holds his young goat

Green Mountain Coffee is well-known for their delicious roasts. They care about their product and the people who buy it, but they also care about the farmers who grow it.

Coffee farmers can be vulnerable to yearly price fluctuations if they rely too heavily on one crop. Maintaining a diverse farm enables families to feed themselves. That is why Green Mountain teamed up with Heifer International. Heifer has been helping families build sustainable, self-reliant communities for almost 70 years. Together, they have established projects that are helping to improve food security, promoting proper nutrition, and creating diverse sustainable farms.

Catalino Vasquez Dominguez, 50, and his wife Bernardina Vasquez Calix, 51, are one such family. They live in El Mezcalito village, Marcala municipality, in the La Paz department of Honduras. Catalino and Bernardina are both from this area. After they were married, they lived in his parents’ small house. Eventually they were able to buy their own land where they built a grass hut. Life was difficult. They struggled to provide enough for their three children. To earn money, they harvested coffee for other farmers.

Bernardina shows off her tilapia pond

Like all parents, they wanted to give their children a better life, but they lacked the resources to create this change. Then they learned from their local cooperative, Cooperativa Regional de Agriculturas Organicos de las Sierras (RAOS), that a project was about to begin that would provide farmers with a variety of important resources. Catalino thought it would be a good project. “When he came with the news, we got very excited, especially about the fish. He has always wanted fish,” said Bernardina.

They received 200 tilapia fingerlings in June 2011 and vegetable seeds (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot and radish) in June and August 2011. October brought a bio-gas unit, a sow came in December, and a goat was delivered in April 2012. The family planted fruit trees (avocado, apple, red plum and peach) in May. Fifteen chickens (14 hens and one rooster) joined the family in June, and they will soon complete construction of a greenhouse given to them by Heifer. Additionally, their sow is pregnant and is expected to give birth any day.

Catalino works in his cabbage garden

Their farm was chosen to be a model farm, a place where other project participants can learn through hands-on experience. This has kept the couple very busy. “We have more things to do on our land,” Catalino said. “I enjoy having a lot of work to do. I am always busy, but I love it. I also enjoy it when others come here to see what I’ve done and I can teach them.”

The trainings have benefited them, too. “I learned how to prepare the pond,” Catalino said. “I also learned that the water should pour into the pond from above to help oxygenate the pond.” They grow an astonishing variety of vegetables and fruits on their tiny farm of 1.5 manzanas, or about 2 acres, farm (1 manzana is equal to 1.72 acres). Having plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables to eat has improved their family’s diet.

“Before we didn’t have so many types of vegetables,” said Bernardina. “Now we have food security. Now we can eat fish and we make all-natural juices.” They used to eat mainly rice and beans with an occasional egg. Now a typical meal consists of salad, rice and fish.

Bernardina and Roger inspect the irrigation piping in their aloe field

In addition to being a source of food and income, the animals they received provide organic fertilizer. Catalino and Bernardina had very few animals before the project, just five hens, two pigs and five rabbits. Now with 80 fish, two goats, 29 chickens and one pig, they have lots of manure. They use manure to fertilize everything, and the land has responded favorably. “The soil is better,” Catalino said. “Whatever we plant now grows bigger and stronger, and it tastes better.”

The manure’s effect on their lettuce production is plain to see. Since using manure as fertilizer they are growing 3,000 pounds of lettuce a year, up 200 percent from their normal 1,000 pound crop. Their aloe plants have doubled in size, from 8 to 16 inches, and are more beautiful, too.

The nutritional effects of organic produce are clear. “It is a healthier product,” Catalino said. Healthier foods, combined with having more to eat, have greatly improved the family’s overall health. “Our skin has changed,” Bernardina said. “We had a lot of problems with our skin and pimples. We also have the flu less often because we are eating more vegetables.”

Catalino, Bernardina and Roger on their farm

Catalino and Bernardina are big Heifer supporters and say that Heifer’s policies are excellent. “Passing on the Gift® is unique,” Bernardina said. “The idea that Heifer promotes is that every family should try to produce all the food they need instead of buying it from elsewhere. We hope it will continue for generations. There will always be families that need help, so it is good for Heifer to continue. I am happy to be part of this project. If Heifer ever leaves Honduras, we will be able to continue on.”

Now their family has the resources: knowledge, land and animals, to change their future. They plan to hand these resources down to their youngest son, 14-year-old Roger Adalia Vasquez. “I want him to know how to manage my farm and everything in it,” said Catalino. “We are working hard and he is studying hard, so when he takes over the farm he can turn it into something bigger.”

Roger feeds his family's tilapia

Their two oldest children had to leave the village and find work in town. Bernardina is happy because she knows Roger has a choice. “There is an opportunity for my son to learn how to manage his own land. There is no need for him to leave. He doesn’t have to go out looking for income, because he can work here,” she said. She believes that other young boys and girls who aren’t already in the project will benefit from their example. “It is a motivation to other young people because they will see what our son will accomplish,” she said. Thanks to Heifer International and Green Mountain Coffee, they have hope for their future and the future of their children.

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