Beyond Hunger Event Celebrates Women’s Empowerment

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Pierre Ferrari

I am in California where this evening I will be a part of Beyond Hunger: A Place at the Table. This event is an extraordinary opportunity to honor Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson for their awesome dedication to Heifer International, and to raise awareness of the ongoing need to empower women.

Because I feel so strongly about the importance of providing opportunities to women, many of my blogs feature this topic. I wrote that Investment in Women Farmers IS Priority for Heifer; but at Heifer, we don’t just say it is important, our actions demonstrate our commitment.

In August, Heifer CEO, Pierre Ferrari met with a women's self-help group in Nepal.

Gender and Family Focus is one of Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones and empowerment for women is an integral component of our projects. Gender equity (the notion that women, men, girls and boys are valued equally and have the same opportunities to achieve their potential) is an important, key element of our programmatic work. Heifer has developed a two-part strategic approach: mainstreaming and understanding the cultural aspects that prevent gender equity. Mainstreaming ensures that women’s (and men’s) concerns, priorities and experiences are an integral part of the entire project cycle: the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project. Through training, Heifer is able to address the cultural systems, procedures, norms, beliefs, practices and attitudes that perpetuate gender inequality. These approaches allow for bridging the existing gaps between women and men.

Heifer CEO, Pierre Ferrari, was present in Cambodia when several women participating in Heifer projects received certificates for completing their training.

I recently returned from a visit to India, Nepal and Cambodia; and for the first time, I met women who were in the beginning stages of Heifer projects. These women were shy, and their husbands dominated the conversations. They were such a contrast to other women whose stories I have previously shared, such as Dolores Delgado from Peru or the Women’s Group Coordination Committee (WGCC) in Nepal. But I know that this contrast will not last, and these timid women will become transformed after they complete their Cornerstones and Values Based Holistic Development trainings.

It’s unbelievable that even though women make up more than half the total number of small farmers in the world, produce between 60 and 80 percent of the food in most developing countries, they still struggle for access to basic resources and services. Gender equity should be the norm; with your help Heifer will continue to work toward making that a reality.

So tonight, as we celebrate the stories of hope and inspiration and reflect on the work that is yet to be done, we recognize that together, we can change the world. And, even if you will not be able to attend this event, I ask that you join us in this pledge for the future to help empower women to achieve their dreams of life without hunger and poverty.

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Heifer CEO Travels: An Update from Cambodia

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Pierre Ferrari

Heifer CEO Pierre Ferrari in Cambodia with Asia South Pacific Vice President Mahendra Lohani and Country Director Keo Keang. Photo by Dave Anderson, courtesy of Heifer International.

My last stop – Cambodia! Country Directory Keo Keang (or KK as she prefers to be called) and her team are very passionate about Heifer’s work in Cambodia, and it shows in their interactions with the communities.

My first stop was to Siem Reap, where we attended a Passing on the Gift ceremony with over 700 people – including local and provincial officials. It is encouraging to have them attend, as it shows their desire to collaborate more closely with Heifer.

Following the ceremony we went to visit a self-help group. The villagers were delightful, full of energy and gratitude. They have a lot going on! They received pigs, chickens and ducks. They have been trained in backyard gardens and are involved in handicrafts. As if that weren’t enough, they are building a rice bank. The villagers are forming a cooperative, and they certainly have big dreams. There is a great deal of hope and energy.

My next stop was to Phnom Penh to meet with the Heifer Cambodia team to discuss their new project Improving Income and Nutrition through Community Empowerment (INCOME). This project is part of Heifer’s new programmatic approach of increasing impact. This project will integrate production systems, core market actors and an enabling environment through the values-based Heifer development model. The project is still in its early stages; I look forward to returning in the future to see the progress that will be accomplished.

KK arranged for us to have several meetings. We first met with Dr. Kim Lucas, acting director of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in Cambodia. Dr. Lucas was familiar with Heifer; we shared more details of our work, including our strategic priorities and our Theory of Change. I think there is an opportunity for Heifer and USAID to collaborate to build the capacities and increase the impact in the communities. Our next visit was to the Minister of Agriculture, who had also attended the Passing on the Gift ceremony; and with the team lead and acting Country Director, Natharoun Ngo, of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Cambodia. It will be very interesting to work with UNDP, as our missions and practices are very much aligned. They are focused on rural poverty and agriculture, believe in women’s empowerment and would like to work with partners scaling up their impact. Combining their knowledge of governance and capacity building at the regional and national level with our focus on grassroots efforts has the potential to produce a lasting impact to the families with whom we work.

KK and her team will continue developing these connections and will even participate in a study group with other non-governmental organizations to review and recommend a governance structure that will avoid duplication of work and support the rural development efforts we are striving to achieve.

Heifer CEO Pierre Ferrari in Preah Netr Preah, Banteay Meanchey, Cambodia.

Heifer CEO Pierre Ferrari meets with Kann Naiky (in orange) and other Heifer participants in Preah Netr Preah, Banteay Meanchey, Cambodia. The group was formed about six months ago and is making quick progress. Photo by Dave Anderson, courtesy of Heifer International.

Our next stop was to Svay Rie to visit two projects. The first community will be working as a component of the INCOME project and has just begun to receive training. We met the villagers and talked for a couple of hours about their first impressions, needs and hopes. They are willing and very eager to learn. Local government officials were in attendance and seemed inclined to help. The second community we visited has been part of a Heifer project for just over two years and has made astonishing progress. The project is made up of four groups of women, and their pride in what has been accomplished and confidence in what they will do was wonderful. These women will be key in co-developing the larger cooperative to take full advantage of the various value chains these farmers can access for project INCOME. We shared lunch with the community and danced and celebrated their success.

Heifer project participants' image of what their village will look like in a couple of years.Photo by Pierre Ferrari, courtesy of Heifer International.

Overall I am very pleased to see the persistent, strategic progress Heifer Cambodia is making. I know more great things are soon to come!

This has been an incredible trip. Vice President of Asia/South Pacific program Dr. Mahendra Lohani and his team planned well – and for that I offer my gratitude. There is much to reflect on, work to be done and to support. The opportunities ahead are exciting!

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Heifer CEO Travels: An Update from Nepal

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Pierre Ferrari

It has been more than a year since my last visit to Nepal and it feels good to be back! I’m anxious to see the changes that have occurred since I have been gone.

My first visit was to Kathmandu and to meet with Heifer Nepal staff. They are truly a talented team with a total commitment to building social capital as THE way to successful rural agricultural development. They understand the impact of the 12 Cornerstones and include these values into project work.

Nepal has implemented the Nepal Signature Project that will embody our work of increasing our impact. This project hopes to serve 140,000 farmers in goat and dairy value chain enterprises to increase families’ nutrition and income. The Nepal staff is very confident and very excited at the impact they will have on so many lives. I really am in awe of the amazing work that the Nepal staff has accomplished regarding this project since January.

After my initial meeting with Heifer Nepal, I spent the rest of the afternoon meeting with government officials and project collaborators who have pledged to support our work.

My second day was spent in various meetings with representatives from World Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). There were interesting discussions. As Dr. Gayatri Acharya, acting Country Director for the World Bank in Nepal, said, “Money is not the problem, there is plenty of money. It is [lack of] responsible execution that is the problem.” In Heifer’s case, I know that Nepal Country Director, Dr. Shubh Mahato, and his staff have built incredible relationships with various organizations that will enhance our current work and demonstrate our commitment and comparative advantage in the building of social capital.

Nepal is very poor with continuing poverty, malnutrition, unemployment and corruption. It is apparent that Heifer NEEDS to be here, and in working with our partners to increase our impact, Heifer will be a key player in eradicating poverty.

Puja Singh, Communications and Network Officer for Nepal, shared some of my visit to the Kabilash village in her post “First Steps into Sustainability.” This village is home to a little more than 1,000 families who will be a part of the Nepal Signature Project. As Puja mentioned, this was my first time meeting with a Self Help Group (SHG) prior to receiving training. It is evident that life is not easy and the women were very shy and nervous. The Nepal staff explained how radical the change is after participating in Cornerstone training, and these women will be more assertive and confident. We met with a second group, who are in a similar situation as the first group. Their agroecological and livestock practices are inadequate; their animals are sick, ill fed and scrawny and do not fetch good prices and have high mortality rates. They mentioned to us they were hungry and struggled to find the next meal for themselves and their children. It was a very sobering experience. I would like to think that we shared hope with these families, knowing that Heifer would soon be working with them to support their efforts to attain self-reliance. We also met with some SHGs that have been Heifer project participants for more than two years. The contrast was amazing. Their success has been motivating for the new groups preparing to engage in Heifer projects.

The following day we visited the Devitar village. This was the village I visited 18 months earlier, in my first trip to Nepal. The participants are thriving and their income is up substantially. It really was quite moving to see the continued progress.

As my time in Nepal came to a close, I visited additional Heifer projects in the Chepang area. Although they were all at different stages in their projects, you could see their progress. The Cornerstones training has really served them well as a foundational basis for their work. One of the groups even received a visit from the Prime Minister of Nepal! These SHGs understand that scale matters and they are now they most visible and impactful advocates for their communities. I’m pleased to see that many of the SHGs are led by some forceful and confident women. I truly wish that you could experience the power and excitement from these projects.

My journey continues onto Thailand and Cambodia. The days have been very long, but as I have mentioned before, I am energized by the people I meet!

Namaste.

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My Travels in India

Posted on August 24, 2012 by Pierre Ferrari

Greetings from Nepal!

Currently I am in Kathmandu, and almost halfway through a three-week trip visiting Heifer’s work in India, Nepal, Thailand and Cambodia. My days have been packed with meetings and project visits – I am energized by the people and their stories!

As there is so much to tell, and I’ve only spent one day so far in Nepal, I’ll update you on my time in India.

Until now, I had not had the opportunity to visit our work in India. It was a pleasure meeting all of our India staff! I am traveling with Dr. Mahendra Lohani, Vice President of Asia/South Pacific program and Avni Malhotra, Country Representative. The range of partnership opportunities is incredibly diverse here. We met with other NGOs, foundations, and government ministry representatives. There is a vast knowledge of development focused on animal husbandry that can contribute to Heifer’s work.

We visited two project sites in Bikaner, a remote and desert like area. The first project involved about 250 original families. The project is 18 months old and is a classic Heifer project with goats as the livestock component. The results have been impressive – home gardens, rain harvesting systems and livestock training. Our next visit was deep in the desert to a project that has just begun. The women’s groups have started saving and are participating in Cornerstone Training. Even though these women have lived in the same village they hardly knew one another because religion and caste kept them separated. Now, because of the project, they meet, eat together, work together, share their family stories and, ask their husbands to share the household work! Prior to my arrival, the women spoke on camera about the changes they have seen experienced. Can you believe these transformations have taken place in just three months? This is the first time I have met a group in its early stages and we had a very open dialogue and exchange on a range of issues from alcohol abuse to maternal health (too many die in childbirth) to water availability. You can feel that these women are committed to the process and are hopeful about the future. Being with these women was so inspiring because they recognized the need for changes in their lives. I promised to return in two years if they achieved certain goals they set for themselves – I’m looking forward to that!

In traveling through India, it is very apparent that the Indian political and economic conditions are truly unique with vast disparities in income and wealth. The government is quite active in development and they are increasing their attention to the rural sector. During our visit we have already met with several local state legislators and other officials. They are very interested in collaboration given the demonstrable success of our approach. Integration and partnership with government at the national and state level will be key to scaling our efforts as strategically desired. In our various meetings with different ministries, they were very interested in our work in scaling up our impact, women’s empowerment, social capital, community building, and Passing on the Gift.

Our Heifer India staff is well connected and arranged for meetings with many NGOs such as GALVmed, Elanco, and Digital Green. We explored many subjects, including the issue of poultry and the economic value to small holder farmers (each chicken could potentially increase their income by $150) and technical and communication platforms and systems, Relationships such as these will be beneficial as we move forward.

We ended our time in India with a small reception with NGOs, mostly Indian. We discussed a variety of issues centered on the role of INGOs five to 10 years from now. I know that Heifer is taking steps in the right direction; there is much to learn and much to do!

All in all, my trip to India was a true eye-opening experience. It allowed me to re-calibrate many beliefs and views. I learned a lot. Heifer’s future in India is in good hands – the needs are huge and the opportunity to do superb, values-led and impactful work is there for the doing.

And now, my work begins in Nepal. More to come soon!

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Shamshad Akhtar is Right: We Need to End Poverty Faster

Posted on August 2, 2012 by Pierre Ferrari

Recently, the United Nations (UN) Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) appointed Shamshad Akhtar as Assistant Secretary – General for Economic Development.

DESA News interviewed Akhtar, where she shared her thoughts on her new position, the current global situation, and work that still needs to be done. She said, “we need to eradicate poverty at a faster pace.” I couldn’t agree more. There is so much work that needs to be done, and it has been more than once that I’ve mentioned that we can all DO MORE.

We recognize this at Heifer and it’s why we are working (and making progress) at increasing the impact we have in the countries where we work. Why just help 100 families at a time, if, using the same successful model on a larger scale, we can help 1,000 families – or more? Haiti’s REACH project will ultimately help 100,000 people achieve a sustainable livelihood.

Pierre Ferrari participates in a Passing on the gift ceremony in Haiti.

Photograph by Dave Anderson, Courtesy of Heifer International

Akhtar also mentioned potential for new financing and green growth. These are very critical elements that Heifer is paying close attention to and taking action to implement in our project work. At the end of last year, Dr. Mahendra Lohani, Vice President of Asia/South Pacific Program; Dr. Shubh Mahato, Heifer Nepal Country Director; and Neena Joshi, Heifer Nepal Senior Program Manager; met with the CEO and the Chief of the Microfinance Service Department of Rural Microfinance Development Center (RMDC) to discuss how the two organizations can collaborate to speed up the economic development process among the poor and deprived communities in Nepal.

Here in Little Rock, Heifer has installed a 25-kilowatt solar panel array that provides supplemental electric power to Heifer’s headquarters building and the Murphy Keller Education Building (Heifer Village).

Solar Panels installed at Heifer International's headquarters

Photograph Courtesy of Heifer International

The solar panels reduce Heifer’s reliance on fossil fuels and demonstrate our ongoing commitment to caring for the Earth. The array consists of 100 panels, making it one of the largest such systems in Little Rock.

These are steps in the right direction, and there are definitely more to come. But as you’ve heard me say before, we can’t do it alone. I am confident that working with Shamshad Akhtar, the UN, and other like-minded organizations, we will see great reductions in hunger and poverty.

I’m very excited to see and share, Heifer’s progress and the postive movements from around the world. Akhatar said it best:

I think it is a very exciting period for all of us who are engaged in the development business. Our task is to focus on economic, social and environmental sustainability with the objective of reducing poverty, alleviating stress on the basic services and making sure people are fed properly. We cannot achieve these goals unless we equip countries to manage and implement development programs at high governance standards and ensuring programs that benefit people.

To read more of Akhatar’s thoughts on her new role, access the DESA News.

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Follow the Roadmap to End Global Hunger

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Pierre Ferrari

Greetings Fellow Activists:

Earlier this week, members of Congress and leaders from a wide range of organizations gathered on Capitol Hill for the official launch of the Roadmap for Continued U.S. Leadership to End Global Hunger. Heifer is one of the 50 organizations supporting the Roadmap, which is a set of common guidelines for United States anti-hunger efforts, including program and management recommendations to make those guidelines realistic and achievable. With more than 925 million people suffering from chronic hunger in the world, I see this as a significant step toward progress in putting an end to it.

Strong, continued U.S. investment and leadership is critical to ending global hunger and malnutrition. It would take less than one-tenth of one percent of the U.S. budget to end the suffering of millions of people. This comprehensive approach of emergency, safety net, nutrition and agricultural programs will help us end global hunger and malnutrition, saving millions of lives.

Some key highlights of the Roadmap include:

Recommendations (and justification) for $5 billion worth of combined investments in all areas affecting hunger (emergency, nutrition, agricultural/rural development and safety net programs).
Establishment of a new White House Office on Global Hunger to integrate key executive branch programs with one another (USAID Feed the Future, President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, Millennium Challenge Corporation, USDA Foreign Agriculture Service, and food commodity programs under the Office of Trade Representative) to avoid waste and duplication.
Re-convening of the former Select Committee on Hunger in the House of Representatives as a formal caucus (with a Senate equivalent to make it bicameral) in order to coordinate a single, coherent legislative response to executive programs.
Programs that emphasized resilience, flexibility and strengthening local safety nets to help make emergency assistance more rational and efficient, as well as to bridge gaps between short-term humanitarian response and longer-term development programs.
Specific examples from implementers of what works in terms of resilience, etc. with a short primer on key lessons and how positive impacts were achieved.

You can download the full Roadmap here and learn more about how we can all work together to save millions from hunger and malnutrition.

I am proud to have leant my signature and the backing of Heifer International to the Roadmap and what it represents.

To feed a child today, go take the World Food Program USA’s short hunger quiz. Once you’ve tested your Hunger IQ, come back and tell us your score. If you’ll tell me yours, I’ll tell you mine!

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Finding Inspiration Close to Home

Posted on July 20, 2012 by Pierre Ferrari

One of my favorite things about my job is traveling around the world and meeting the incredible people with whom we work – the inspiring women, the innovative men, and the curious children.

And sometimes, to meet such people, my travel is much shorter, just an hour’s drive away to Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Arkansas.

I traveled with Heifer’s executive leadership team and Ish from sr4partners (incredible organization, you should check them out!) and we spent almost two days at the Heifer Ranch. Our group consisted of Steve Denne, COO; Bob Bloom, CFO; Cindy Jones-Nyland, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Resource Development ; Leesa Ferguson, Vice President of Human Resources, René Rockwell, Executive Office Director and Board Liaison; Hilary Haddigan, Director of Planning and Effectiveness; and of course, myself.

During our stay we were invited to dinner with the volunteers (these volunteers actually live and work on the farm). The catch? We were cooking dinner!

The first order of business was to review our ingredients and see what we could create.

There was a delicious array of food (not shown above!) grown by the wonderful people at the Ranch.

So we organized our menu, assigned tasks and we got to work!

As the meal began to come together, the kitchen filled with jokes, stories and laughter.

It wasn’t as if this was our first time together. We all see each other in meetings and around the office and we talk… a LOT…every day. The difference, of course, was the environment. Oh and the food! There’s something incredible about cooking your meal and knowing that the food that you’re preparing came from the land, just outside. Heifer Ranch has a great Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program that provides seasonal produce from the end of April until September and all the food is grown in a certified, organic, agricultural environment - now that’s what I call good eating!

Our finished spread was delicious and included fried chicken, pasta with a marinara sauce, stuffed bell peppers, a chocolate bread pudding, and additional treats provided by the volunteers.

But that wasn’t even the best part. The highlight was the opportunity to break bread with various Ranch volunteers and other Heifer co-workers. It wasn’t just about the food

(although it was a delightful perk!), it was also about the conversation and camaraderie.

The Ranch has these incredible volunteers that come from across the United States and even from other countries (a current volunteer is from Morocco!) and they range from students just out of high school to retirees. There jobs entail so much more than just tending to the agriculture. They also lead the educational programming, care for livestock, maintain facilities and provide operations support.

This was Ish’s second time at the Ranch and I asked him what he thought. He said, “From the moment you are at the Ranch and meeting with the volunteers and staff, you can just feel the commitment and the dedication. This is Heifer’s mission and vision in action. All of these people are committed to Heifer’s inspiring work.”

And he’s absolutely right. What matters to these people is the ability to serve and work towards Heifer’s mission of ending hunger and poverty while caring for the earth. They want to see a change, and they recognize that they can help set the wheels in motion. It really is inspiring.

In our conversations, we learned the stories of the volunteers, how they heard about Heifer, what their future plans were and we even had some volunteers share their innovative ideas (I have a whole list!). One volunteer shared with us: “The Ranch changed my life. I feel strongly connected to making sure it continues to be a source of empowerment, knowledge and motivation.”

In addition to discussions of ending hunger and poverty, we managed to squeeze in a few games of Foosball. It’s one of the rare times you’ll see Steve and me on opposite teams. I think I held my own!

It was an early night for us as Steve, Cindy, Bob, Leesa, René, Hilary, and I still had another day of discussions and brainstorming. But a dinner with the volunteers was just what we needed to keep up our momentum and morale.

If you’re looking for a way to connect to Heifer’s work closer to home, I highly suggest a visit to Heifer’s Ranch. For more information, visit Heifer’s website.

I thank the wonderful volunteers at the Ranch for a lovely time and I can’t wait for my next visit.

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Rio+20: Empty Promises Won’t Fill Empty Bellies

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Pierre Ferrari

“The Future We Want” is not the future Heifer International believes we will see following last week’s Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development. Lots of issues were raised, lots of solutions proposed, but in the end, malaise and more of the same won out, leaving smallholder farmers—still—to fend for themselves.

The document that came out of Rio+20 will do little, if nothing, to improve the lives of those like Ltengerwa Lochokwe of Kenya. Photo by Russell Powell, courtesy of Heifer International.

Despite the bold title and the sheer size of the gathering—nearly 50,000 participants, including more than 100 heads of state or government—no enforceable commitments on climate change or any of the other global challenges—empowerment of women, access to water, sustainable development, health issues—came out of the summit.

There was unilateral recognition that progress needs to be made toward greener development, but no big-ticket items got more than lip service. Still, progress was made, but it was made via unofficial channels—the places where most progress gets made today.

For example, Microsoft said it would roll out an internal carbon fee on its work in more than 100 countries, part of a plan to go carbon-neutral by 2030. A Latin American soft-drink bottler pledged to obtain 85 percent of its energy needs in Mexico from renewable sources, and a group of development banks announced a $175 billion initiative to promote public transportation and bicycle lanes in the world’s largest cities.

Important progress to be sure, but not where it can do the most good, the official channels of governments and leaders—powerhouses of influence who have the resources to create revolutionary change, not the evolutionary change we have, unfortunately, become accustomed to.

Heifer believes these one-off solutions don’t go far enough. The solutions—pledges really—proposed at the Rio+20 summit do little for the millions of smallholder farmers who daily struggle to eke out a living for themselves and their families.

Heifer is not alone is its disappointment in the outcome of the potential-ridden summit. Organizations such as Friends of the Earth, Oxfam, Amnesty International and World Vision all have issued statements on how short the summit fell from providing true solutions, or even commitments to decisively act in the future.

So much need yet so little resolve, and so much potential, energy and entrepreneurship just waiting for a hand up such as provided by Heifer. Men and women like Laban Kipkemboi Talam, a dairy farmer in Kenya, and Dolores Delgado, of Peru.

Absent the help of organizations such as Heifer International, Talam and Delgado would still be scraping by, hungry and poor, with little hope or opportunity for a better life. Today, though, Talam has seen his milk output grow through better management of his cows. He has received training and help that will allow him to continue to improve his farm and his life. Delgado, who was given guinea pigs and today practices agroecological production—environmentally beneficial farming—is looking to expand her business, and it is a business—small, but productive and growing.

What answers do the outcomes of the Rio+20 provide to them and others like them? What assurances or protections do struggling farmers in Haiti have as the climate warms and they move deeper into another hurricane season? What about the pastoralists who are suffering from disastrous drought in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa?

Empty promises do nothing to quell empty bellies.

These types of conferences promise social justice (which includes environmental justice) to small-scale farmers who lack more than resources—they lack a voice, too. Yet Rio+20, like so many other conferences of its kind, ended with no clear solutions. The official documents, the official records speak to solutions, but commit to nothing.

At Heifer, we are committed to working with smallholder farmers, giving them a voice, giving them dominion over their future, giving them tools they will use, with their own energy and ingenuity, to bring an end to hunger and poverty and to cool the planet.

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Just When You Think That’s Enough, DO MORE!

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Pierre Ferrari

This week Heifer’s Board of Directors is in town for one of several meetings we have through out the year. As I present to Board this afternoon, I will use a few examples of the families and individuals I have met.

Photograph by Dave Anderson, courtesy of Heifer International

I wanted to share one story in particular with you. Dolores Delgado is an incredible woman from Peru. For those that follow Heifer’s blog, her name should be familiar to you as we have mentioned her in a story we did last August titled Allin Kausay, and we also shared her story in the blog post, Heifer Supports Healthy Soil. My dear friend Betty Londergan also had the opportunity to meet Dolores in her visit to Peru, and wrote about her experience in her blog, Heifer 12 x 12, Guinea Pigs…not just for Breakfast Anymore.

I met Dolores last summer when I had the opportunity to travel to Peru and Ecuador to visit some of our projects. I’m always so impressed with the energy and drive of our participants, but Dolores in particular, really amazed me. For her it wasn’t “enough” to just improve the life of her family – it was important to also serve her community.

I love that attitude, I love that desire to DO MORE.

Photograph by Dave Anderson, courtesy of Heifer International

Just to provide you some background, Dolores has a small farm and is the “go-to” person for guinea pigs in her community. She has been a part of the “Allin Kausay” project. This particular project has been making great strides in promoting community development.

At the time of my visit, Dolores had a small shed that allowed her to produce, at maximum, 500 guinea pigs. As my visit came to a close, Dolores and I were talking about her plans for her farm, for the project and for her life. Dolores promised me that in one year she would build a structure that would hold more than double the amount of guinea pigs. I told her that if she met her promise, I would be back to Peru to see.

In October of 2011, Dolores and her husband began the work of constructing a new home for the guinea pigs. Dolores wanted to make sure that the guinea pigs would be housed where they had “enough space to not suffer or become ill.” The new structure was completed in January 2012 – Dolores doesn’t take her goals lightly! Her new structure has the potential to hold up to 2,500 guinea pigs in a warm, clean and wider environment.

Photograph by Heifer Peru, courtesy of Heifer International

In addition to making improvements on her farm for the guinea pigs, Dolores is embodying the spirit of Passing on the Gift by sharing her knowledge with her friends, neighbors and visitors. She uses her structure to host trainings, demonstrating hands on techniques that she has learned, including animal health care.

But don’t think that Dolores doesn’t have her hands on other projects. In addition to raising and selling the guinea pigs, working and training the community, she also tends to her organic farm. Oh but wait, there’s more!

Dolores’ family home has become a model of healthy living in their community. Many of her neighbors have repainted their homes and have recovered the tradition of decorating their walls with clays of different colors, thus drawing the attention of visitors.

Photograph by Heifer Peru, courtesy of Heifer International

The families that have initiated the changes to their homes (including Dolores) share a vision of one day having their community be a potential site for ecotourism visits. They want others to see, first hand, what its like to be a part of a community that is able to balance people, livestock, crop and agroecological production.

Photograph by Heifer Peru, courtesy of Heifer International

I am proud to have met Dolores and she has truly had an impact on my life. Dolores is the type of person who we should all strive to be – it is not just about us; we are part of a larger system. We are all connected.

For Dolores, participating in this project is a “dream come true” for her and her family. Dolores demonstrates that we can all be change-agents. We just have to be committed to our cause.

I have not forgotten my end of the bargain – I will make it back to Peru one day to see all that Dolores has accomplished. Until then, I will challenge myself (and you) to DO MORE!

For more information on the work in Peru, visit their website: http://www.heiferperu.org, or follow Heifer Peru on Facebook.

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The Role of Social Capital in Heifer’s Work

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Pierre Ferrari

This past week I traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the Association for International Agriculture and Rural Development’s (AIARD) Annual Conference. The theme for the 2012 conference was “Priorities for Inclusive Agricultural and Rural Development.”

I was asked to serve as a panelist and was delighted to contribute my thoughts and provide examples of the progress Heifer has made on this topic. As I prepared my speech, I began to think about what information I wanted to share. I decided to focus on the importance of developing social capital for the poorest communities.

So, what does this mean, and how is Heifer incorporating it into our work?

Sumitra Devi, 28 years old, talks during a meeting of community members on Thursday March 10, 2011 at the Koirganwa village in India. Photo by Russell Powell, Courtesy of Heifer International

The World Bank defines social capital as “institutions, relationships, and norms that shape the quality and quantity of a society’s social interactions.” Through the impact of social capital, Heifer project participants are able to have sustainable development and prosper economically.

Social capital is an important aspect of Heifer’s Theory of Change, which is that the most vulnerable smallholder farmers, including women, can produce adequate food and surplus to feed their families, communities and the world, if their capacity is enhanced with the right inputs. Through social capital, Heifer project participants are able to organize and strengthen their existing groups/co-ops/alliances and enhance their values through Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones. Social capital builds trust and hope and brings communities together. It connects similar people and then helps them understand and connect with other diverse groups.

So how does Heifer measure this in our projects? Our project indicators provide information on two types of social capital – structural and cognitive. Structural social capital is the composition and practice of formal and informal local-level institutions that serve as instruments of community development. Measuring structural social capital involves evaluating how effective these institutions are at helping communities make the changes they desire to improve their lives. Cognitive social capital includes shared norms, values, attitudes, and beliefs that predispose people toward mutually beneficial, collective action. Cognitive social capital is specifically measured through participants’ perception.

Within the our projects, social capital can be seen by participants’ participation in the community organizations and networks (formal and informal) and their inclusion of diverse groups and access to services. It is also evident through commitment to Passing on the Gift and Sharing and Caring – two of our Cornerstones.

To help and engage the poorest communities, we need to develop social capital, beginning where they are along the development spectrum. It’s not crazy science – it is a demonstration of the connection humans need with each other.

Heifer has always been about working together and incorporating the values of a community. This is what has made us successful in the past and what will allow us to help even more families.

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The official blog of Heifer International

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