Our Work in Asia and the South Pacific

Posted on January 1, 2012 by Brooke Edwards

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Heifer’s Cornerstones are at the heart of the Asia/South Pacific Program’s Values-Based Holistic Community Development model for sustainable community transformation. Through this model, project participants are empowered to help themselves and make a sustainable impact on their communities.

Women in Heifer’s A/SP projects assume positions of leadership in their communities, living their values and helping others in need. These projects take families from hunger and poverty and move them to a level where they no longer focus solely upon meeting their basic nutrition needs. Once this progress has been achieved, Heifer implements second-level projects in the same communities, leading to community-level economic transformation.

Support our work in Asia and the South Pacific:

Donate to our Nepal Goats Give Back Project.
Support Heifer’s India Sustainable Community Development Project.
Fund Heifer Nepal’s Building Communities for Holistic Development Phase II Project.
Give to Heifer’s Cambodia Women’s Empowerment and Holistic Community Development Project.
Support Heifer’s Thailand Empowering Marginalized Communities Project.

Subscribe to our A/SP RSS feed.

Read more about our work in Asia and the South Pacific below and on our Success Stories page.

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Heifer increases goat productivity in Nepal

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Puja Singh

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In January Heifer launched its dream project for Nepal, Strengthening Livestock Value Chain (SLVC). Its goals are to increase meat and milk production to substitute current imports and create a unique value chain for meat and milk that incorporates smallholder farmers not only in the production phase but also in marketing it. But there was a glitch. Over the years degradation of genetic merit in goats resulted in lower levels of productivity. In layman’s terms, they had fewer babies who did not grow as well and farmers could not sell them for good prices.

Farmers of Ladavir in the Sindhuli district in eastern foothills of Nepal are a part of a unique classroom under the Community Initiative for Genetic Improvement in Goats (CIGIG). Here they learn about how to improve production of goats through selective breeding. These farmers are not new to rearing goats but what they learn in this classroom will teach them to do so in a more scientific way through observation and intervention. To put it simply, it’s the Mendel’s Law in action. A pool of healthy genetically superior does and bucks will be produced by the end of the project and will be marketed across communities around the country to in-turn increase their production. Ladavir will be a training ground and resource village for genetically superior high productivity goats.

Heifer’s work around the world is not just limited giving animals and agricultural inputs if farmers but also extends to doing what needs to be done to bridge the gaps between the present that the future that Heifer envisioned together with the families it works with. CIGIG is one such initiative.

Participants of the first CIGIG class mull over a poster that depicts how to select a good male and female goat from physical traits for breeding.

Heifer CEO in Nepal: First Steps into Sustainability

Posted on August 24, 2012 by Puja Singh

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On his first day in Nepal, Heifer International President and CEO Pierre Ferrari found himself among a group of withdrawn yet excited women in an unused classroom in the village of Kabilash in Chitwan district, a jostling 45-minute drive uphill on a dirt track that was patched up from recent landslides especially for his visit. The ethnic tribal women spoke of the challenges of and their aspirations for Heifer’s signature project, of which they were going to be a part. This was a first for Ferrari. Having traveled through Nepal in February 2011 and having heard about the country’s achievements in implementing transformational projects ever since he joined Heifer, Ferrari was more accustomed to strong women displaying confidence. “It validated the time and money we put into trainings to build the social capital to strengthen and transform women,” said Ferrari.

The women in Kabilash are part of a groundbreaking effort in Nepal that will scale up Heifer’s work to end poverty and hunger by increasing goat and milk production by helping women farmers increase production and enabling them to take part in the value chain through cooperatives formed and led by women. The overarching goal of the project, reducing importation of live goats and milk, will increase income for smallholder farmers through increased production and participation in the value chain, which will ensure that they get a fair share of the profits.

Heifer’s plan in this beautiful but resource-poor community is to establish sustainable partnerships with the local government, which is a co-funder of the project. “Our five-year plan consists of improving livestock and agriculture to help the people of this village escape poverty,” said Village Development Committee Secretary Pradhumna Khadka. “So when Heifer came to me with an opportunity to partner, I accepted it without any reservations.”

This is a partnership that works for all. Because after Heifer completes its work in Kabilash, it can be assured that the impacts will be exponential. “By this time, Heifer will have strengthened the farmers, the cooperative they form, and the agents of development, the government organizations, who are there to stay,” said Parbati Rawal, executive director of SRAM, a Heifer local partner NGO that will implement the project in Kabilash.

Heifer Nepal is geared up to implement similar projects in 28 districts of Nepal in the next five—an ambitious plan that has already been able to seek support in forms of resource leverage and collaborative partnerships from the national and local government and other development agencies.

Heifer India Leads Rukkhi to a Better Life

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Heifer India

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Rukkhi Devi with her goats.

A Heifer India project participant stands in front of her new concrete house, which was made possible through the organization's sustainable agriculture development program.

Rukkhi Devi stands in front of her new concrete house.

“In the last six months, the biggest change has been that from a thatched house. I have been able to build a concrete house.” —Rukkhi Devi

Life is getting better for Rukkhi Devi. She looks at the two goats she received from Heifer India. These now have four kids. The two to be passed on are ready for the big ceremony. The goats changed her life. She got three liters of milk every day: she kept one for her family’s consumption and sold the rest at about $1 per liter to the local merchant. The family has sold two bucks for 5,000 Rupees (about US $ 100) this month. About 10 months ago, they sold a male kid male for $40. The family has earned a total of $140 that has increased their family income.

But in order to get this result, Rukkhi had to learn how to keep her livestock. She learned the benefits of keeping the goats in a shed so the hot summer sun would not burn their skin. She learned how to stall-feed them too. The fodder seeds Heifer provided also helped.

Rukkhi is also seeing the benefits of the vegetable seeds she received. Now the family has eaten green vegetables every day for the last three months. These positive results encouraged them to plant eight more trees this year.

The highlight of the project were the three import trainings Rukkhi received:

The nutrition & hygiene training has been very informative. Rukkhi says it has helped her learn and understand how to maintain personal hygiene and to keep the house and its surroundings clean. She understands the importance of a toilet in the house. She also understands the strong emphasis on good nutrition for good health.
The training on smokeless stoves has helped her understand the hazardous implications of smoke on health, especially on the health of women in the house. She says she understood how the smoke would affect her vision, her eyes and her respiratory tract. She is glad that these problems, which were deemed to be eventualities, will not affect her or her family now. She also understands that it will save on fuel and fuel costs, and also reduce the ill effects caused to the environment. She is happy that she will be able to cook twice as quickly, the utensils and dishes will not turn black from charcoal and the kitchen will not be covered with soot.
The training on rain water harvesting systems helped Rukkhi realize the importance of water management. She says her family would save a total of about $57 annually on water because of collecting rainwater. Given the scarcity of water and negligible amount of rain in the region, the rainwater harvesting system would help them maintain an unrestricted supply of water throughout the year. This would impact the lives of the women positively because they are the ones who travel long distances to fetch water, she adds.

Editor’s note: This post is part of a series that follows the progress of specific families, starting at the beginning of their work with Heifer. In Asia/South Pacific, our colleagues have chosen one family in each region in the countries where we work and will bring us quarterly updates. You can read the first story about Rukkhi Devi and her family here.

Why Water Buffalo?

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Annie Bergman

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It is truly astounding how each gift of livestock can change the lives of Heifer participants all around the world. I’ve seen it each time I’ve traveled for work. But I’ve never been more impressed than when I saw some water buffalo projects on my trip to Cambodia in 2010.

San Pheap, 12, Sok Phong, 7, and Sieng Hai, 6, on a water buffalo in Chrey Krem, Cambodia.

Imposing creatures to be sure, water buffalo are actually quite gentle and patient (as you can see from the photo above as this animal allowed three little boys to ride on her back). It was really fun to watch Seng Ouy bathe his family’s water buffalo. The animal’s reaction to the bath reminded me a lot of what my basset hound looks like when I put him in the tub to wash him down.

Water buffalo are prized in Cambodia. Often too expensive for smallholder farmers to purchase on their own, water buffalo often serve as “living tractors” for farming families in Southeast Asia. The draft animals can help families plant up to five times more crops than they would be able to plant by hand. And rice planting is backbreaking work.

water buffalo bath

Seng Ouy, 19, washes the family's water buffalo.

The gentle giants also provide families with milk rich in calcium and protein that can transform malnourished children. Plus, the fats in buffalo milk make it ideal for processing into cheeses that also help build strong bones.

Another benefit families see from water buffalo is manure. Adult water buffalo produce about six tons of manure a year, and for families that have biogas digesters, that manure provides precious methane to power cook stoves and lamps.

Give the gift of a water buffalo today. You’ll be providing a family with a valuable tool that will give them plenty in return.

This post is part of our What to Give series, where we’re helping you choose the best Heifer gift for your loved ones. Read previous What to Give posts here, and subscribe to the What to Give series here.

Still don’t know what to give? Check out our entire online Gift Catalog.

The Cost of Inequality in India

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Austin Bailey

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The horrifying story of a young woman who died after being brutally gang raped in New Delhi is putting inequality in India in the international spotlight. The murder of 23-year-old Jyoti Singh Pandey is spawning widespread protests and a push for major change to the chauvinism and oppression Indian women face.

The need for change became even clearer this week, as political and spiritual leaders continued to openly blame women for inviting assault by being out in public after dark or wearing skirts. And on Wednesday, a lawyer for three of the five men accused of raping and torturing Jyoti Pandey said Pandey and her companion were solely responsible because they were out together after dark, but were not married. Wow.

The moral argument for addressing gender inequality in India is clear. And surprisingly, the economic argument is clear, as well. A survey of 2,500 women in several Indian cities revealed that nearly 82 percent of the women are leaving work earlier since the infamous Dec. 16 attack to avoid being away from home after sunset. The survey indicates that one in three women in Delhi reduced their work hours or quit their jobs altogether to avoid making themselves vulnerable to attacks. This drop in productivity will only add to India’s poverty.

India is one of the world’s poorest countries when measured by per-capita income, and the country’s failure to invite women into the workplace and support them there is a major factor. Only 35 percent of Indian women work. Just think of the potential forfeited when millions of women opt out of the workplace.

Follow me to the Philippines

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Annie Bergman

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Next Wednesday, January 23, I’ll be departing for the Philippines. Like we told you last month, I’ll be traveling there to report on the rebuilding efforts after the damage caused by Typhoon Bopha last month.

Photo By Nacho Hernandez

I’ll be going to to Sta. Josefa where at least 366 families in two projects were significantly affected, with homes damaged or destroyed. More than 250 pigs were lost, as well as 90 goats. Rice, corn and banana crops were significantly damaged, and initial estimates from Heifer communities place damages at $550,000.

I hope you’ll check back in on the blog periodically, as I intend (depending on connectivity) to blog while there about the families affected by the typhoon and also about Heifer’s Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction program, which helped our project participants prepare for the typhoon.

In the meantime, you can give to Heifer’s Disaster Rehabilitation Fund. While Heifer is not a first responder, as part of our program work, we help our at-risk communities prepare for the potential impact of disasters. Even so, natural disasters often overwhelm a community’s ability to respond. Our Disaster Rehabilitation Fund is a pool of money that can be accessed by country offices affected by disasters that exceed their ability to cope.

Typhoon Bopha’s Aftermath

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Annie Bergman

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The last time I posted here I was on my way to the Philippines to interview project participants who had lived through Typhoon Bopha. I told you that I’d be posting about my experiences. But we had no Internet, much less reliable electricity. Since I’ve been back I’ve thought a lot about my trip. It was one of the hardest trips I’ve taken. Below is a short reflection piece on my time there.

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I’ve seen real poverty before; heard the most heart-wrenching stories from war widows in Kosovo and survivors of the Khmer Rouge. I’ve witnessed the excitement that a gift of a goat brings and the incredible act of Passing on the Gift. But what I saw and heard in the Philippines was a level of devastation I’ve never encountered.

I was in Mindanao just six weeks after Typhoon Bopha tore through the island. As we made our way to the project sites it was as if we were inching our way closer and closer to a war zone. Palm fronds, bent permanently in the direction the winds were blowing, gave way to decimated villages.

Not only are the physical scars obvious—homes in pieces, partially rebuilt or gone completely; people living under tarps; men cutting away rotten portions of wood in an effort to save any materials from damaged houses; layers of silt and mud deposited in rice and corn fields; crops dead where they were planted, trees down—there are now psychological and emotional scars.

: Ester Talledo talks about life after Typhoon Bopha.

I spoke to parents who say their children are afraid of the slightest winds, with mothers who have nothing to feed their families, and with fathers who are out of work because of factory closings or farm damage.

The typhoon ripped away hopes along with homes and livelihoods. All the Heifer beneficiaries here wanted was to provide their children with a life better than the one they had known. But with no food, no income and no job opportunities, it’s only a matter of time before kids will have to drop out of school.

What I learned in my 10 days there was the meaning of urgency. Typhoon Bopha was a minor blip on the Western world’s radar. But these people need help and they need it now. They have no food and won’t until the rice is harvested in the next few weeks.

In my five years with Heifer I’ve learned that each trip to the field leaves an indelible mark, and that each also comes with its own perils of the heart. I’ve been home from the Philippines for three weeks now, and though the images of crippled palms and makeshift homes are as clear as the day I was there, it’s the words of Ester Talledo that will remain with me forever: “While we’re alive there’s still hope. We will stay strong.”

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Heifer’s Disaster Rehabilitation Fund is reserved for to help Heifer participants who are victimes of events like Typhoon Bopha. Please give if you can.

Malaria=Poverty=Malaria

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Austin Bailey

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Today is World Malaria Day, which might have slipped your mind. That’s understandable. The United States eradicated malaria in 1951, and unless you’ve done much traveling it’s probably never topped your list of things to worry about. But for half the world’s population, the 3.3 billion people threatened by the deadly mosquito-borne illness every day, malaria isn’t so easy to forget.

Malaria symptoms include fever, headache, chills, vomiting, anemia and respiratory distress. Children infected with the disease are extremely vulnerable because they haven’t had time to develop any level of immunity.

Malaria is a mean disease that preys on the poor and the innocent. In 2010, 90 percent of all malaria deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa, the region of our planet that’s home to the highest proportion of undernourished people. Poor people with limited resources and limited access to health care often can’t afford housing with screened windows and doors to protect them from infected mosquitoes. And once infected, people suffering from malaria lose work days and the paychecks that go along with them, deepening their poverty. This is a handicap faced by countless Heifer project participants who can find themselves incapacitated by malaria multiple times each year.

Most deaths from malaria claim children under the age of 5. That means that every single minute of the day, a child dies of malaria. Pregnant women also face heightened risk.These numbers will knock the breath out of you, but luckily they’re better than they used to be. Malaria mortality rates have fallen by more than 25 percent since 2000. And with continued use of mosquito nets and insecticides, the hope is that the disease will continue to loosen its grasp.

The theme for World Malaria Day 2013 is “Invest in the future. Defeat malaria.” The disease still kills 660,000 people each year, according to the World Health Organization. But not everyone agrees on the numbers, and in fact, the Seattle-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation puts the death toll at 1.2 million per year. I know that number will be stuck in my head for a while.

Happily, we know that bed nets, insecticides and improved housing can slow or stop the spread of malaria. We also know how to treat it. It’s just a question of resources. If, after reading this, you’re having a hard time getting malaria off your mind, visit the WHO’s World Malaria Day 2013 website to learn more.

Volunteers Make a World of Difference

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Chelsey McNiel

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Photo by Chelsey McNiel, Communications Intern, Heifer Headquaters

Photo by Chelsey McNiel, Communications Intern, Heifer Headquarters

Heifer International volunteers change lives as they share in our mission to end hunger and poverty and care for the Earth. They generate support and spread joy through fundraising, education and meaningful relationships.

In the Southern Philippines, volunteers helped project participants learn methods and strategies for improved animal health.

Jun Ayensa, regional program manager for Heifer Southern Philippines, captured their work in a photo story.

Learn how you can make a world of difference

From the Field: Insights For Positive Change

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Chelsey McNiel

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

A team from Heifer Philippines visited successful dairy projects to ensure correct development and operation of its first dairy project, which aims to benefit 1,000 families. On their study visits, the group discussed animal stocks, dairy processing and production with farm owners. A participant said the new insights and firsthand experience will help shorten the learning curve and improve the new project’s design.

A batch of Nubian and Saanen dairy goats, which are about to be milked, head toward the milking parlor at the St. Elmo's Goat and Dairy Farm in the Philippines. Photo by Jun Ayensa, Regional Program Manager, Heifer Southern Philippines

A batch of Nubian and Saanen dairy goats, which are about to be milked, head toward the milking parlor at the St. Elmo’s Goat and Dairy Farm in the Philippines. Photo by Jun Ayensa, Regional Program Manager, Heifer Southern Philippines

In South Africa, three donors recently had the chance to visit project participants to experience the positive change their generosity has made. Heifer staff took the donors on a two-day journey to four projects in the Limpopo Province. “Hearing and seeing firsthand always makes a difference,” Donor Archie Vermeulen said. “Clearly [Heifer's] positive intervention with the communities has made a huge impact.”

Edvard Hovhannisyan lives in the remote highland community of Harzhis village, Armenia. He has established his livelihood in the productivity of his cows and the Union of Pasture Users of Harzhis Consumers Cooperative, which is associated with the project Community Agricultural Resource Management and Competitiveness (CARMAC). The cooperative’s 84 families share equipment and pasture land in hopes that their joint efforts will increase income and promote community improvement.

Join the fight against hunger and poverty.

Heifer China Staff Safe Following Weekend Earthquake

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Linda Meyers

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Heifer International has learned that Heifer China’s staff is safe following a weekend earthquake that struck the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan. The Chinese government is reporting that nearly 200 were killed and more than 12,000 injured in Saturday morning’s 7.0 magnitude quake.

Currently, Heifer has no projects in Yu’an City, the epicenter of the earthquake, but in years past the organization provided goats and worked in a dairy program with area smallholder farm families there.

Heifer is working on earthquake rehabilitation projects nearby in the area impacted by the May 12, 2008, Wenchuan Earthquake, but due to limited access and communications, Heifer China staff has received no reports of injuries to people or animals, or structural damage.

Once government and other emergency workers have cleared the first response phase, Heifer China plans to conduct an agricultural and livestock loss survey in the affected areas with an eye toward possibly providing livelihood rehabilitation and community strengthening in the future.

Information will be updated as it becomes available.

China

China

Heifer International Seeking Info About Staff, Families Following Serious Earthquake in China

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Linda Meyers

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Heifer International continues to pursue information about the safety and condition of Heifer China staff, volunteers and project families in the wake of the strong earthquake that struck the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan over the weekend. The 7.0-magnitude quake struck near Ya’an City, population 1.5 million, early Saturday and the government is reporting nearly 200 people killed and more than 8,000 injured.

Heifer International has worked in China since 1946, but the modern program began in 1984. Ya’an City is one of Heifer China’s three earliest project cities, which included the Ya’an Dairy Goat Project, where Heifer donated dairy goats to improve bloodstock. Heifer animals in the quake zone are mostly goats, pigs and rabbits—small animals because the people have small farms without the ability to support large ruminants.

A number of Heifer China staff was participating in a meeting in Cambodia with their Heifer Asia and South Pacific Area colleagues when the earthquake struck, so all are reported to be safe. Efforts continue to try to reach and to determine the impact on remaining staff, volunteers and project families in the area affected by the earthquake.

Thousands of emergency workers, including soldiers, rushed to reach the affected zones in the hilly region, but progress has been impeded because huge mountain chunks have sheared off and fallen into valleys, blocking roads and making emergency work difficult. Water and power lines have also been cut, making concise communications with the most affected areas difficult.

Residents of communities as far away as 190 miles reported feeling the quake, which struck an area that is mountainous and where architecture is mainly of stone or brick, so earthquakes can be especially devastating.

Saturday’s earthquake is also very close to the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake Area, where Heifer China has been implementing a rehabilitation project since 2008/2009, so it’s likely that many families there were affected in some way by the most recent temblor. More than 87,000 people were killed in that disaster.

Heifer International is working closely with colleagues at Heifer China to determine the whereabouts and safety of staff, volunteer and families, and exploring how the organization might help provide long-term rehabilitative and restorative support to families and others once the emergency response period has passed and the situation is more stable.

China

Because They Are There, So Is Heifer

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Donna Stokes

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Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

CHULIDANDA, Nepal—We (Puja Singh of Heifer Nepal staff, photographer Geoff Oliver Bugbee and Donna Stokes of World Ark) started out the day in Surkhet, Nepal at 6:30 a.m., imagining the headlines that might result from today’s task. It was an uphill climb of nearly 5,000 feet, on steep and arguably treacherous footpaths Nepalis take daily, to one of the most remote soon-to-be Heifer goat projects in the forest near Surkhet in the western region of Nepal.

Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

“World Ark team meets tiger” was our frontrunner imagined headline, as Heifer Nepal staff in this region reported seeing wild tigers not that long ago. Yet as we began to climb what Puja lovingly dubbed “goat mountain,” a different theme emerged.

In Nepal in mid-April, scores of expeditions are arriving in Kathmandu to begin their Mount Everest summit attempts during the short season, many for no other reason than the infamous one—”because it is there.” But our group of Heifer Nepal and headquarters staff was climbing because “they were there,” they being the women and men in need who live at the top and will soon begin training for Heifer’s goat value-chain project.

Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

The first lesson: Goat mountain was very nearly more than this treadmill- and Zumba-trained American could handle. In the more than three hours it took us to climb up to talk with the villagers (not to mention the two hours back down at the end of the day), the women here would have made the whole round trip to fetch water. And they do it twice a day, in the morning starting at 4:30 using flashlights to see the rocky path, and also every evening to haul water for their animals and families.

Stay tuned for a full story on this village’s challenges and plans in a future issue of World Ark magazine.

Heifer Nepal's Puja Singh negotiates the narrow path on the way to Chulidanda, Nepal. Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

Heifer Nepal’s Puja Singh negotiates the narrow path on the way to Chulidanda, Nepal. Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

13 Generations of Passing on the Gift

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Donna Stokes

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Heifer's President and CEO Pierre Ferrari poses with donor and recipient at 13th generation Passing on the Gift ceremony. Photos by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

Heifer’s President and CEO Pierre Ferrari poses with donor and recipient at 13th generation Passing on the Gift ceremony. Photos by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

Photos by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

BHARATPUR, Nepal—A Heifer Passing on the Gift® ceremony is filled with moments of joy and playfulness, more than a touch of chaos and the pure pride of recipients who in an instant become donors to other women in need in their community. Heifer executive staff and Board of Directors members celebrated with hundreds of families in three villages in the Chitwan region of Nepal this week.

President and CEO Pierre Ferrari, in Bharatpur for a 13th generation celebration, took the opportunity to pass on a symbolic goat from San Carlos Alzatate village in Guatemala.

“This goat is a representation of the global community and the solidarity we all have for each other,” Ferrari said, who traveled to Guatemala just before the Nepal trip. “The women in Guatemala want you to know that you are not alone, and they salute your success amid the real challenges that they also face. The key to understand is that together there is nothing we cannot do.”

Heifer Board of Directors Vice Chair Arlene Falk Withers also spoke at the celebration, praising all the women present for their hard work and impressive returns on the investment of animals and training they received from Heifer.

“We want you to know how proud we are of you,” Withers said. “We know that you’ll go on to do tremendous things in the future.”

Over the River and to the Goats

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Donna Stokes

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Heifer Board member Sandra Godden leaps river rocks on her way to the Heifer project village Shaktikhor. Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee.

Heifer Board member Sandra Godden leaps river rocks on her way to the Heifer project village Shaktikhor, with member Efrain Diaz Arrivillaga close on her heels. Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee.

SHAKTIKHOR VILLAGE, Nepal—You don’t have to go far in the Chitwan region of Nepal to get a good look at a goat; they’re everywhere you look. However, to see true innovation in the raising of goats for profit, Shaktikhor village is the place to be. It takes a bit of a stroll to get there, over a river and through farmers’ rice and vegetable fields, but it’s worth the trip.

Heifer Board members and staff walk through being plowed on the way to a project visit. Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

Heifer Board members and staff walk through fields being plowed on the way to a project visit. Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

Several Heifer Board and staff members are in Nepal this week visiting Heifer projects related to a new goat project that will eventually reach 138,000 farmers in 28 districts by 2016.

Through this innovative project, Heifer aims to reduce live goat imports by 30 percent and milk by 10 percent in the same time frame.

In Shaktikhor, Heifer farmers continue their own experimentation, through what’s called a farmer field school, to come up with the right combination of nutritional fodder, minerals, shelter and veterinary care to quickly produce the healthiest goats to be ready to take to market.

For farmers such as Niramala Magar and her husband Som Bahadur Magar, the project is paying off very well. Five years ago, Niramala received Heifer goats, and soon after her husband received animal health care worker training and now serves as an expert to help others in the community.

They started with only five does and now have more than 20, with a goal of having 50 in the next few years. Responding to a question from Heifer Board member Jay Whittmeyer, Som said that when he gets to that level, he believes he can employ others in the village to help him with the enterprise. He also is hopeful his young sons, now 10 and 8 years old, will follow in his footsteps in the goat-raising business.

Som Bahadur Magar and wife Niramala Magar show off kids, one just a couple of days old, in Shaktikhor village. Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

Som Bahadur Magar and wife Niramala Magar show off kids, one just a couple of days old, in Shaktikhor village. Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

“We had been raising goats for years and were not convinced we needed to plant fodder trees and use that method when we first heard about it,” Som said. “Once we started thinking about commercial farming, we decided to test for ourselves what worked best. We have been very keen on calculating every input and benefit it gives. Through our own testing, we found it was definitely more beneficial to follow this advice and began to plant fodder trees.”

The couple says despite all their success, a goat enterprise is not as easy as it looks. They have to take in consideration of pen space for the goats, feed, water and veterinary care, and then still find a way to get the best prices for their animals. Yet Som and Niramala are ready for any challenge. Som, with his village’s cooperative, just opened a small market collection center and is getting out the word that every Tuesday anyone can come to the village to purchase goats.

“I feel it is my responsibility to get a better price for all goat farmers in this area,” Som said.

Heifer Board member Jay Whittmeyer, who is fluent in Nepalese, jokes with children in Shaktikhor. Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

Heifer Board member Jay Whittmeyer, who is fluent in Nepalese, jokes with children in Shaktikhor to get them to smile for a photo. Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

Nepal Women’s Groups Greet Heifer Board in Field—Literally

Posted on April 7, 2013 by Donna Stokes

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Heifer board members and executive staff join members of the Manakamana Women's group in Koluwa, village, Nepal. Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

Heifer board members and staff join members of the Manakamana Women’s Group in Koluwa village, Nepal. Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee.

KOLUWA VILLAGE, Nepal—There’s nothing like seeing the transformation Heifer provides small-farm families up close and personally, which is what several members of the Heifer board and Heifer executive staff are doing this week in a visit to Nepal.

In one day, groups traveled to visit villages soon to be involved with Heifer and then by comparison spent time with fully involved women’s groups such as Manakamana in Koluwa village that are already leading massive change in their communities.

Manakamana Women's Group members are proud of their accomplishments. Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

Manakamana Women’s Group members are proud of their accomplishments. Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

The women here, wearing striking black and white “uniforms,” spoke proudly about the changes in their community since the Heifer project first began. “Before” and “after” maps showed each member’s improved house as well as community improvements such as a child care center, biogas plant, a “wishing pond” and an irrigation project tackled by the men of the village.

Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee.

Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee.

One of the members, Netra Kumari Mahato, said “no one has to be hungry now.”

Board member Franklin Ishida asked the assembled group: “I have seen from your numbers and maps how you have changed economically, but can you share how your lives have changed in your hearts?”

A member responded, “We feel this has been a rebirth for us; we’re very happy from the inner part of our hearts. We have built so much confidence to move forward. Though we didn’t go to school, we don’t feel we are behind now.

“From the help you have given us, we have been able to help others in return. We still have a long ways to go, and we are making plans to continue moving forward.”

The women would have continued to talk about their plans and progress until dark. When their visitors got up to leave, they summoned a drummer and began to dance and sing to celebrate all their hard work. Heifer board members and staff joyfully joined in as you can see in video below. Video and production by Geoff Oliver Bugbee.

NOW I Pass On The Gift

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Kim Nixon

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Passing on the Gift® (POG) is fundamental to our work. It creates a cycle of giving, transforming recipients into donors, and expanding the network of hope, dignity and self-reliance.

For our project participants, it is a joyful experience to pass on the gift of livestock and training. Stories about Heifer’s POGs, like those below, can be found on our website. What amazes me most is that many project participants don’t stop after passing on gifts just once.

They do this by continuing to pass on the gifts of livestock, opening their farms to be training facilities, sharing the training they receive with everyone they meet, and more. They take to heart what it truly means to Pass on the Gift. They are so thankful and proud that they can’t help but tell others.

It is humbling to see project participants pass on part of their livelihood to their neighbors in need, creating a web of support and a world of good. We will end hunger together.

Transforming Recipients into Donors
The goats Manamaya received from Heifer raised her family income and allowed her husband to stay home to work, expanding their goat farm. She passed on two goat kids to women in her community to help them create a better life for their families. Read more.

Cambodia Celebrates Passing on the Gift®

In March, the Disability Development Services Program Organization in Cambodia hosted their Passing on the Gift ceremony where children performed traditional dances and recited poems about the hope they have for a better future. Read more.

Passing on the Gift® Has Ripple Effect

Several 4-H Club coordinators in the Philippines learned about Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development and realized that their work is part of Passing on the Gift®. They help move the youth in their communities to get involved in productive agricultural and economic activities. Read more.

Start a new cycle of giving today.