Category Archives: In Context

In Context: A Look At Heifer Rwanda

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Editor’s note: In Context is a new series designed to inform and educate you on Heifer’s work in each country we have a presence. Every two weeks we’ll tackle a different country and examine unique situations related to hunger and poverty, how Heifer works to address them as well as take some time to explore local culture and traditions.

A laborer transports milk by bicycle up a steep hillside. The daily transport of milk by bicycle to and from the point of production (cow shed) and to market for selling, is very common. After a cow has brought in stable income for a Heifer beneficiary, they can often use the extra income to hire help for this sort of transportation service.
In Rwanda, milk is to be handled with the utmost respect. Drinking milk from a straw is considered taboo.
Tchaida Mukarabibi is a Heifer project participant who received a dairy cow. “My cow from Heifer is a high-producer…of the 12 liters of milk produced per day, I sell off 8 of them. The 4 left are for personal consumption for my family,”
It is customary to name your cow. Mukarabibi has named hers “Inyubahiro”, Kenyarwanda for, “the respected one”.
Channel Cyuzuzo and her family’s cow, “Superbness”.
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In Context: Rwanda

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Editor’s note: In Context is a new series designed to inform and educate you on Heifer’s work in each country we have a presence. Every two weeks we’ll tackle a different country and examine unique situations related to hunger and poverty, how Heifer works to address them as well as take some time to explore local culture and traditions.

Population: 11,689,686

Capital: Kigali

Native greeting: Muraho (Hello)

Official language: Kinyarwanda (official Bantu vernacular), French, English

Local currency: Rwanda Franc

 

 

 

A landlocked nation located in equatorial Africa, Rwanda is mountainous and home to Volcanoes National Park.  

Photo courtesy of John Cooke, Creative Commons

 

In 1959, three years before independence from Belgium, the Hutus, the majority ethnic group, overthrew the ruling Tutsi king. Over the next several years, thousands of Tutsis were killed, and some 150,000 were driven into exile into neighboring countries. The children of these exiles later formed a rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front and began a civil war in 1990. The war, along with several political and economic upheavals, exacerbated ethnic tensions culminating in April 1994 with the genocide of roughly 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

Tutsi rebels defeated the Hutu regime and ended the killing in July 1994, but approximately 2 million Hutu refugees – many fearing Tutsi retribution – fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire).

Since then, most of the refugees have returned to Rwanda. Despite substantial international assistance and political reforms – including Rwanda’s first local elections in March 1999 – the country continues to struggle to boost investment and agricultural output and to foster reconciliation.

Historically, the primary economic activities in Rwanda have been agriculture and livestock management.

Heifer Rwanda

Livestock portfolio: Dairy cattle, dairy goats, meat goats, pigs, rabbits and sheep

Technology portfolio: Biogas, energy saving stoves, water harvesting, organic vegetable and mushroom gardens

Issues addressed: Poverty and hunger

Heifer Rwanda was established in 2000 with a grant from USAID working in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources.  Program implementation did not begin until May 2001 due to an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, suspending work with livestock until the outbreak was cleared.  During this period, farmers were being trained in sustainable agricultural practices, which included the zero grazing system of farming, terracing of hillsides and planting of fodder trees for animal feeds and nitrogen fixation to improve soil fertility.

Currently, Heifer Rwanda is implementing International Fund for Agricultural Development and African Development Bank funded projects through collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources.  Heifer Rwanda is also working with Partners In Health where Heifer Rwanda distributes goats and training, while PIH provides medical treatment for those suffering with HIV/AIDS and TB to project participant families.

Since 2000 Heifer Rwanda has assisted 7,000 families.

 

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In Context: Save the Rainforests!

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Editor’s note: In Context is a new series designed to inform and educate you on Heifer’s work in each country we have a presence. Every two weeks we’ll tackle a different country and examine unique situations related to hunger and poverty, how Heifer works to address them as well as take some time to explore local culture and traditions.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons tauntingpanda

The rainforests are still in trouble. By the time you finish reading this blog, about 200 football fields worth of rainforest will be torn down.

Once upon a time, rainforests covered 14% of the earth’s surface. Today, they only cover 6% and scientists say that they’ll be gone within the next 40 years.

The Amazon rainforest or the “Lungs of our Planet” covers over a billion acres and produces more than 20% of the world’s oxygen. If it were a country it’d be the ninth largest in the world.

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons, JorgeBRAZIL

Almost half of the world’s species of plants, animals and microorganisms are found in the rainforests. Experts estimate that we lose 137 plant, animal and insect species everyday– that’s 50,000 species a year. Bad news for the earth and for us humans because right now, at least 121 prescription drugs that are sold worldwide come from plant-derived sources. 25% of western medicines are derived from rainforest resources but less than 1% of these tropical tree and plant species have even been tested by scientists. Think of all the cures just waiting to be discovered and those that we’ll never know about because of all the plant species that are extinct due to humans.

Experts agree that by leaving the rainforests intact and harvesting it’s resources- fruits, nuts, oils and medicinal plants, it would provide more economic value than if we were to cut down the forests to make grazing land or for timber.

Click on the infographic below to learn more about the Amazon rainforest deforestation.

Infographic on Amazon Rainforest Depletion

We can do our part in helping to save the rainforests by creating demand for sustainable rainforest products. We can all be part of the solution in saving one of the world’s most precious natural resource.

 

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In Context: Snapshots

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Editor’s note: In Context is a new series designed to inform and educate you on Heifer’s work in each country we have a presence. Every two weeks we’ll tackle a different country and examine unique situations related to hunger and poverty, how Heifer works to address them as well as take some time to explore local culture and traditions.

Take a peek into the lives of Heifer project participants in Brazil.

Diego Pereira de Souza cutting grass to feed his family’s animals.

A Heifer project participant tending to her nursery.

 

Raquel Mikaeli Lucindo de Silva holding a baby goat. Her family received one goat and one sheep.

A cashew tree.

 

Brazilian farmers typically store their seeds in a seed bank like this one:

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In Context: Spotlight on Rural Poverty in Brazil

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Editor’s note: In Context is a new series designed to inform and educate you on Heifer’s work in each country we have a presence. Every two weeks we’ll tackle a different country and examine unique situations related to hunger and poverty, how Heifer works to address them as well as take some time to explore local culture and traditions.

In the last 20 years, the Brazilian government has successfully halved poverty in Brazil. Despite this great move forward, incidences of extreme poverty still persist, particularly in rural Brazil.

5% of the urban population is classified as living in extreme poverty while 25% of the rural poor live in extreme poverty. Nearly half of all poor rural households are made up of smallholder farmers. And half of those farmers are landless, relying on odd jobs to for income.

Photo courtesy of Heifer International

Brazil’s Northeast region is the poorest and least developed area in the country and hosts the most concentrated population of rural poverty in all of Latin America. This area, known as the Sertão is semi-arid and is prone to erratic rainfall, causing either flooding or drought.  Many of the farmers in this region migrate to Sao Paolo or Rio de Janeiro in search of work.

Facts and Figures:

  • Brazil’s number one cause of rural poverty is inequality in land tenure
  • Only a few farmers own good, arable land.
  • 75% of the rural labor force is employed
  • Small-scale agriculture produces 50% of the country’s food supply
  • 27% of rural households are headed by women
  • Child labor is common among households in rural Brazil

An infographic from Columbia Water Center illustrates the effects of water-based issues in Northeast Brazil:

 

Source: IFAD

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In Context: Brazil

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Editor’s note: In Context is a new series designed to inform and educate you on Heifer’s work in each country we have a presence. Every two weeks we’ll tackle a different country and examine unique situations related to hunger and poverty, how Heifer works to address them as well as take some time to explore local culture and traditions.

Population: 190 Million
Native greeting: Como vai voce? (How’s it going?)
Capital: Brasilia
Official language: Portuguese
Local currency: Real

Overview:

Brazil is the only Portuguese speaking country in the Americas. The population is made up of multiple ethnic groups with African, Portuguese, Italian, German, Spanish and Japanese being a large percentage. 74% of the population is Roman Catholic.

With the exception of Chile and Ecuador, Brazil borders every country in South America. It is the largest nation on the continent. Brazil is divided with the highlands in the south and the Amazon River Basin in the north. With a mostly tropical climate, it’s host to 5 climatic subtypes- equatorial, tropical, semi-arid, highland tropical, temperate and subtropical.

In recent years, Brazil has shown impressive growth. It is the largest economy in Latin America and the seventh largest economy in the world. Thanks to this growth and an increasing political focus on poverty,  about 40 million Brazilians have been able to step out of poverty in the last decade. However, inequality still remains and Brazil is home to some of the largest and most dangerous slums ( or favelas) in the world.

Even with 36% of the population living under the poverty line, Brazil is considered to have high human development with a HDI (Human Development Index) ranking at 85 out of 187.

Photo courtesy of Heifer International

Heifer’s Approach 

Livestock portfolio: Goats, poultry, cattle, hogs, fruit trees and vegetable seeds

Technology portfolio: Flood cisterns and underground water reservoirs

Issues addressed: Social inequality, poverty, local food production and conservation

Photo courtesy of Heifer International

Heifer began its work in Brazil in 2005 to promote sustainable food systems encompassing everything from agro-ecological production, transformation of communities through smallholder farms, marketing and consumption of healthy foods.

An emphasis is placed on taking social action by forming organizations to lessen social disparities among the middle class and small farmers, rural and urban communities and native populations.

Heifer is present in the northern states of Bahía, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Alagoas, Sergipe, Río Grande do Norte, Ceará, Piauí and Maranhão, as well as Paraná, Santa Catarina and Río Grande do Sul in the south.

To learn more about Heifer Brazil and other countries we work in, visit www.heifer.org

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In Context: Spice Things Up

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Editor’s note: In Context is a new series designed to inform and educate you on Heifer’s work in each country we have a presence. Every two weeks we’ll tackle a different country and examine unique situations related to hunger and poverty, how Heifer works to address them as well as take some time to explore local culture and traditions.

Indian food is rich, aromatic and very, very flavorful. The key to Indian cuisine lies in five spices: Turmeric, Red Chili, Cumin, Mustard seeds and Coriander.

Traditional Indian spice box, aka "masala dabba" Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

In addition to being responsible for a bonafide flavor explosion, these spices have been used to cure various ailments since ancient times.

Photo by Steve Jackson courtesy of Creative Commons

Turmeric has been used for over 2500 years in India.

Known for its anti-inflammatory properties, this spice:

  • Has antiseptic qualities and is used in disinfecting cuts and burns
  • Helps prevent the spread of cancer, studies have shown that it prevents breast cancer from spreading to the lungs in mice
  • Detoxifies the liver
  • Is a natural painkiller
  • Slows down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease
  • Aids in fat metabolism

Cumin is an antioxidant and is thought to prevent osteoporosis. Studies are being done on the spice’s effect on diabetes. When orally dosed, its effect on diabetes in lab mice show that cumin prevented cataracts.

Photo by Gusjer courtesy of Creative Commons

Not a fan of curry? You can still incorporate cumin in your diet by substituting it for black pepper.

Coriander (the seeds of the cilantro plant) has components of 11 essential oils and six types of acids, ascorbic acid, better known as vitamin C, is one of them. Coriander is anti-carcinogenic, anti-convulsant and anti-histaminic.

Photo by Steve Jackson courtesy of Creative Commons

Among other ailments, it is used to treat:

  • Swelling
  • High Cholesterol
  • Mouth ulcers
  • Anemia (as it has a high iron content)
  • Indigestion

 

Mustard seeds are among the oldest known herbal remedies. They’re a great source of selenium, magnesium and omega 3 fatty acids, and like the other spices, it is an anti-inflammatory. Other benefits include:

Photo by WordRidden courtesy of Creative Commons

  • Migraine relief
  • Improved digestion
  • Improved metabolism
  • Help with insomnia and anxiety
  • Improved hair quality and prevents hair loss (just massage some mustard oil onto the scalp)

Capsaicin, the active ingredient in chili peppers (and what makes it hot), offers a ton of health benefits. The more capsaicin a pepper has, the hotter, and, if you can handle the heat, the better it is for you.

Capsaicin:

Photo by Cam Vilay courtesy of Creative Commons

  • Fights Cancer. A study done on cancer research has shown that, when tested on mice, capsaicin causes cancer cells to “commit suicide”
  • Manages pain. It inhibits Substance P– a key transmitter of pain to the brain. Substance P also causes your nerves to swell which can result in headaches and sinus pain
  • Relieves congestion. The heat stimulates secretions that help to clear your nose, relieving nasal congestion. When consumed regularly, aids in the prevention of chronic sinus infections
  • Fights inflammation. It’s being looked at as a potential treatment for arthritis and psoriasis
  • Protects you heart. It reduces cholesterol and triglycerides. Cultures around the world that use hot peppers more frequently than others suffer lower rates of heart attacks and stroke.
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In Context: Malnutrition in India

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Editor’s note: In Context is a new series designed to inform and educate you on Heifer’s work in each country we have a presence. Every two weeks we’ll tackle a different country and examine unique situations related to hunger and poverty, how Heifer works to address them as well as take some time to explore local culture and traditions.

Photo courtesy of Babasteve, Creative Commons

Maltnutrition is more common in India than in Sub-Saharan Africa.

  • In the world, one child in every three that is malnourished lives in India.
  • 47% of Indian children under the age of five are moderately or severely malnourished

Last week’s post helped us to understand malnutrition on a large-scale. Today, we’re looking at malnutrition as it relates to India and its children.

There are an estimated 146 million children living in India. Of those children,

  • 57% of children are deficient in Vitamin A, increasing blindness and death among the preschool population
  • 70% of children are anemic
  • There has been a 13% increase in iodine deficiency, decreasing learning capacity. Less than 50% of all Indian households use iodized salt

About 61 million Indian children have stunted growth and they account for 34% of the world’s under age 5 population. In these instances, malnutrition is inherited.

1/3 of Indian women are underweight and receiving inadequate nutrition. Consequently, when these women are pregnant, they give birth to low birthweight babies– in fact, nearly 30% of newborns in India are underweight. This makes them more susceptible to disease and further malnutrition. The most crippling effects of malnutrition occur during pregnancy and in the first two years of a child’s life. After two years, the damage done is irreversible, making pre-natal care and newborn nutrition critically important.

Photo courtesy of CIDSE, Creative Commons

Despite recent rapid growth in India (the GDP has more than doubled since the early 1990s), the malnutrition rate has only decreased slightly. One of India’s Millenium Development Goals was to halve malnutrition by 2015. However, economic, environmental and social disparities make that goal difficult to achieve.

  • Children under five in rural areas are more likely to be underweight than those living in urban centers
  • Low-caste children have less to eat than high-caste children
  • Women are expected to eat less than men and usually wait to eat until after the men have finished dining

Children from wealthier families suffer from malnutrition not because they don’t have enough to eat, but because they’re not being fed correctly. In this case, the solution is to not make more food available but to educate parents on how to feed their children well-balanced, healthy diets.

For further reading, check out this recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald that tells the story of a rural Indian family and the effects of malnutrition on their children.

 

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In Context: Malnutrition 101

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Editor’s note: In Context is a new series designed to inform and educate you on Heifer’s work in each country we have a presence. Every two weeks we’ll tackle a different country and examine unique situations related to hunger and poverty, how Heifer works to address them as well as take some time to explore local culture and traditions.

According to the World Health Organization, malnutrition affects one in three people worldwide and each of its forms kills more people globally than any other disease. It affects all age groups, but is especially common among the poor and those with inadequate access to health education, clean water and proper sanitation.

These are the facts:

  • Over 925 million people go to bed hungry every night
  • Every 6 seconds a child dies from malnutrition and related causes
  • Chronic food deficit affects 20% of the population in developing countries
  • More than 70% of children with protein-energy malnutrition live in Asia, 26% live in Africa, and 4% in Latin America and the Caribbean

Malnutrition, which exists even when hunger isn’t present, is when you lack the nutrients that your body needs to develop and grow. The two don’t always go hand in hand. There are instances where there is plenty to eat but one is still malnourished because the food that’s available or being consumed is not providing the body with the right nutrients it needs to be healthy and function. Clinically, malnutrition is characterized by inadequate or excess intake of protein, energy and micronutrients such as vitamins, and the frequent infections and disorders that result.

People who suffer from malnutrition are more likely to get sick and, in severe cases, often die from it. The percentage of deaths caused by malnutrition is unmatched by any other infectious disease since the Black Death. 

One is considered malnourished if:

  • They are unable to completely utilize the food they eat due to an illness. This is called secondary malnutrition. Food is not the answer to curing secondary malnutrition as illnesses like frequent diarrhea prevents your body from absorbing nutrients
  • Diet does not provide adequate calories and protein to grow and maintain the body, known as under nutrition or protein-energy malnutrition. It’s harder to recover from illness or disease in this case as your body needs more protein to recover than is normal. Protein-energy malnutrition contributes to half of all under-five deaths every year in developing countries
And, just to be clear, malnutrition means “bad” nutrition not “not enough” nutrition. Overnutrition is a form of malnutrition where too many calories are consumed. This is when the body is overloaded with nutrients and cannot process them effectively, resulting in obesity or vitamin poisoning

Effects of malnutrition:

  • Marasmus, which is the wasting of fat, muscle and other tissues
  • Cretinism and irreversible brain damage due to iodine deficiency, also causes mental retardation, delayed development and blindness in severe cases
  • Blindness and increased risk of infection and death from vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A deficiency is the biggest cause of preventable blindness in the developing world. Children in developing countries who have a severe vitamin A deficiency as a result of malnutrition have a greater chance of getting sick or of dying from infections such as diarrhea and measles.
  • Anemia, caused by iron deficiency, is estimated to affect more than 2 billion people worldwide. Iron deficiency can cause a person to be less active and less able to concentrate. Students who are malnourished often have trouble keeping up in school.

Here’s a handy infographic from www.alltop.com that describes what happens when you have too much or too little of something:

Oh, and one last (not so) little fact?  The world produces enough food to feed everyone in it.

Hunger and malnutrition can be stopped. You can pitch in today by visiting the Heifer Gift Catalog. To learn more on how Heifer works to end hunger, click here.

 

 

 

 

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In Context: India

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Editor’s note: In Context is a new series designed to inform and educate you on Heifer’s work in each country we have a presence. Every two weeks we’ll tackle a different country and examine unique situations related to hunger and poverty, how Heifer works to address them as well as take some time to explore local culture and traditions.

Written by Avni Malhotra, Country Representative, Heifer India

Population: 1.2 Billion

Native greeting: Namaskar (Salutations)

Capital: New Delhi

Official language: There are 16 official languages but Hindi and English are the most widely spoken

Local currency: Indian Rupee

The Republic of India is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with more than 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. Home to the ancient Indus Valley civilization and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. Four of the world’s major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism—originated here, while Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam arrived in the first millennium and shaped the region’s diverse culture. Gradually annexed by the British East India Company from the early 18th century and colonized by the United Kingdom from the mid-19th century, India became an independent nation in 1947 after a struggle for independence which was marked by a non-violent resistance led by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.

India is a federal constitutional republic with a parliamentary democracy consisting of 28 states and seven union territories. A pluralistic, multilingual and multiethnic society where more than 400 languages are spoken, India is also home to a diversity of wildlife in a variety of protected habitats.

Economically India has the world’s eleventh largest economy by nominal GDP and the fourth largest by purchasing power parity. Since the introduction of market-based economic reforms in 1991, India has become one of the fastest growing major economies in the world, but the country continues to face severe poverty, illiteracy, corruption and public health related challenges.

The figure related to how many are poor in India has been a subject of debate. According to the latest government figures 29.8% of the population was poor in 2009-10. But studies show different estimates made by different methods. A more recent study states that the population living below $ 2 a day is 75.6% of the 1.2 billion.

Poverty in India is a major issue. Rural Indians depend on unpredictable agriculture incomes, while urban Indians rely on jobs that are, at best, scarce. Since its independence, the issue of poverty within India has remained a prevalent concern. More than 75% of poor people reside in villages.

For these poor people who live in the rural areas, agriculture is their main source of income. Developments in this sector thus impact the rural poor. In the 1960s India had a revolution in agriculture that boosted its productivity, popularly known as the “Green Revolution”. In the 1980s another breakthrough was the cooperative movement in the dairy sector, popularly known as the “White Revolution” or Operation Flood. Since then, India is waiting for a breakthrough that will enhance production to feed the growing population. The imbalance between the production and consumption of food leads to a tentativeness which results in disturbances in the supply chain leading to rises in prices of essential commodities. Also enhanced productivity is required to feed the growing numbers, especially the marginalized populations.

Photo courtesy of Heather Buckley, Creative Commons

The Structure of the society lends itself to discrimination. As has been described earlier, the society is pluralistic and the long history is witness to the fact that at some point or another one or the other community dominated and ruled the country. Thus, there is a long history and many factors that divide this nation socially. This is a major weakness in the economy, that growth is not perceived as being sufficiently inclusive for many groups, especially Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and minorities. In addition to gender inequality also remains a pervasive problem and some of the structural changes taking place have an adverse effect on women. For these marginalized groups [SC and ST, minority and women], the rate in decline in poverty has not accelerated along with the growth. The absolute number of people living under the poverty line has also not decreased (320 million in 1993-1994 to 302 million in 2004-2005).

In India, women as a whole have a lower status than their male counterparts. They are not only subjected to the rigors of traditional social structure but are also neglected in terms of food and health care from early childhood. Gender inequality is therefore distinct from other forms of economic and social inequalities. It dwells not only outside the household but also centrally within it. Gender inequality has adverse impact on development goals as it reduces economic growth. It hampers the overall well-being because it blocks women from participation in social, political and economic activities. This can adversely affect the whole society. India has witnessed gender inequality from its early history due to its socio-economic and religious practices that resulted in a wide gap between the position of men and women in the society.

Though there is reduction in gender discrimination by the efforts made by government policies but still there are loopholes in the society and policy implementation at the grass root level to address gender issues. As persistent gender inequalities continue we need to rethink concepts and strategies for promoting women’s dignity and rights.

India is among the world’s most disaster prone areas with a population of more than one billion. The geographical statistics of India show that almost 57% of the land is vulnerable to earthquakes; 28% to drought; 8% to cyclones and 12% to floods.

Heifer Approach 

Livestock portfolio: Goats, chickens and cows

Technology portfolio: Rain water harvesting tanks, improved cooking stoves, microcredit lending programs and self help groups

Issues addressed: Women’s empowerment and livelihood promotion

The main focus has been to work with communities that have the greatest need for assistance. The program tries to encompass all the interrelated forces within a community in order to ensure full participation and build solidarity.

Heifer projects are implemented through NGO partners. This allows for a continuous and two-way flow of information, resources and support among the project groups, project partners and Heifer. Prior to Heifer’s involvement in the community, the partner NGO facilitates the community members to form self-help groups which undertake savings and credit activities and hold monthly meetings.

Women are the direct project participants through whom the entire family benefits. This mechanism aims to empower women to end the deep-rooted gender discrimination in the society.

The 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development are the time-tested principles that enable the community to assess and realize its own potential to achieve holistic development. Passing on the Gift is the main value that encourages participants to share their inputs and learning with others similar to them.

Building on the valuable experience of working with the communities, Heifer has learnt that real development goes beyond distributing physical inputs and technical trainings and thus propagates the Values based Holistic Community Development (VBHCD) model. This model recognizes the need to empower communities for a sustainable and self-reliant society. It builds on the strengths and values that are innate in every culture and society and encourages people to see themselves as having strengths and values rather than seeing themselves in a situation of hopeless poverty.

Using livestock and technical trainings as entry tools Heifer forms a relationship with the community and then works as a catalyst for holistic transformation, according to the community’s vision. The model addresses the interrelated elements of poverty, enabling individuals to take charge of their individual and community development. Once the project participants begin to take charge of their own development, the program’s impact becomes boundless and goes beyond the initial inputs.

 


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