Category Archives: What to Give 2012

Why Water Buffalo?

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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.

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Rabbits Provide Vital Source of Income

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As one of the most popular pets in America, rabbits fill many roles here—pet, cartoon character, Easter egg porter.

But for many families rabbits are more than just cute animals; they create a vital source of income.

Rabbits Make a Great Gift

Photo by Russell Powell, courtesy of Heifer International.

The small animals rely on simple foods, such as grass and vegetables, to eat, and they do not require large areas of land to thrive. Moreover, the manure they produce fertilizes the land and enhances its productivity, a hugely valuable asset for a smallholder farmer.

These sturdy animals reproduce swiftly; they can have six litters of four to 12 babies, or kits, each year. Additionally, the offspring mature quickly, which means Heifer participants can Pass on the Gift in a few months, compared to the year or two it takes to share the offspring of a larger animal, such as a cow.

A gift of a rabbit transforms a family’s life, providing extra income for to buy more and better food, access health care and pay children’s school fees.

Anthonio Louis Fritznel organized a group of peers to raise rabbits to improve the La Sucrerie community in southern Haiti. Watch this video and see the impact rabbits can make on a community.

This holiday season, consider giving a trio of rabbits to help more people like Anthonio.

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? Visit our full catalog page here.

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A Healthy Home Is Key to Healthy Living

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A healthy home is a big step on the path to healthy living, and it is a key component of Heifer International projects. Not only does the increased income our families see allow for money to be spent on much-needed improvements to their homes, Heifer includes trainings to teach the needed skills and facilitates camaraderie that often results in participants helping each other complete tasks that would otherwise seem out of the question.

As I was writing this blog and looking through the project photos, I was struck by the differences in the homes around the world. I love that Heifer doesn’t go in and change this cultural uniqueness, but adapts. A healthier, happier home is the goal.


When you give a Heifer gift, it’s not just a cow, or a goat, or even a llama. It’s a new way of life filled with hope and promise. It leads to healthy living where there was once a struggle for basic survival. Food, water and shelter are all important to healthy living, and all are components of Heifer International projects.

healthy home

A noticeable improvement in the Pacoricona's kitchen before and after.

Take the Pacoriconas, for example. They live in Peru near Puno and Lake Titicaca, and are part of a Healthy Homes initiative that trains and distributes supplies to improve the living conditions of participating families. The Pacoriconas first built a model of their home and went through trainings, then started construction. Today they have a new house with an improved kitchen, refrigerator, neatly organized bedrooms, a tool shed and an outhouse, as well as spaces inside the house to maintain their personal hygiene and study. An animal shelter and family garden were also added. Imagine this being accomplished in entire communities. This will undoubtedly allow those participating to enjoy more healthy living.

Donate to help families afford healthy living conditions. This gift will support projects that give families the opportunities to earn the income they need for healthy living by purchasing roofing materials, bricks, concrete for floors and so much more.

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.

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Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

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Why did the chicken cross the road? To meet up with the duck and goose on their way to ending hunger and poverty around the world, of course. That may not be how you remember the story, but it is happening every day thanks to generous donors like you.

Photo courtesy of Heifer International

Rudik, a 12-year-old and the “man of the family” since his father died several years ago, learned how to run a business and take care of chickens as a member of Heifer’s Yes! Youth Clubs in Armenia. Now he has a growing chicken farm and dreams of providing his mother and sister with ever comfort of a happy life.

Huynh Van Thong, 11 year old, holds a duck in the Tan Hung Commune of Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Heifer International.

Sarom Chou and her husband live with their four children in Cambodia. They once depended on rice to live, but it was never enough. They now raise ducks and chickens. They use the manure for compost, improving their land quality and crop production, and use the increased crop production to feed their animals. It’s a win-win. Sarom said, “Before joining the project, we only had income from our small grocery shop, but now we have diversified income from homestead gardening and poultry that keeps increasing. We have enough money to invest in our children’s education.”

source: www.incredibleegg.org

Chickens, duck and geese provide many benefits including manure and additional income, as mentioned above; but even more important for the families now eating more eggs are the vitamins and protein they are receiving. As you can see in the chart, you can’t beat the protein from eggs.

Eggs contain all the essential protein, minerals and vitamins, except Vitamin C. Egg yolks are one of few foods that naturally contain Vitamin D. Eggs also contain choline, which is necessary for healthy cell membranes in the body. Choline stimulates brain development and function and helps preserve memory. Eggs also are good for your eyes because they contain lutein, which helps prevents age-related cataracts and muscular degeneration. In fact, eggs contain more lutein than spinach and other green vegetables.

And who doesn’t love eggs?

Photo courtesy of Heifer International

Donate to help impoverished families have eggs every day with chickens, ducks or geese today.

Protein-packed eggs from these small animals can make a life-saving difference. Imagine what a flock can do.

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.

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Water: One of the Basic Human Rights

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Nine-year-old Rahim pumps water in Kilulu village.

Nine-year-old Rahim pumps water in Kilulu village.

Water is a natural resource that I use regularly and never have to think much about. It’s a given that the clean, safe and refreshing liquid will flow freely from any of the several faucets in my house at any time I choose.

Not everyone is so fortunate. An estimated 780 million people don’t have access to clean water. That’s equal to two and a half times the population of the United States.

Through Resolution 64/292, the United Nations General Assembly recognized the human right to water and sanitation on July 28, 2010, calling this human right “essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights.” It further “calls upon States and international organizations to provide financial resources, capacity-building and technology transfer, through international assistance and cooperation, in particular to developing countries, in order to scale up efforts to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all.”

Source: http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/human_right_to_water.shtml

Water shortage packs a powerful punch. Compromised access to water, let alone clean water, leads to undernourished communities and even famine. Residents of developing countries around the world face this life and death challenge every single day.

Heifer International understands the necessity of clean, safe water for hygiene and home consumption, as well as raising healthy livestock and gardens. That’s why we work with families all over the world to ensure reliable access to an abundance of water that is free from dangerous, disease-causing microorganisms, pollution and chemicals.

Cisterns installed in Maniche, Haiti, make it possible for residents like Louis Desira, a tailor, to spend more time and energy on his profession than walking four kilometers each day to fetch water.

Members of Heifer’s Improving Farm Households’ Capacity in Long Phu District, Soc Trang Province in Vietnam have saved money to build hand-pumped wells. Thanks to this project, residents no longer carry unsafe water from the local river to their village every day because the wells provide clean water for drinking, cooking and bathing.

When communities have wells full of clean water at their disposal, they can implement innovations that contribute to good hygiene. Check out the highly affordable tippy tap hand-washing system Heifer project participants are using in African countries like Uganda and Zambia.

We live in a world of plenty, yet there are so many who struggle every day to survive without sufficient access to water – one of the most fundamental needs and basic human rights. The good news is there are solutions. Heifer International works diligently with partner organizations and families all over the world to end hunger, poverty, water shortages and related issues through methods that are innovative, effective and proven.

This Human Rights Day, give the gift of clean drinking water.

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Find Great Christmas Presents With Heifer International

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It’s the time of year when many of us are scrambling to find the right Christmas presents. (It’s eighteen days away, but who’s counting?)

You can make Christmas shopping more fun, though, with our new online experience, called “Heifer International’s Christmas Wish List.” It lets you and your family explore the joy and the meaning behind gifts of animals and other resources to families in need.

Christmas Presents from Heifer

The Wish List has videos, photos from the field, fun facts and an interactive storybook for kids. It’s a great reminder that the spirit of the season is one of brotherhood, hope and generosity. Giving a Heifer International animal as a Christmas present is a truly meaningful way to honor your loved ones, since every gift helps families in poverty and hunger by providing nutrition and income-generating products.Heifer International Christmas storybook

Heifer’s Christmas Wish List is your shortcut to gift ideas that have transformative benefits for the people who receive them. You can watch a delightful “sheep’s-eye-view” video to learn about the benefits of donating a sheep, or find a special Christmas recipe from the Philippines that reinforces the importance of nutrition. You can also see the impact of Heifer International’s work with women in India, where wives are getting help with housework from their husbands for the first time.

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Llamas: Funny Looking, Seriously Improving Lives

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Sure, llamas and alpacas are fun to look at. Those big eyes, buck teeth, lanky necks make for quite a sight. I’ve always had a thing for their goofy faces, thick coats of fur and quirky personalities.

llamas

Photo by Jake Lyell, courtesy of Heifer International

Not only are they fun to look at, they are very important to the people living in the Andes Mountains of South America. Like their distant cousin the camel, they are pack animals and can travel far with little water. They eat many different types of vegetation and are durable and dependable even in the sparse mountainous terrain of the rural highlands.

Photo by Jake Lyell, courtesy of Heifer International

In addition to doing hard labor as beasts of burden, llamas and alpacas make a huge impact on many aspects of life in the Andes. Their wool is used to make coats, scarves and clothes to keep families warm. The wool is grease-free, warm and luxurious, so it is very marketable, and families can earn a steady income by selling it to others.

Photos by Christian DeVries, courtesy of Heifer International

Llamas have a relatively low protein requirement and an efficient digestive system (similar to a cow), they are easier to feed than other animals that size. Their calm nature also makes them easier to handle. They are sure-footed and make good pack animals. You may be surprised to learn that their two-toed foot and soft pad gives them a low environmental impact, especially for their size. How about that? Environmentally friendly feet. A perfect animal for Heifer coincides with our mission to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth.

Llama and Woman

Photo by Russell Powell, courtesy of Heifer International

Because of harsh conditions in the rural highlands, many people are living here in poverty. Heifer International has targeted this population and their livelihoods by helping increase the genetic diversity of their alpacas and llamas, improving fodder crops and distributing new livestock. Along with the gifts of llamas, participants receive trainings to better care for their animals themselves and to improve all aspects of their lives.

Give the gift of a llama now.

You’ll be providing a struggling family with a lifetime of opportunities.

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.

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Camels: An Extreme Animal Makes an Extreme Gift

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The land where Heifer International works in northern Tanzania is so parched in the dry season that dust devils assault the landscape. This is where camels can become lifesavers, as one man discovered.Dusty dry season in northern Tanzania

Elijah Lemayan Sokino joined a Heifer International camel project ten years ago designed to deal with the effects of periodic drought in the area. His family, like other Masai, depended on goats and cattle for their livelihood, but in years when the rains didn’t come, the cattle died. For the semi-nomadic people, this was distressing and perilous.

Mr. Camel

 

Even though the new camels were big and unfamiliar, Elijah stuck with them. He learned to love them. When drought struck again a few years later, families who had dismissed the animals returned to him, seeing that the camels survived when their own cattle did not. Worried they would starve, Elijah redistributed his camels to them.

Now, the family’s camels produce milk that sells for a good price in nearby towns, and people in the area call Elijah “Mr. Camel.”

You can help other families get this kind of independence with the gift of a camel.

Some things you may not know about these amazing creatures:

Camel in Tanzania
Camels can eat almost anything
  • Camels can survive in environments with very little water and can eat vegetation other animals can’t.
  • Camels can drink up to 25 gallons of water at a time.
  • Camel’s milk has three times as much Vitamin C as cow’s milk, and is rich in iron, unsaturated fatty acids and B vitamins.
  • Camel hair can be woven into rugs and tents, and their manure can be burned for fuel.
  • There are about ten times as many Dromedary camels (the ones with one hump) as Bactrian (with two humps), and most of them live in the Horn of Africa or Middle East.
  • Camels have been called the “ships of the desert” for their ability to carry large loads across the sand.

You can give a gift unlike any other this holiday with a Heifer International camel.

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.

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This Giving Tuesday, Give a Biogas Stove

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It’s fall, and this is my favorite time of year. One of my favorite things about this season is spending time outside by a fire. If you’ve ever cooked over a campfire, you know it can be fun for a time, but let’s be honest — no one really enjoys getting smoke in their eyes. When I get back to “civilization,” I’m always thankful for conveniences like central heating and a modern kitchen.

Biogas needed

Photo courtesy of Heifer International.

Now, I want to you to imagine that your only option for cooking is a fire — not an enclosed stove, but an open fire in a pit in the center of your dirt floor. You certainly grow tired of getting smoke in your eyes, but you have bigger problems: Your family begins to experience health problems after prolonged exposure to the smoke, and you live with the constant worry that one of your small children might fall into the fire.

In many of the places where Heifer International works, this is a daily reality. In addition to the health and safety concerns, there is the threat of deforestation as trees are cut for firewood. Moreover, the task of gathering firewood usually falls on women and girls. The time they spend at this chore could be better spent caring for their families or pursuing an education.

Biogas stove in action

A biogas stove in Uganda in action. Photo by Russell Powell, courtesy of Heifer International.

But thanks to an ingenious thing called biogas, this is starting to change. Through a relatively-simple process, Heifer’s project participants can capture methane gas (a byproduct of livestock manure) and use it to power stoves, lanterns and even small generators. Our biogas program in Uganda recently received recognition from InterAction, which honored the program with its Best Practice award.

Although many of us take these things for granted, safe and clean means of cooking or lighting can have a tremendous impact on a family. In this video, a young family in Cameroon shows us around their small farm’s biogas plant, sharing a first-hand account of how this innovation is helping them break out of poverty and giving them hope for the future.

Today we celebrate Giving Tuesday, a day when we look past the flurry of traditional holiday shopping and think of ways to help those who are less fortunate. This year, Heifer International is offering biogas stoves in our holiday gift catalog, and for just $50 you can honor a loved one with a gift that will help a family get clean, reliable and efficient energy. So why not give a biogas stove today? Imagine the look on the face of that special someone when they realize they got a biogas stove for their holiday gift.

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. If you’re interested in learning more about the technology behind biogas, read our previous posts, “Build Your Own Biogas Generator” and “How to Make Biogas at Home.”

 

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Shop for Sheep

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Cotton is fine, I suppose, and hemp and linen are nice although hard to work with. Acrylic and polyester? No, thanks. When it’s time to pick up the knitting needles, sheep’s wool is almost always my yarn of choice—perfectly stretchy, durable and nearly waterproof.

Yarn snobs like me aren’t the only fans. Families around the world rely on sheep to provide

A Bolivian shepherd tends his flock. Photo by Christian DeVries

the wool that keeps them clothed and warm. And wouldn’t the gift of warmth be a great thing to share this holiday season? Tending a flock that started with a few Heifer-provided animals is helping Bernardo Zapata-Gonzales feed and clothe his family in the chilly highlands of Churubamba, Bolivia.

It’s easy to forget that fuzzy, fluffy sheep, those staples of county fairs, aren’t the only breed. You might be surprised to know that hair sheep, the doppelganger of white goats, are popular in West African countries like Senegal, where their meat is prized and their biology makes them an easy fit for the dry, sparse landscape.

Sheep mill around their shady, covered enclosure in Fandene village, Senegal. Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee

And don’t forget to add milk to a sheep’s list of contributions. People have been milking sheep longer than they’ve been milking cows. Sheep’s milk is more easily digested by humans, and has more calcium, potassium and magnesium than cow’s milk. Most of the sheep milk produced in the world is used to make cheese, yogurt and ice cream.

So if you’re a knitter who hasn’t quite gotten around to making all the mittens and scarves you’d planned to give as gifts, maybe you’ll consider a sheep, instead. Donate a sheep today.

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.

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