Climate Change and the Hungry

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Annie Bergman

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In the last few years we’ve seen how the changing climate has affected vulnerable people and places. Famine was declared in Somalia last year after the annual rains failed. Millions more are on the brink of famine in the Sahel right now for similar reasons. Food prices jumped at the beginning of 2012 after an extremely cold winter in Europe drove up the price wheat and extreme heat in Southern Africa did the same for maize and other crops.

If these trends continue, it’s possible that the number of hungry will rise by 20% according to the World Health Organization. The numbers were announced at last week’s Rio+20 summit in Brazil.

From the article: The WHO analysis shows that of the 495 million women and children under age 5 who are undernourished, 150 million live in Africa, 315 million in Asia and 30 million in Latin America and the Caribbean. It expects about 465 million more will live in developing countries by 2020, boosting food demand.

While it is important that those who need emergency aid receive it, news like this requires planning for the long term. Heifer International focuses on exactly that: long-term solutions that enable small farmers to be better prepared when crises hit.

Read our other posts on the Rio+20 Summit and why it is important to Heifer here.

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.

Want Banana Chips With That?

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Annie Bergman

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Imagine this: It’s lunch time, and you take a bite out of your juicy, delicious burger. You reach into the drive-thru bag for some of those salty, crunchy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside-french fries, but come up instead with…banana chips?

A Heifer farmer in Ecuador shows off part of his banana crop.

It could happen. But is our favorite salty side dish endangered? Not exactly, but climate scientists are warning that as the planet’s temperatures increase, potatoes, which prefer cooler climates to grow in, might be edged out by warmer temperature crops like those from the banana family, especially in developing countries.

The scientists behind the news were asked to examine what effects a warming climate would have on the worlds most important agricultural commodities. The found that people in the developing world will likely have to adapt what they eat as crops like potatoes, but also, rice, corn and wheat—the main source of calories for many families who struggle to find enough to eat—suffer from the warmer temperatures and a decrease in land available to cultivate them.

Dr. Philip Thornton, who helped author the report, said that bananas and plantains may be a good substitute for potatoes in certain locations. “It’s not necessarily a silver bullet, but there may be places where as temperatures increase, bananas might be one option that small-holders could start to look at,” he said.

It’s happened before, said Bruce Campbell, program director of the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security research group. He noted the adoption by Africans to eating rice, which wasn’t typical there just a few decades ago. Heifer has also helped in similar situations, providing camels to the Maasai people who lost their cattle to drought.

It may not be ideal, but it’s just one way people will have to cope with a changing world.

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.

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.

Heifer Honduras Helping Women-led Small Business

Posted on March 20, 2013 by Annie Bergman

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Falguni Vyas is traveling with Heifer CEO Pierre Ferrari this week visiting projects in Honduras and Guatemala.

Belen-Ocotepeque in Santa Rosa-Belen, Honduras, sits just off a winding, bumpy road high in the Honduran hills. This small, rural community is home to 10 women entrepreneurs who, two years ago, started a small business canning vegetables and preserving jellies to sell at market to supplement their income. These women come together about once a month to prepare their Pitillo brand products for the market. They sell locally and will sometimes take the early morning, two-and-a-half-hour-long bus ride to San Pedro Sula, one of Honduras’ largest cities, to sell at a larger market.

The group of 10 women who started a business canning vegetables and preserving jellies.

The group of women who started a business canning vegetables and preserving jellies with Heifer CEO Pierre Ferrari and Vice President of the Americans Oscar Castaneda.

On the outside, it looks as though the conditions are perfect for a such a venture. Pickled vegetables are a popular condiment in Honduras, and there are no other competitors in Belen. However, there is not enough demand for each of the women in the co-op to make a significant contribution to their household’s monthly income. The co-op was founded to serve as a means to augment the families’ main source of income, which comes from coffee laboring during the harvest season—from October to January. But with low demand combined with low profit (each jar costs about $2.50 to produce and sells for $3) the co-op members realized they need to get creative and seek out opportunities for their pickles and preserves to bring in the revenue they need.

Last year the co-op applied to put the Pitillo product line into supermarkets across Honduras. This is a lengthy process with many steps. First, a bar-code is needed for the labels, requiring lots of paperwork. Then, the co-op must pass a sanitation and health inspection. Lastly comes another six to seven months of paperwork, meaning the process could take several years.

While the co-op waits to hear a response on their application, they are discussing ideas for diversification. They already supplement the pickled vegetables and jellies with fresh produce at market but know that they can do more. In a meeting today between co-op members, Heifer Honduras and Heifer International staff, these women leaders had the opportunity to talk through ideas and brainstorm marketing concepts that will take their Pitillo jellies and pickles from small supplementary income to major contributor to the security and stability of their families’ livelihoods.

Right now, if you give to projects in Honduras and Guatemala, your donation could be matched dollar-for-dollar. Help other women just like those in Belen-Ocotepeque.

World Ark Tablet App: Join the Buzz

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Donna Stokes

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Heifer International launched its premiere tablet issue of World Ark magazine on Thursday, and we’re excited to see our news pop up in fun new ways. Please join the buzz by downloading and rating or reviewing the app.

Adobe features the World Ark digital edition as its “App of the Week.” We are especially grateful to Teresa Demel at Adobe for sharing the story of Mossamad Sabina Begam of Bangladesh in the video and demonstrating how to purchase a Heifer gift for the holidays. The digital issue uses the Adobe Digital Publishing Suite platform.

Writer Zoe Fox took the time to call us to find out more about our new digital edition and featured the app in an article on Mashable.com that was picked up by 20-plus additional news, nonprofit and tech sites.

Fundraising Success, a site for direct marketing news, featured us as well.

Closer to home, Arkansas TV news outlets KATV and Today’s THV included us in their coverage of Heifer’s alternative gift-giving season campaign and holiday events.

Download your version today from the App Store^SM on your iPad or from the Google Marketplace for your Android tablet. Email our magazine staff at worldark@list.heifer.org to let us know what you think and what’d you like to see featured here for future issues.

The World Ark digital magazine will appear quarterly in spring, summer, fall and holiday. It was created with the help of digital design experts Bates Creative Group.

A New Cooperative Helps Qinghua’s Family Prosper

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Heifer China

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It started becoming chilly when we made our latest visit to Wang Qinghua’s house. Wearing red a shirt, dark blue pants and cloth shoes, she was busy serving guests at her small restaurant.

She is standing in front of her restaurant.

Qinghua stands in front of her restaurant.

The life of her family is changing with the help of Heifer International.

Her calves, which were born in April to three cows, are well cared for, and her restaurant is also running well. By Sept. 15, her restaurant had earned 30,000 yuan (about US $4,800), half of which has been spent on daily expenses and her son’s tuition, and the other half will be spent on investments and her son’s college savings. Since Qinghua’s family income has increased, their nutrient intake has also been improved: they can now have some meat once or twice a week instead of only once a week as they did before. Because they have a garden, they also have enough fruits and vegetables.

When the training of cow raising and bean planting is done, Ms. Wang’s family registered a marketing course and learned how to find market information. Now with the help of the computer they bought, they can learn the value of their farm products in order to bargain, and even look for buyers directly.

Her cattle

Qinghua's family's cattle.

In terms of community work, the workshop Qinghua has joined always holds discussions and communications on bean plantation skills and sale information. In order to sell more vegetables, she and others founded Deli Vegetables Plantation Cooperative, which has solved the problem of finding buyers by centralizing their purchasing and selling. With the dogged efforts of this group, a 220 square meter office building and a 600 square meter facility for their cooperative have both been constructed. In addition, the harvest of beans has brought 2 million yuan (about US $321,000).

“By joining the Heifer program, my family and I had the opportunity to go out. We have seen more and we have learned more. We are passionate to do something,” Qinghua says.

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. Our colleagues in the field have chosen one family in each region in the countries where we work and will bring us quarterly updates. You can read past posts about Wang Qinghua and her family here.

“Seeds of Change” Farmers at Holiday Market

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Kelly MacNeil

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Editor’s note: The following post is by Heifer International Arkansas Project Manager for the USA Seeds of Change project, Senchel Matthews.

On November 17, 2012, the small community of Hughes, Arkansas, held its very first farmer’s market. Several participants in Heifer International’s Seeds of Change project participated in the special event.

Residents and volunteers were up before sunrise to start preparations for the day’s big event. The cold crisp air did not stop the Heifer 4-H Youth club, which consists of 16 members, from coming out energized and ready to work.

As tables and tents popped up and fresh produce and goods were unloaded, I looked on with amazement as the blank canvas of land designated for the Hughes Holiday Farmer’s Market was transformed right before my eyes. Vendors arrived one by one, until all 11 were ready to sell their bounty of fruits, vegetables, handmade soaps, cakes, jams, honey and cupcakes. The “bounce house” and slide, which initially looked like a mass of colorful plastic, magically grew to a size larger-than-life and served as a magnet for children from the community.

The once quiet space was flooded with sweet music from the DJ who guaranteed me that before the day was over many patrons would dance while purchasing their goods and treats. He did not lie. Before I knew it I was engaged in a line dance with residents from the community.

I had the honor of talking with vendors about their fall growing experience and how many of them decided to venture into value-added goods such as turning tomatoes into spaghetti sauce and salsa or transforming zucchini into a delicious fluffy bread. I overheard patrons ask vendors questions about their produce and comment on how delicious the blueberry jam and soybean honey looked.

A few of the Arkansas Seeds of Change Delta Coalition members came out and showed their support through words of encouragement and purchases. The environment was teeming with activity and chatter. Hughes’ residents came out with their families and left with food and new acquaintances. Before the music stopped and the first table was broken down, inquires where made about when the next farmer’s market would take place. Since the nearest grocery store is 36 miles away, many residents were relieved to have access to fresh goods at the market before the Thanksgiving holiday.

As I packed up my bags of peppers, pak choi, kale, carrots, soaps and zucchini bread, I was approached by a lady who has lived in Hughes all her life. She walked up to me and gave me a hug and said “Thank you! We really needed this.” Little did she know I was the one thankful for having one of the best and tastiest Saturday’s of my life.

Heifer International’s Seeds of Change project works in Arkansas and Appalachia to help low-income Americans through sustainable agriculture.

World Ark Now Available on Tablet!

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Donna Stokes

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Heifer International continues a long streak of innovation by becoming the first development nonprofit to offer a full digital magazine—the World Ark you’ve always loved—available in a free download on iPad or Android tablets.

You’ve likely already received your print edition of the Holiday 2012 World Ark, but as of today, there’s more content and features to love on your iPad or Android tablet. The print issue will continue to be available to Heifer supporters with no interruption.

For this premiere tablet Holiday issue, extra features include:

A welcome video by Heifer’s President and CEO Pierre Ferrari;
Video of women in Bangladesh celebrating during a Pass on the Gift ceremony from photographer Geoff Oliver Bugbee as well as a video glimpse of how the Arkansas Chuggabugs traveled around the world to raise money for Heifer;
A spectacular digital catalog featuring favorite alternative gift items including the gifts of women’s empowerment, sending a girl to school and cookstoves to improve health and the environment;
Interactive infographics including how women build clay cookstoves in Malawi;
An extra review of poverty- and hunger-related courses you can take for free on your tablet from iTunesU;
The latest news from the field on an interactive world map;
Slideshows featuring stunning photography.

Download your version today from the App Store^SM on your iPad or from the Google Marketplace for your Android tablet. Email our magazine staff at worldark@list.heifer.org to let us know what you think and what’d you like to see featured here for future issues.

The World Ark digital magazine will appear quarterly in spring, summer, fall and holiday. It was created with the help of digital design experts Bates Creative Group using the Adobe Digital Publishing Suite platform.

The World Ark print edition got its name in 1994 with an issue celebrating Heifer’s 50th anniversary. The magazine’s predecessor, Sharing Life, started in the mid-1970s.

Cage Fishing Project Improves Output in Haiti

Posted on November 7, 2012 by Erin Snow

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Jonas, a Haitian fisherman, makes his living cage fishing on Lake Péligre. Due to runoff from deforestation, the lake has become shallower, making the fish less plentiful. With the training he received from Heifer, Jonas can make as much income in five months with the cage fishing program as he could in one year before. This extra income will help him buy more food and pay his children’s school fees.

Heifer International From the Field: Training and Education

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Lauren Bucher

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

Heifer International’s model of change hinges on education. The importance of training participants and its correlation to success cannot be overstated.

While many farmers may have the correct supplies, success often remains elusive because they don’t have the proper training. In Vietnam, backyard chicken production is popular in rural areas. Diseases, weather conditions and lack of knowledge kept preventing the chicken farmers from prospering. Heifer International Vietnam held a Farmer Field School training where farmers shared their experiences and learned from each other. The training gave them the knowledge they needed to be successful.

Mary Were and her son, Franklin, show off the family cow in Kenya.

Education also empowers disenfranchised groups. Mary Adhiambo Were’s husband died of HIV, and she struggled for years after his death. Family members of those with HIV often face rejection from the community. Mary joined a women’s cooperative where she learned how to increase her small farm’s yield. After receiving this training, Mary coaxed maximum productivity out of her farm using sustainable agricultural practices. Now, she sells milk, eggs, chickens and vegetables and bought two more acres of land with the profits from her endeavors.

Similarly, participation in Heifer International’s projects provides children with the opportunity for education. Kenflore, a 5-year-old living in Haiti, helps care for her family’s goats. The extra-income the gift of a goat provides will pay her school fees, setting her up for success.

From the Field: Heifer’s Work Around the World

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Erin Snow

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

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

Heifer project participants Tang Fuming and her husband in Xingjia Village

Tang Fuming and her husband in Xingjia Village

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

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

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

Elanco Guest Post: A Tanzania Journey

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Kelly MacNeil

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Gail Neuwirth Geisler was a member of the team of Elanco employees who climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro raising money for Heifer International. Here, she shares her impressions from a remarkable visit to Tanzania.

Gail Neuwirth of Elanco on Kilimanjaro

Gail Neuwirth Geisler on Mt. Kilimanjaro

I just returned from two weeks in Tanzania. My Elanco colleagues and I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and raised over $7,000 for Heifer International, getting to know some amazing, hardworking Tanzanian porters and trip leaders in the process. We visited a children’s home in Rotia Valley and took a short safari trip into Ngorongoro Crater. We visited families who were recipients of camels, goats, cattle and chickens through their participation in projects with Heifer. We met with a 30-year veteran of Heifer Tanzania and a large Masai family in the bush. Considering our short time in the country, we saw a lot.

As Americans and Canadians, my colleagues and I are incredibly blessed with all of the resources and opportunities we have. Not because we earned them or deserve them, but simply by virtue of where we were born. It’s very easy for us to take for granted all that we have – it’s all we’ve ever known.

Most of the people we saw in Tanzania experience a much more grueling struggle for the basic necessities of life. Figuring out how to get enough water to drink or enough food to eat and how to transport that water and food is their daily travail. The dry season is long; getting enough rain can mean the difference between survival and starvation. The climate is changing, dry seasons are longer and rains come later. Jobs are scarce, unemployment is staggeringly high. Life is harsh.

Masai women in Tanzania

A visit with a rural Masai family

I left Tanzania with mixed emotions. I was disheartened with the role of women, especially in the Masai culture. I felt very uncomfortable with what I spent on the climb itself – what a selfish use of money! I was surprised to see the steady stream of hikers and the swarms of support they require trekking up the mountain each day, and the debris the least conscientious climbers leave behind. The Ngorongoro Crater was filled with tourists in vehicle after vehicle, tearing through the dust. It seemed like an assault on an already stressed environment.

Yet the very crowds that concern me are putting food on the table for an army of porters and guides. Trekkers enable our climb leaders to send their children to good international schools and possibly to change their future.

Porters on Kilimanjaro Elanco-Heifer trip

Porters with heavy loads on Kilimanjaro

The Heifer participant family we visited was proud of their farm and grateful for the help they had received. It was evident that that although life was still not easy, they could maintain an acceptable level of food security and the kids were all in school. The disabled matriarch of the family beamed when we met and gave us a heartfelt blessing before we left.

The Tanzanian people we met were happy and kind. I always felt safe. The group that I traveled with was amazing. We laughed a lot and bonded over ginger tea and soup. We made it to the summit of Kilimanjaro as a team, and shared tears of joy and amazement at our accomplishment. The entire trip exceeded all my expectations. It truly was a trip of a lifetime and I’m really glad I was able to go. Maybe as I share what I experienced with friends and co-workers, I can help tell the Tanzanian story. I’d like to think that I’ll never look at water or a warm shower quite the same.

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

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Erin Snow

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

From the Field: Heifer’s Work Around the World

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Erin Snow

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

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

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

Fishing off the coast of Ecuador

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

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

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