Tag Archives: armenia

Heifer 12 x 12 Armenia Round-Up

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I hope you didn’t miss blogger Betty Londergan’s posts on her blog, Heifer12x12.com about her trip to Armenia. But if you did, here’s a quick round-up for you:

Armenia

Armenian countryside. Photo by Heifer12x12.com, courtesy of Heifer International.

Stay tuned on Heifer12x12 as Betty writes about her travels to Vietnam and Cambodia. And click here to help Betty reach her goal of raising $5,000 for Heifer.

From the Field: Heifer’s Work Around the World

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

Planting seeds, literally and figuratively, changes lives. The countless stories of gifts that spark an entrepreneurial spirit and partnerships that yield and multiply benefits beyond expectations illustrate the life-changing miracles inside the seeds that Heifer plants every day. 

Heifer Armenia’s 29th rural youth club just started in Debed village. Read The New Armenian Youth Club in Debed to find out what these young leaders have in mind for the future of their community.

Growing Seeds of Change in the USA

Watch Heifer’s Seeds of Change: Food Security in the Arkansas Delta, Appalachia and learn about Heifer’s signature project in the USA. 

For the Iskandaryan family in Armenia’s Lukashin village, change started with one pregnant heifer. In the short year since her arrival, the family of eight eats better and farms better. The Iskandaryan Family Sees Success from Growing Farm shows us what sprouting success looks like.  

Collaboration has historically yielded great results and the Armenia-Poland partnership is no exception. From Armenia to Poland and Back: Long-Term Partnership, Tangible Results highlights two recent study tours in which Armenian project participants visited dry fruit processing and milk production projects in Poland.

From the Field: Heifer’s Work Around the World

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

Resiliency is an accurate description for Heifer’s project participants. In Armenia, the Kyureghyan family lost all their livestock in an earthquake and struggled to make ends meet. Find out what happened when Heifer came to town in The Secret to the Kyureghyan Family Success. 

For Carol T. Balisong of the Philippines, life just keeps getting better. This past Women in Livestock Development (WiLD) award winner owns a popular cafe in her town. Read more about Carol in Revisiting the Past: WiLD Awardee Still Doing Wonders. 

Resilient women in Haiti

No stranger to natural disasters, residents of Haiti are learning sustainable practices through Heifer’s REACH project. Check out What’s New in Haiti to learn more.

Literacy has a big part to play in making one resilient, and the younger literacy skills are acquired, the better. Celebrating Literacy for More than Just One Day spotlights various South African schools that are finding success with Heifer’s Read to Feed program.

Armenian Farmers Receive Agricultural Equipment

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Gagik Khachatryan, left, heads the implementation of the project for the Armenian Ministry of Agriculture.

A multi-million dollar project for rural revitalization in Armenia is picking up speed with the distribution of several hay balers to farmers’ cooperatives this month. The balers provided by Heifer International will allow farmers to collect and store hay from their land to keep their livestock better fed.

The CARMAC (Community Agriculture Resource Management and Competitiveness) project was undertaken by the government of Armenia with Heifer and the World Bank. It will help small family farms survive and thrive, and will resverse some longstanding environmental damage in overgrazed areas.

Armenia country director Anahit Ghazanchyan hopes the project will help keep families together. As she explains here with an Armenian official, unemployment in rural areas has driven Armenian men to emigrate. The project could give these men the chance to stay in their homeland.

By the end of the project, about 200 pieces of agricultural equipment are expected to be placed within 55 rural communities in Armenia. The availability of modern equipment, along with more careful use of pastures, will boost overall productivity and efficiency of small livestock farms.

 

Gagik Khachatryan, who heads the project for the Armenian Ministry of Agriculture, said that without Heifer’s contribution, it would have been impossible to ensure rural community engagement and successfully realize the CARMAC project. Heifer Armenia has worked with more than 8,000 Armenian families in the past 11 years, building up familiy farms with gifts of trees, cattle, chickens, and other resources.

Heifer to Improve Mountainous Armenian Pastures

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Heifer Armenia staff with CARMAC tractor recipients.

The excitement on January 20 in Vanadzor, Armenia, was overwhelming as three new tractors were officially handed over to cooperatives of small farm owners in three rural communities. Heifer Armenia was able to share the excitement with the farmers during the official distribution ceremony as agreements were signed with leaders of farmer cooperatives.

The delivery of the tractors is one of the initial components of the Community Agricultural Resource Management and Competitiveness Project (CARMAC). Recognizing the impact of Heifer’s work in Armenia and its sound reputation as a reliable project partner, Heifer was asked by the Armenian Ministry of Agriculture to assist farmer cooperatives with project financing and implementation.

For Armenian men and women living in  mountainous communities, livestock production is the main source of income and livelihood. Yet, many constraints exist that make it difficult for farmers to work effectively and improve their livelihoods. The CARMAC project therefore focuses on addressing key constraints such as acute pasture degradation, persistent diseases, absent or obsolete infrastructure as well as processing and marketing constraints. This five-year project consequently introduces innovative community-based pasture livestock production and addresses pasture management issues through infrastructure, community-level agri-business and provision of related support services.

In line with Heifer’s focus, this project contributes to community empowerment, agricultural development and mitigation of environmental degradation in Armenia. The project will enhance the productivity and sustainability of pasture-based livestock farms in 55 Armenian mountainous communities. In total, a population of around 78,000 will benefit from the CARMAC project through increased milk production, improved pasture management and enhanced sales of livestock products.

A Volunteer’s Letter to Our Founder (part 3)

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Report to the Founder/ Part 3 of 3

To: Dan West — Prophet, gadfly, dreamer, youth leader, motivator, peacemaker, and founder of Heifers for Relief.

From: Tom Lyon — Heifer volunteer for 26 years

Subject: Armenia trip — November 2011

Dan,

As I’ve said in parts one and two of my letter, I’m certain you would be pleased, and excited by all that I recently witnessed during my study tour to Armenia.  Here some additional things I saw that kept me thinking of you…

Youth Development   
While serving as National Director of Youth programs for the Brethren Church you were working with, motivating and empowering young people. You dedicated much of your life to youth. In Armenia, youth development in underserved rural areas has become a major focus of many of Heifer’s partner  groups. We visited two of the programs, modeled after the U.S. 4-H program, where youth are receiving training in “life skills.” They provide hands-on education in areas such as agriculture, business, logical thinking, journalism, ecology, and health education, giving new opportunities for growth in small communities otherwise lacking such important  services. With an emphasis on proactive peacemaking, youth empowerment and education, the YES Youth Clubs are having  a tremendous impact by increasing “social capital” for the nation. What a joy it was for us to visit these children so full of pride and dreams for the future.


Peacemaking   
Your life was a constant journey to find practical ways to bring about world peace. You believed that ending hunger was the first essential element to bringing about lasting peace. Heifer Armenia has incorporated that vision as a major component of everything they do. Heifer’s country director, Dr. Anahit Ghazanchyan, reminded me of you when she expressed her strong belief  that “instead of just talking about peace, we need activities to bring people together to solve social problems,  and in the process get to know each other.”  Heifer Armenia’s practical activities include using the Heifer model  of conflict resolution through group decision making, “Peace in our Homes” programs targeting youth, addressing issues of domestic violence and gender equity, and cornerstones training that applies not just to raising livestock, but to virtually all phases of life development. 


I once received a Heifer T-shirt that said ”Peace begins with food and dignity for all.” That simple phrase, to me, became synonymous with your life’s work and Heifer’s long term vision. And on this trip I was privileged to see its practical, everyday application in a small, faraway country: 

  • Food: The result of honest hard work, teamwork, training, and careful stewardship of a fragile land. 
  • Dignity: Based upon pride of place, shared goals, hope for the future, and a humble desire for peace. 

We saw life-altering miracles evolving every day throughout rural Armenia. Miracles brought about by  a dedicated staff; a proud, determined and historic people; a proven process; and a set of universal values expressed in the 12 Cornerstones. This is what we shall always remember about Armenia.We all return to the US with new friends, new understanding and a renewed dedication to do all we can to create “a world of communities living in peace.”

Years ago, you wrote the following: “Nothing binds people closer than fellowship in a great adventure.” After this journey, I cannot think of a better way to explain the worldwide Heifer “family” that exists and is thriving in so many places today. Together we are ending hunger. There is no greater adventure than that!

Thank you Dan for your dream, your persistence and your founding of an organization that brought me to a place — both physically and in my heart — that I would never have gotten to alone!  


Editor’s Note: Dan West, a relief worker and dairy farmer, founded the organization that is today Heifer International. Though Dan passed away in 1971, his principles still guide Heifer and its work.

A Volunteer’s Letter to Our Founder (part 2)

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Report to the Founder/ Part 2 of 3

To: Dan West — Prophet, gadfly, dreamer, youth leader, motivator, peacemaker, and founder of Heifers for Relief.

From: Tom Lyon — Heifer volunteer for 26 years

Subject: Armenia trip — November 2011

Dan,

As I said yesterday in the first part of my letter, I’m certain you would be pleased, and excited by all that I recently witnessed during my study tour to Armenia.  Here some additional things I saw that kept me thinking of you…


Strengthening Communities
Just as the animals were the tools that led to new opportunities for individual families, Heifer’s  cornerstones trainings have become  catalysts for empowering entire villages. During 70 years in the Soviet system, many Armenians were workers on collective farms or in factories. Heifer staff told us how this legacy left many Armenians feeling that they had little control of their own destiny or motivation to improve things. Cornerstones training and lessons about Passing on the Gift™, “full participation,” and “gender equity” have actually become important lessons in democratic participation and group decision making.

In the small, mountain village of Debed we learned some details. Initially, the Heifer families in the group had to agree on two animals that they would receive.  They selected cows and bees. Heifer Armenia staff did a feasibility study of conditions and markets to ensure a good chance for success.  With approval and an established community structure, animals (and beehives) were placed. They have multiplied, and their production has been shared, bringing a renewed sense of possibility. The community, with Heifer’s assistance, is now raising other animals and partnering with the Fuller Center for Housing to improve living conditions and sanitation throughout the village.

Volunteerism
Dan — although you founded Heifer, you were never a paid employee. You established a model of dedicated professional staff working with and through volunteers to achieve the most benefit and impact. And that model is alive and well throughout Armenia. In addition to Heifer’s incredible country staff, there is a network of volunteers at all levels — district project leaders, ethno-veterinarians, teachers, and peer educators ages 14 to 70. Many are past recipients who have long ago paid back any contractual obligation to Heifer.   

I was also privileged to share this study tour with, and learn from, more than a dozen amazing creative, dedicated volunteers from across the US. We talked often and late of how we would return to share stories, teach and preach, network, recruit, and motivate. We were learning that Heifer’s success is due to hundreds of dedicated volunteers in the US, but also due to a Heifer volunteer network in every country where we have programs. Today, our fellow Heifer volunteers worldwide must easily number in the tens of thousands.


I’ll share the third and final part of my report from Armenia this Friday.

Editor’s Note: Dan West, a relief worker and dairy farmer, founded the organization that is today Heifer International. Though Dan passed away in 1971, his principles still guide Heifer and its work.

A Volunteer’s Letter to Our Founder

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Report to the Founder/ Part 1 of 3

To: Dan West — Prophet, gadfly, dreamer, youth leader, motivator, peacemaker, and founder of Heifers for Relief.

From: Tom Lyon — Heifer volunteer for 26 years

Subject: Armenia trip — November 2011

Dan,

Everything I have learned about you over the years convinces me that you would be proud, pleased, and excited by all that I recently witnessed in the new/old nation of Armenia.

This fall my wife, Barbara, and I were privileged to join 14 other Heifer area volunteer coordinators and three Heifer staff from across the US on a 10-day study tour to learn in person about Armenia and Heifer’s work there. We all came away profoundly moved.

When Barbara and I first discovered you and Heifer Project and became volunteers many years ago,  Armenia did not exist as an independent nation. But Armenia, the people, the culture and the proud heritage were already almost 3,000 years old. We, like most Americans, barely knew!

Armenians worldwide celebrated the “new” nation’s 20th anniversary this year. Yet these have been years of incredible hardship due to such factors as separation from the Soviet Union, a devastating earthquake, an unresolved border war, economic isolation, a stagnant economy, and major population shifts away from the countryside and out of the country.

Ironically,  these circumstances  have  become  fertile ground for a 10-year partnership between a determined people and the organization you created. A partnership that is bearing life-saving and life changing fruit in amazing abundance.

Over the next couple of days, I’ll share some things that we observed that kept me thinking of you. In the interest of brevity, I’m sharing just the first one today.

Life-Changing Livestock

As a family dairy farmer, you would have been thrilled by the stories we heard from these small farm families. So many of them talked about the difference in their lives since receiving  Heifer livestock and training. The animals have been a catalyst for moving them from subsistence levels of farming to the creation of small, efficient family farm enterprises. Families, after completing their “pass-on” requirement, are reinvesting income from Heifer animals, expanding their holdings, adding new animals, rebuilding their homes, and planning for the future with new-found optimism.

Dan — I’ll share more of my observations from Armenia over the coming days, and I hope this blog’s readers will come back tomorrow to hear more of the exciting things happening with Heifer Armenia.

Editor’s Note: Dan West, a relief worker and dairy farmer, founded the organization that is today Heifer International. Though Dan passed away in 1971, his principles still guide Heifer and its work.

Turkey Time

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Happy Thanksgiving! Sure, it’s the most American of holidays, but the United States doesn’t have the corner on turkeys. In fact, Israelis eat the most turkey per person, usually spit-roasted from a shawarma stand or in schnitzel form. The United States comes in second, followed by Canada. Turkey consumption is ramping up in Brazil and Mexico, and it’s a traditional Christmas dish in El Salvador and other Central American countries.

Turkeys are native to North America, but Heifer International provides these plucky birds to families throughout Eastern Europe and Central America. Heifer turkeys are currently scratching around family farms in Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Mexico. And turkeys are incorporated into a large project in the Cahabon River Basin in Guatemala, where indigenous Q’eqchi families living in the cloud forest are raising turkeys, rabbits, worms and fruit trees.

One more fun thing about turkeys: If you see a pack of them, you could be boring and call it a “flock,” but we prefer the more colorful “gobble.”

Have a great holiday!