Tag Archives: children

Heifer Cornerstones for All Ages in Vietnam

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Children Learn Cornerstones in Vietnam

Children learn Cornerstones in Vietnam

Story and photos by: Phan Nguyen Khanh Trang, Program Officer, Heifer Vietnam

Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development are the key values and principles of Heifer’s work to improve the livelihoods of poor farmers and build communities holistically. Over the past few years, the Cornerstones have been the compass that guides project activities to achieve the greatest possible impact.

On July 22, Heifer Vietnam and its project partners held a Cornerstones introduction in Vietnam’s Tan Long village, Vinh Long province. The audience consisted of children ages 4-12, who attend local primary and secondary schools. “Our children enjoy learning about the 12 Cornerstones,” said course instructor Mr. Hai. “This is a useful activity for the children, especially during the summer.”

At 90 minutes, the introduction was brief enough for the children to understand the Cornerstones. They learned how to practice and apply the values in their everyday lives. Specifically, they were taught that they can study hard, assist their parents with chores, help friends in need and contribute to keeping their homes and environment clean.

The training included many games, giving the children an opportunity to play and practice the Cornerstones. They enjoyed drawing and coloring, solving jigsaw puzzles, and question and answer sessions. “I love the puzzle game,” said Chi, a student. “This is the first time I’ve played it. I will improve the environment by sweeping our house and growing more flowers regularly.”

The children’s eyes shined with eagerness when they talked about their plans. Seven-year-old Cuong said, “I would like to be a good person. I’ll help elder people cross the street and give my friends a lift when they have to walk to school.” Twelve-year-old Dinh Phat Loc added, “I would like to become a doctor to help cure as many sick people as possible.”

Tuyet Nga, the father of a project participant, used to think the 12 Cornerstones were reserved for project members. “Now I know that the 12 Cornerstones are applicable and practical for people of all ages,” he said. “Thank you, Heifer, for caring not only for our physical lives, but our spiritual lives, as well. I hope Heifer will have more meaningful activities for us in the future.”

 

 

Joining Flat Stanley: “Flat Heifer”

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You’ve probably met Flat Stanley. He’s a loveable character who has been traipsing across the globe since he was first introduced into children’s literature in 1964. In 1995, a Canadian schoolteacher by the name of Dale Hubert developed the Flat Stanley Project and soon paper Stanleys were being mailed from school to school and their travels being recorded in journals by engaged students. Last year, Stanley even made it to the White House. Now Flat Stanley has entered the digital world and Heifer International is joining him in that space.

 

The Flat Stanley iPhone and iPad app (available for free) offers new ways for you or your kids to learn about what Heifer does. The way that the app works, kids (or kids at heart) can design a Flat Stanley or Flat Stella. After you design a Flat character, you can start taking pictures in your community and the character will be super imposed. Heifer will have a special character costume available for purchase in the game with a portion of the proceeds going to support our work in developing countries. 

The Flat Heifer costume

 

But that is just one way you can interact with Heifer through the app. The other option is to pull up the map of the world and find places to send your Flat character. There will be eight different Heifer adventures: Haiti, Malawi, Kenya, India, Cambodia, Armenia, Peru and Romania. You will have the opportunity to receive pictures of your character exploring Heifer projects along with tidbits about our work. At the end of the tour, you will get a journal entry that recounts everything your character did and a fun description of what Heifer is doing in that country. We can’t wait to hear all about your adventures, so please come back and share them with us!

Glorious Guava: Photo of the Week

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Photo by Russ Powell, Courtesy of Heifer International

Five-year-old twins, Roeuy Chandy (left) and Roeuy Chanda (right) enjoy guava. They live in Cambodia’s O’Mar Village, and their family is part of the Women’s Empowerment and Holistic Community Development Project.

Learn about this project and how you can be a part of the transformation in this community.

For the Love of the Children: Lessons Learned in Vietnam

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Community Facilitator Nguyen Thai Loc opens milk box for young child in Soc Trang province

Story by: Maggie Thomas, Program Assistant for Asia/South Pacific Program, Heifer International

Photo by: Nguyen Xuan Quyen, Communication and Networking Officer, Heifer Vietnam

I always expect to see new things and meet interesting people when visiting a project in the field. I was not disappointed during my recent visit to Vietnam. As we visited the homes of our project participants in Soc Trang Province last week, we noticed a young man in our group quietly reaching into his bag, bringing out small boxes of milk and giving them to the children of the family. He bent down to their level and spoke sweetly to them as he helped them open the straw and put it in the cardboard carton. After seeing the attention and compassion that this man showed with the children of the community (especially when most people would be focused on the “foreign visitors” rather than paying attention to the children), we decided that we had to know more about this man and what drove him to do what he does.

We learned that he was 23-year-old Nguyen Thai Loc, Community Facilitator for project 22-0775-28, Improving farm households’ capacity in Long Phu district, Soc Trang province. As Community Facilitator, Loc is project-based staff of Heifer’s project partner, the local authority of Soc Trang, and his job is to walk hand-in-hand with the community, supporting them in their transformational journey. He is the front-liner in working with six self-help groups, or approximately 120 families, in this community. (This amount will double when the original six groups pass on the gift.)

Normally, Loc spends his afternoons and evenings visiting the project families when the farmers come back home from working. He discusses the families’ health, gives support on their animals and enterprises, and encourages their increased participation in the community initiatives during these visits. Loc is also intensively involved in the monthly meetings and various trainings of each self-help group. He arrives for each event a couple of hours early to prepare, facilitating some trainings himself and inviting experts for technical topics. Loc feels a great deal of fulfillment from these trainings. He loves to see the groups light up with understanding of the topic, develop their action plans, and eventually see their visions realized. Once he completes his education, he plans to work for the local authority so that he can continue to serve these families and help them transform their community.

Most of the families in this area are from the Khmer minority, uncomfortable speaking Vietnamese, and thus isolated from the mainstream culture of the country. However, though Loc is not Khmer, he is from the project community and can easily relate to and communicate freely with the families in their own language.

Loc purchases the milk that he distributes with the money from his own pocket, though he is currently a college student and his salary is modest. When we asked why he does it, he told our translator matter-of-factly, “I love those children, but they are very poor and have nothing.” Loc has earned the trust and respect of their parents by showing his love for their children through his small acts of compassion.

I learned a lot from my brief observation and discussion with Loc about what it means to effectively work with communities. I had known already the importance of both talent and passion in my work. I learn from Loc that this passion must not only be for the job or even for the mission. Whether working in the field like Loc or working at my desk at headquarters, my passion should also be for the people, the families we serve who are striving to pull themselves out of poverty and build better communities.

 

Amaranth = “Alegría” = Happiness

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Farmers in Mexico are trying out an unusual crop, with Heifer International’s help. Amaranth is a grain native to Mexico that hasn’t been widely cultivated in hundreds of years. But it’s highly nutritious – lots of protein, vitamins and minerals – and it grows well in arid areas.

Over the last few years, Heifer and its partners in Oaxaca, Mexico, have helped dozens of families by providing training in amaranth cultivation and soil conservation. Now Heifer International Mexico hopes to continue its work there by focusing on children in the poverty-stricken region.

In this video, you can see what amaranth looks like and hear more about the project from the kids involved. You’ll also see how to make the sweet treat called “alegria,” or “happiness.”                                                                                                                                                                                       

Sowing Youth, Harvesting Happy Farmers from Guillermo Monteforte on Vimeo.

 

For the Love of Dad: Photo of the Week

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Courtesy of Heifer International

A sweet moment is shared between this father and daughter, members of Heifer’s Amarantando: Productive and Nutritional Diversification in Oaxaca project in southwestern Mexico.

Cows in Malawi are a Daughter’s Piggy Bank

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Belia Mzukani, 21 years old, (left) her husband Baptista Mzukani, 21, and their 9-month-old baby Esnart in Gomani Folotiya Village, Malawi. Photo by Russell Powell

Baptista and Belia Mzukani have big plans for their daughter, Esnart. At 9 months old the baby is sharp and healthy, and her parents are laying the groundwork for her to stay that way.

The parents each grew up with seven siblings, meaning money, food and other resources were tight. Neither of them made it past 7th grade. That won’t be the case for Esnart, Belia said. She and Baptista plan to have only one more child, an unusual choice in Gomani Folotiya Village in central Malawi, where seven or eight children per family is the norm.

The family has two Heifer cows: Tiyamike, whose name means “Giving Thanks,” and the calf Madalitso, whose name means “Blessings.” Tiyamike’s milk is pulling in enough money that Esnart already has a savings account earmarked for education expenses. “I don’t want her to be denied what she needs,” Baptista said.

Belia and Esnart gather fodder for their Heifer cows. Photo by Russell Powell

Chores for Heifer

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Do you have a kid at home who needs help keeping track of chores? Do your kids love Heifer International?  MyJobChart.com, which gives children the chance to “save,” “spend” or “share” the points they earn from completing their chores recently announced Heifer as one of its premier charities. Nearly 140,000 kids use the online chore chart and have completed 10 million chores over the last two years. online core chart

From their website:

“When I first created the online chore chart, I did so to encourage my own six children to stay on task and to complete their chores,” says Gregg Murset, founder of MyJobChart.com. “More than that, though, I wanted to teach them how money works and help them see the rewards that come from saving and the joy that can come from giving to others.”

Murset says Heifer International perfectly fits with what MyJobChart is accomplishing.

“As users of My Job Chart decide to ‘share’ and designate the points they earn to go to Heifer International or another charity, these young people begin to feel that their work truly does matter. More than just pleasing their parents, they learn they have abilities and opportunities that can make a difference on a much grander scale,” says Murset.

While young users are drawn to the free online chore chart for its ease of use and the high-tech feel they love, parents are pleased with the less-obvious benefits of My Job Chart. My Job Chart “gets kids and parents talking, it changes the entire conversation when it comes to work and money,” Murset says.

Bottom line, Murset says, “It’s free, and it works! MyJobChart.com is just a fun, easy way to instill work ethic and build character over time. Now, with the opportunity to contribute to Heifer, users can feel the satisfaction that comes with helping to lift others out of poverty and become self-reliant .”

My daughter is only 3, so while she does have a handful of “chores” to do (mostly just picking up after herself), she’s still a little young for an online chore chart. But you can bet your pennies I’ll be signing her up for this when she’s ready. I’m excited to see what comes  of this, not only because of the donations that will allow Heifer to fulfill our mission, but also because I love the connection it makes for kids between their efforts at home and improving the lives of others around the world.

Sign your kids up! And let us know in the comments section below how it goes.

Don’t have kids at home? Use our social sharing buttons and spread the word to your family, friends and neighbors.

“Udderly” Delightful Coloring Activity

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If your youngster is bored on spring break, here’s a fun activity you can tackle.Heifer International has a new coloring sheetfeaturing a drawing of a real Heifer cow.

Kids candecorate this coloring sheet any way they wish – with markers, glitter, paint,or even found materials.
The sheet wasproduced in conjunction with the “Design for a Cause” exhibit at Heifer Villageat our headquarters campus in Little Rock.The exhibit features the art and graphic design work of Heifer and threeother nonprofits.
If you’veever received one of Heifer’s gorgeous honor cards as a gift, you know that Heiferemployees do amazing design work, even on a tight nonprofit budget. If you’rein the Little Rock area, feel free to drop by the exhibit between March 21 andApril 9.
Meanwhile, letyour children’s imaginations go wild. A magenta cow? Turquoise? Why not!