Tag Archives: empowerment

Triple The Impact Of Your Giving

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Triple the impact of your giving this May to empower women in Nepal. Thanks to generous Heifer donors and a small group of local donors moved by our previous success in Nepal, your gift to our May Match will be tripled.

Nepalese Girl Kisses Her Goat

Photo by Russell Powell, courtesy of Heifer International

Heifer’s work in Nepal has led to dramatic transformation in the communities. Working with women who are often unable to overcome the caste system and gender discrimination, Heifer is a proven model to move families from subsistence to sustenance.

Vicki Clarke, a member of Heifer’s Philanthropy team, recently visited Nepal. She reflects on the large differences in the quality of life in areas where Heifer has just started to work and where Heifer has worked for years.

Triple the impact of your giving today to help women in Nepal lift themselves out of hunger and poverty.

 

Where Strength Lies

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Women own less than one percent of the land in developing countries, yet are responsible for producing 80 percent of the food. Bringing women together is where strength lies. Heifer empowers women around the world because a family can lift themselves out of hunger and poverty easier when men and women learn to share their roles and responsibilities.

Sunaina

Photo by Russell Powell, courtesy of Heifer International

Women, like Sunaina Devi in India, know this firsthand.

Five years ago, Sunaina and her family were living day to day. Her husband, Laxmi Thakur, worked as a carpenter, but his small income could not provide the family’s basic needs. Sunaina leased a young goat each year – fattening it until she could sell it at a local market. She then split the profit with the goat’s owner. They found themselves falling further and further behind and eventually turned to a local money lender with an interest rate of 20 percent to cover the bare necessities.

Everything changed when Sunaina joined the Rani Women’s Group.

She was intimidated by having to complete a year of extensive training before receiving any livestock from Heifer. “I had never gone to school or been trained to do anything,” she said. “I felt as if I had no knowledge, and I was afraid I would not be smart enough to understand what Heifer needed to teach me.”

Sunaina finished her training and was the first woman in her village to receive livestock and seedlings from Heifer. She received three goats, a breeding buck, seven chickens, seedlings for vegetables and two fruit trees. Her family’s income and health slowly improved.

A clever business woman, she now owns a small plot of land where she grows vegetables for her family and they sell the surplus at a local market. Three of their chickens consistently lay an egg each day and they sell about 15 eggs each month. She hopes to start selling tamarind and lemons from her fruit trees soon. With part of their income, she bought a water buffalo calf to start an income-producing milking business.

Sunaina's water buffalo

Photo by Russell Powell, courtesy of Heifer International

She is amazed by the health benefits of an improved diet and better sanitation. Four years ago, her son Mukesh, now 23, was too sick to work. Now he has steady work and contributes to the family’s income. Her grandson, Adkit, 6, suffered from chronic upper respiratory problems. At the time, she could not pay for his medical care and turned to the local money lenders. She was discouraged because the medical care did little to help and her husband’s salary was needed to pay back their debt. Now Adkit is much healthier and doesn’t need continual medical care. Sunaina is now confident their income will cover any medical costs that arise. And if a medical bill exceeds her ability to pay, she has a backup plan–the other members of the Rani Women’s Group.

Sunaina and Pooja

“I am so grateful for what the Heifer donors have done for me and my family and my women’s group.”
Photo by Russell Powell, courtesy of Heifer International

Part of the success of Heifer’s work relies upon Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development®. Sunaina’s favorite cornerstone is Sharing and Caring. “This brings women together, and that is where our strength lies, with each other,” she said. The Rani Women’s Group demonstrates Sharing and Caring through their cooperative fund. This financial safety net allows members to contribute money regularly knowing if a need arises they can borrow from this fund instead of the money lenders. This is a sense of pride and relief for these women.

Sunaina, always an optimist, flashes a brilliant smile when asked if she is surprised by her accomplishments. She never dreamed her family could be in such a fortunate position. Her daughters are growing up in a different village from when she was a child. The women have status and make important decisions that affect their families and their community. “My husband has always treated me with respect, but now there is something added,” she said. “Before, he made all the decisions about the family, including how money was to be spent. Now, we talk together about family matters and make joint decisions.”

Click here to empower women like Sunaina with the gift of livestock and training.

From the Field: Building Strong Foundations

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

To make lasting changes, Heifer International continues to base its mission, to end hunger and poverty and care for the Earth, on the 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development and Passing on the Gift (POG). By emphasizing community involvement, sharing and caring, Heifer’s approach lays the foundation for sustainable sources of food and income worldwide.

IWD in Nepal - Vickie Clarke

Nepali women celebrate their success on International Women’s Day as they march through their villages. Photo courtesy of Heifer International

Holding signs that read, “Women are the key to community development,” Nepali women celebrated International Women’s Day by marching together through their villages. Through accountability and leadership development, numerous women have established a deep commitment to the Cornerstones. More than 20,000 original families have benefited from this dedication in just over one year.

Heifer Philippines held 12 Cornerstones Workshops in that country’s Caraga region preparing participants for involvement in the area’s first dairy project. The project will reach 400 original partner families and another 800 families through POG. After the workshops, participants agreed that the Cornerstones helped them realize the value of working together and how to nuture that gift. 

Hmayak Najaryan, 40, of Khachaghbyur, Armenia, was trying to support his wife and two sons on little more than $100 a month. In partnership with Ashtarak Kat CJSC, Heifer Armenia provided alfalfa seeds, a milk cooling tank and artificially inseminated the family’s cow. Now Hmayak’s sons, who want to become educated professionals, have a stronger foundation on which to grow and dream.

Learn how you can help provide families with a strong foundation.

Double Your Impact To Multiply Income

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This month, you can double your impact with a donation for families like Maria Elsa’s in Honduras.

Maria is the President of Empresa Asociativa Maranonera del Sur (Southern Cashew Enterprise Association) – a project promoting entrepreneurial activities and providing rural women with additional income. After working on their own for 21 years, the women saw things begin to change in 2005 when 22 families received heifers from Heifer International. In 2009, they received chickens and have completed two rounds of Passing on the Gift®.

Maria Elsa

Photo by Russell Powell, courtesy of Heifer International

Seeing the positive results from these first two projects, the women wanted to try something a bit more ambitious. “We wanted something more to do to generate more income,” Maria said. From this, the Southern Cashew Enterprise Association was born. Heifer provided the materials and hired builders to construct the storage rooms and ovens for this cashew enterprise, while the community provided the labor. Heifer provided 200 cashew tree seedlings, and helped the women to market their cashews.

In 2012, a drought destroyed most of the corn harvest. The cashew business, however, along with the ability to sell eggs and milk from their livestock, provided additional income for the families in Maria’s village. Maria gets almost four gallons of milk a day; she uses one gallon for her family and sells the rest.

The family is grateful to have received the cow. Victoriano Gonzalez, Maria’s husband, said, “I never expected to see a cow in my yard and now we have four.”

Maria and her family

Photo by Russell Powell, courtesy of Heifer International

Along with the animal gifts, project participants received a variety of trainings including marketing, gender equity, jelly production, chicken and cattle feed production and Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development. Now, while the women work, their husbands have taken over more of the household chores.

“Now our husbands bring us food while we are working,” Maria said. She’s excited about the opportunity to pass on her training and her animal’s first newborn to another community member. “Passing on the Gift® is a chain that multiplies and won’t be broken. I was so happy when I received my cow. I imagined that other women would feel the same.”

For Maria and her family, the biggest improvement has been to their diet. Before becoming involved in the Heifer project, their typical meal consisted of beans and rice. They could only buy eggs twice a week. “Now we have more chickens so we don’t have to buy eggs,” she said. Milk was also hard to get, but now they have milk and can use it to make cheese.

Maria, whose children are grown, lives with two of her grandchildren. “They help feed the chickens, carry water and clean the pens,” she said. Maria and Victoriano hope their grandchildren have a better life. “I want them to continue their studies until they are professionals. They are very intelligent.”

Double your impact in Honduras

Maria’s grandkids, Elmer and Lisbe, help take care of the animals.
Photo by Russell Powell, courtesy of Heifer International

Heifer’s past successes show that projects like this make a widespread and lasting difference. In 2008, Western Michigan University Evaluation Center conducted an independent evaluation of Heifer’s work in Honduras. It said that Heifer International in Honduras has had a significant positive impact on the communities in which it operates, empowering people at the family and community level.

Your donation this month will be matched dollar-for-dollar to support food security, better nutrition and women’s empowerment for a new project in Lempira, Honduras, thanks to a generous benefactor and international partners. To maximize this match, we need to raise at least $831,000 from generous supporters like you.

Click here to donate and help families to improve their lives.

Double Your Donation to End Malnutrition in Honduras and Guatemala

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Right now, the rate of malnutrition in Central America is staggering. In the Alta Verapaz region of Guatemala, 60 percent of the population suffers from chronic or acute malnutrition. Six out of 10 children struggle with malnutrition in the Lempira region of Honduras. These communities face an infant mortality rate of 28 deaths for every 1,000 births. That’s almost five times worse than the United States. But, we can do something about it.

During the month of March, your gift to Heifer International can be matched dollar-for-dollar thanks to a generous benefactor and international partners, every dollar raised for three new projects in Honduras and Guatemala will be doubled. Stretch your dollar further and double your impact to help provide the training and livestock needed by families to help put more food on the table.

Cary Rubelse and Eduardo Najera Gonzalez, Guatemala

Cary Rubelse and Eduardo Najera Gonzalez can drink goat’s milk to increase their nutrition.
Photo by Russell Powell, courtesy of Heifer International

In Honduras, Heifer is working alongside communities in Lempira to improve health and nutritional food security by 2016. Training in areas like micro-enterprise initiatives, gender equity and sustainable farming practices will help improve production and full inclusion in the community. Farming and income diversification will be impacted by the placement of cows, goats, poultry and bees.

Heifer has started two projects in the Alta Verapaz region of Guatemala to help families to produce more on their family farms through the use of stronger livestock, seeds and improved agroecology.

Gifts of livestock and training provide improved nutrition and additional family income along with the chance for vulnerable children to grow up healthy and strong. In addition, these kids will have the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty by attending school.

Elmer and Lisbe Gonzalez

Elmer and Lisbe Gonzalez now have the opportunity to attend school.
Photo by Russell Powell, courtesy of Heifer International.

In order to maximize this March match, we need to raise at least $831,000 by generous supporters like you. These projects cannot move forward without your help. Right now, any gift made to this project will be matched dollar-for-dollar. Click here to find out more or to donate.

Heifer International Helps Empower Women in Cambodia

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Heifer project members are all smiles during a group discussion.

Heifer project members are all smiles during a group discussion.

Many women in Cambodia cannot read or write. Their illiteracy is rooted in the belief of many Cambodians that women should not be educated because they will become housewives and not be involved in decision-making inside or outside the home. Heifer Cambodia is working to empower women through literacy and group-savings community programs. Heifer Cambodia Country Director Keang Keo shares how Heifer is transforming lives in her country.

Reaping the Fruits of Hard Work

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A Heifer International project participant works at a food cooperative in the Philippines

Jane Lutong at work at the Barangay Food Terminal in the Philippines

Story by Jun Dom-oguen and Marifee A. Lucaney; Photos by Jun Dom-oguen

Over the past three months, Jane Lutong began to reap the fruits of her hard work and has gained empowerment through participation in Heifer International’s project in Bauko and Sabangan, Philippines. Barely 10 months after receiving gifts from Heifer — including a gilt (a young female pig) — Jane was able to sell eight of the pig’s offspring.

“I am lucky with the gilt I received because it costs more than the project budget per gilt, I added one thousand pesos to be able to get the gilt, which was really big and matured. True enough, just after the original placement celebration, the gilt already was in heat so I mated her immediately. She gave birth after four months and I fattened all the piglets,” Jane says. “I sold eight of them which gave me a gross sale of [US $1,364] I still have one left in preparation for my pass on. I am again taking care of three piglets, which my mother pig gave me for the second time.”

Jane is a very active self-help group member, and she is very proud to say that she has perfect attendance at all the group’s activities.

“I strongly believe that the success of the cooperative is due to the fact that they are living most of the cornerstones we learned from our project. These include full participation, accountability, sharing and caring, genuine need and justice, training and education and spirituality,” she says. “There is also good leadership and all are committed to the cooperative vision. We have started with good foundations, which are Heifer’s Cornerstones.”

Jane is also a very active member of the Maggon Rural Improvement Club (RIC) in Maggon, her community. As a demonstration of her personal development, she was selected to represent Maggon to the National Organic Agriculture Congress in Baguio City in June. “I can’t believe that I was able to present the result of our earthworm composting project during the Congress to the Secretary of Agriculture of the Philippines. I was trembling at first but my self confidence really grew, thanks to our Heifer project, which honed my skills in public speaking. Who would have thought that a sixth grader in me could speak in public and teach others about a technical subject?” Jane said proudly with a big smile.

Jane used part of the proceeds from the sale of her pigs to renovate an old house inherited from her parents. As if the universe conspired to bring her luck, their Rural Improvement Club (RIC) project (called Barangay Food Terminal) was approved. She leased the renovated house to RIC for a very minimal amount. At the same time, Jane became the sales clerk of the terminal.

“I accepted the offer because I can still take care of my pigs while doing the job. I also practice what I learned from the recording and book keeping training I attended sponsored by Heifer International,” Jane says. “I will only get 30% of the net income of the store, but it will help our self help groups as it will also serve as an outlet for our products — especially vegetables.”

Jane enthusiastically took on more duties, leading the monitoring of families and livestock to update information for each pass on. She reported that 20 families were ready to pass on in September based on the sizes of livestock offspring. “I will be happy if all the members of this project will be able to pass on gifts by November. The earlier the better so that other families will have the opportunity to receive gifts. It will also be an honor for our community if we pass on early,” Jane says.

Since Jane is also a member of the feed formulation group, she had the opportunity for a co-learning visit to the Sun Jin Feeds Milling factory in Bulacan. “My goal was to learn more about feed formulation, taking into consideration that Sun Jin feeds are better. True enough, I was able to see the processes of feed formulation from preparation to packaging. I was able to validate the facts we learned – that quality ingredients give quality feeds, and in formulating grower feeds, it is very important that crude protein should be 18% because if is less or more, pig growth will be affected. I think we are now really ready to formulate our own feeds.”

With several months to go before project completion, Jane continuously demonstrates the levels of impact Heifer wishes to see from the partner families. From a reserved mother, she is now gaining the respect of her fellow partner families as she is empowered to lead others by example and hone her skills and develop leadership capabilities, not only for her benefit, but in service of the community.

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. You can read the first post about Jane Lutong and her family here.

Jane’s newly renovated house which is now a Barangay Food Terminal.

Jane feeding her new fatteners (second generation offspring of her pig)

 

Heifer CEO Speaks at World Food Prize 2012

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This week I am honored to be a part of the World Food Prize 2012 Borlaug Dialogue in Des Moines, Iowa, to represent the work of Heifer International and to help give voice to the millions of smallholder farmers who struggle daily against enormous odds to feed themselves and their families.

The World Food Prize is an incredible event, founded by Dr. Norman E. Borlaug in 1986, that honors outstanding individuals from all over the world who have made substantial contributions in the fight against hunger.

World Food Prize 2010

World Food Prize 2010 co-recipients, Jo Luck and David Beckmann. Photo courtesy of Heifer International.

It was only two years ago that Heifer’s then-president, Jo Luck, and Bread for the World President David Beckmann accepted the World Food Prize. It was a milestone—the first time the prize recognized the critical achievements that non-governmental organizations, such as Heifer International and Bread for the World, are making empowering everyday people everywhere to help end hunger.

I am humbled to be standing in their shadow and honored to be carrying on Jo Luck’s legacy. Since that October day in 2010, Heifer has helped another four million families move beyond subsistence to resilience, bringing our total to more than 18 million families assisted.

World Food Prize

Photo courtesy of Heifer International.

We cannot end hunger and poverty on our own. The direction that Heifer is embarking on will move us closer to achieving our mission of ending hunger and poverty and caring for the Earth. We are building on our past success to help more families than ever before by increasing our scale of impact. And our persistent efforts have not gone unnoticed. We have caught the attention of many large and impactful organizations such as the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Bank and United States Agency for International Development. I met with these organizations when I traveled to India, Nepal and Cambodia. They have seen the socioeconomic advancements in our project communities, generated by our work, and  they are interested in integrating with our efforts to empower families.

World Food Prize

Photo courtesy of Heifer International.

Speaking at the World Food Prize, surrounded by the luminaries of the development world, means that Heifer is being recognized as a key player. These next few years will be exciting and full of promise. But don’t just be an observer, get involved. Everyone has a role to play in ending hunger and poverty and your involvement in your own community can help the families all over the world with whom we work.

Progress Moves from Family to Community

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Ganga Ale is fast on her way to becoming a leader in her community. As the only educated member of her women’s group, Ganga feels that it is her responsibility to lead her community towards a better life. She received five goats from Heifer and trainings that boosted her
confidence.

In the past three months her family’s potato farm has raked in two quintals of produce, almost twice what she produced last year. She now was 14 goats, and she bought some more with a loan from the group fund. They need a new pen, which she and her husband will build later this month. This pen will be improved as she was taught in Heifer’s animal management trainings. Her eldest daughter, Yamuna, will be graduating from school this year. Ganga is excited about her daughter going to college. She wants her to study business so she can also learn a few things from her to implement in her farm.

There are plans to build a road connecting the village to the main highway. Ganga plans to be involved in negotiating the maximum budget from the village development committee. “This road will improve the market linkage for our produces. We have high hopes for the future,” she
said. 
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. Today’s post is the second in a series of  quarterly updates on the progress of Ganga Ale and her family. You can read the first post about this family here.

Honoring Heifer’s Women Participants: Ganga Khanal, Nepal

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Editor’s Note: Acommitment to empower women is embedded in Heifer International’score values for sustainable development. In honor of International Women’s Dayon Thursday, March 8, this week we’re sharing the stories of Heifer participants who takethe gifts of animals and training and run with them to extraordinary resultsfor themselves and their communities. Through hard work and innovations, eachwoman secures her rightful place in the family, the marketplace and the world.


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Video by Geoff Oliver Bugbee and Puja Singh

Ganga Khanal of Jirouna, Nepal describes herself as stubborn, driven and outspoken, traditionally not celebrated qualities in a Nepali woman.

Her fierce spirit grew all the stronger after a heart-breaking early married life full of betrayal and blame.Her first two children were daughters, and her husband and mother-in-law turned on her, blaming her for the lack of a son. Her husband hit her when she spoke up, and her mother-in-law encouraged him. She never had enough to eat.

But she would not accept that life of poverty and pain. She heard about a women’s group looking for a new group of women to receive Heifer animals and knowledge through the practice of Pass on the Gift. Armed with that sliver of hope, she rallied her neighbors.

“I said, ‘Let’s do something. We are very poor people. We lease other people’s goats and raise them. If someone is willing to give us goats for free, why wouldn’t we take that opportunity?’” Khanal said.

Despite bitter opposition from her husband, she formed the Jagrit Women’s Group and received two black and white goats and training in Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones.

“Today I am something,” Khanal said. “I have substance; I have animals; I have crops. … If you have the backup of the whole group, the trust of the group, there is nothing you can’t do.”

Khanal now sits on the executive board of a larger cooperative of women’s groups that owns and operates a commodities store where the women can sell their own produce.

Her husband came around too, a few months after she received her goats and a loan from the group savings. “He started helping me in the farm and with the animals. We were making enough money to get us by.

“I believed what I was doing would result in a bright future for my family,” she said. “So I didn’t lose faith. I didn’t give up.”Khanal is hopeful her efforts will mean a better future for all her six children, four girls and two boys.

“I used to be guilty as well in believing it was more important to educate or provide for my sons than for my daughters,” she said. “But the trainings changed all that for me. Today, my daughter is in the army. My daughter has made me realize and understand that girls are no less than boys.”

Her son, Sudip, learned that same lesson from Khanal. “I have so much respect for these women who have created opportunities for people like me. The future looks bright for us because of our moms.”

To read the full article about Khanal in World Ark magazine, click here. Below, Khanal shares what her life is like now.