Tag Archives: Gender Equity

From the Field: Passing on Perseverance

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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. Families who receive livestock from Heifer International also gain education and learn new skills, which teach them how to thrive after our support ends. When they Pass on the Gift®, they enable others to regain the dignity of providing for their family and the hope of developing stronger communities.

Neang Chhoeun, a 53-year-old farmer and self-help group (SHG) leader, lost his right leg in Cambodia’s civil war. Despite his disability, Chhoeun was determined to impact his neighbors by restoring a road in their community. “I find that Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones [for Just and Sustainable Development] work very well for my life,” Chhoeun said. “I apply them personally and I have improved incomes for my family and I have passed on the gifts to my neighbors to help them alleviate their poverty.” Heifer Cambodia helps amputees like Chhoeun with the challenges of living with physical disabilities.

Neang Chhoeun brought his community together to restore a dirt road, which will make travelling to their homes and market much easier. Photo by Nou Samnang, North-West Region Program Officer, Heifer Cambodia

Neang Chhoeun brought his community together to restore a dirt road, which will make traveling to their homes and market much easier. Photo by Nou Samnang, North-West Region Program Officer, Heifer Cambodia

Bilkis Begum’s family did not believe she could contribute anything of value, but through perseverance, she raised the family’s standard of living and changed their minds. With support from her women’s SHG in Teyarirchar village, Bangladesh, she received a young bull, education and gender equity training. These experiences helped Begum expand her family’s assets, improve their income and contribute to her community. She also successfully proposed that a preschool for poor families be established in her village.

Since 2010, the gift of sheep has given hope to 45 families in Lernantski village, Armenia. One resident said unexpected weather conditions make horticulture less and less reliable, but Heifer’s assistance is improving the lives of these diligent families. Grandpa Hovehannes of the Ohanyan family said, “Heifer’s assistance to us and to our community is indeed invaluable. The whole village is the witness of it.” The community continues to persevere despite harsh conditions and pass on gifts to other families in need.

Learn how you can help families persevere

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.

 

NOW We Send Our Children to School

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Nancy Ascencio Neira lives with her husband, Galo, on their family farm in Manglaralto parish along Ecuador’s Pacific coast. They have seven sons; two have moved to Guayaquil, the nearest big city. One is studying at the university in Guayaquil and the rest live at home. Galo only attended school through the 6th grade and Nancy never went. “My parents said I was too pretty, and I would get married soon,” she said.

Photo by Russell Powell

Photo by Russell Powell

Nancy and Galo wanted to give their children opportunities they didn’t have. “If we don’t educate our children, then their life will be as difficult as ours,” Galo said. However, sending their children to school was always difficult. “I haven’t been able to educate all our children because we are a low-income family,” he said.

In July 2010, they received 100 chickens as participants in a Heifer project. They later received two pigs, fruit trees, vegetable seeds and a backpack sprayer. Galo was excited to receive so many seeds because they wanted to diversify the plants and produce on their farm. “Since we produce our own vegetables, we no longer have to buy and that’s an additional income for us,” Galo said. Plus, their farm is now 90 percent organic and their produce is healthier.

Photo by Russell Powell

Photo by Russell Powell

The chickens also made an immediate impact. Every two and a half months, they sell 100 chickens. After 15 months, they have earned more than $3,400. Some of the profit was used to buy raw materials for Nancy’s handicrafts, another source of income. She weaves baskets and makes jewelry to sell at a friend’s store, with part of these earnings saved for their children’s education. “The benefits we derive from Heifer don’t just help the adults, but also our children. Through this project we have been able to send our children to school,” Galo said.

Nancy said, “Education is very important, because in reality it is the only thing we have to give them.” She hopes that her children won’t stay in the city, but that they will be able to buy their own farms and have better lives. “I hope my children won’t abandon the land. I want to instill in them the idea that the countryside is good and that planting the land and caring for animals is also good,” Galo said.

The couple has also been able to purchase geese, mules and horses from the income they earned selling chickens. The mules haul the family’s produce to sell and helps move organic fertilizer and compost to the fields. Their horses are used by the agro-tourists that visit the area each year.

Photo by Russell Powell

Photo by Russell Powell

Besides boosting incomes, another long-term impact of this project is the changing role of women in the community. Nancy is no longer relegated to household chores; she helps with the farming, is a businesswoman and is president of Asociacion de Muejers Artesanas de dos Mangas, a local women’s handicraft association. “She provides us with additional income and a better economic standing,” Galo said. Nancy enjoys being able to contribute to the family income. “I have something to say when we make decisions about our money,” she said.

“Our community is now very conscious about living a better life,” Galo said. Non-project community members are seeking advice from group members. “Heifer is helping us and we are helping others, including our children,” Nancy said.

Galo likes Heifer’s approach because it is a simple idea. He said “the idea is to share and payback.”

A gift to Heifer can help send children to school.

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.

International Women’s Day: Be Part of the Solution

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Editor’s note: Empowering women is at the core of Heifer International’s model for sustainable development. In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, this week we are sharing stories of the women with whom Heifer works, who take the gifts of livestock and education to produce extraordinary results for themselves, their families and their communities.

International Women's Day - empowering women

Dang Hong Thuy, 47, and her daughter Nguyen Thi Yen Nhi, 17, hold a gosling near their home in Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Heifer International.

Gender equity is central to Heifer’s success in eliminating hunger and poverty while caring for the earth. A family can more easily lift itself out of poverty when men and women learn to share and respect their roles and responsibilities. That’s why Heifer directly confronts gender equity in its 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development.

While women own less than one percent of the land in developing countries, they are responsible for producing 80 percent of the food. Heifer empowers women worldwide by investing in their families’ health, education, and nutrition.

International Women's Day - education of girls

Lidia Ingabire, age 8, of Rwanda, shows her mother Arodia Uwimbabazi, 32, what she’s done at school. Photo courtesy of Heifer International

Women are also more likely to pass on the gift of their education and success to their families. Heifer encourages girls to study math and science, and also supports female entrepreneurs. Training and workshops such as animal health, holistic community development, and fiber spinning ensure participants learn skills to build a solid foundation and become self-sufficient. Through Heifer’s work, women also collaborate to establish better communities and afford decent education for their children.

Heifer believes every woman has something to contribute to their families and communities, especially if they have been excluded or undervalued within the culture. The opinions and full participation from women leaders is a vehicle of change, which also fosters helpful interaction between neighbors.

Success stories like the Promotion and Protection of Women’s Rights and Socio-Economic Empowerment project in Cambodia, will continue to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Around the world, Heifer is working to end hunger and poverty and care for the earth. A charitable gift to Heifer not only provides livestock and training, it gives hope and dignity to women as they improve their lives.

Be part of the solution with Heifer on International Women’s Day

Double Your Impact In Guatemala

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Double your impact on hunger now! Thanks to a generous benefactor and international partners, your donation to Heifer International will be matched dollar-for-dollar during March to support food security, better nutrition and women’s empowerment in Guatemala.

Double your impact for people like Virginia Jimenez Mateo, who knows firsthand how women living in rural areas can become isolated and marginalized. She lives in the remote village of Laguna Verde, Guatemala, with her husband Mauricio and their seven sons.

Virginia Jimenez Mateo, Guatemala

Photo by Russell Powell, courtesy of Heifer International

Before joining a Heifer project in 2007, Virginia seldom left her house since women do most of the farm labor and household chores. She rarely had the opportunity to get to know other women in her community apart from church activities. “The only time I left my house was to go to church and back,” she said.

Virginia primarily prepared beans, steamed broccoli or carrots for meals. They had to buy eggs from their neighbors and could only afford meat twice a month. She recalls that 14-year-old Mario had stomach problems.

Since joining the project, she has received training along with 10 chickens in 2007 and a goat in 2011. She especially likes Passing on the Gift®. “It would be hard for me to save enough money to repay a goat, but when mine (kid born on February 14, 2012) is big enough I can pass it on,” she said, having already passed on the gift of chickens in 2008.

Heifer’s training improved life in the community. Training provided opportunities for the local women to get to know each other. “No one can take away the knowledge we received,” she said. Thanks to the gender training, the men have started participating. With more help around the house, Virginia’s family started to thrive.

Edwin Gonzalez Jimenez, Guatemala

“Part of the training was teaching my children than they can do anything a woman can do,” Virginia said.
Photo by Russell Powell, courtesy of Heifer International

The biggest benefit for her family, Virginia said, was their improved diet and nutrition. They raise their own chickens, so they no longer have to buy eggs and can now afford to buy meat once a week. “Now we have more variety,” she said. She noticed that they aren’t as sick as before. She credits drinking goat’s milk for her improved health and less aches in her joints.

Better nutrition means her sons have more energy to focus on their school work. Miguel, age 19, and Carlos, age 16, received scholarships to attend a Catholic school. “The knowledge and ethics they are receiving are important,” she said.

This kind of impact happens every day in Heifer projects. Stretch your dollar this month and double your impact to help provide the training and livestock needed by families like Virginia’s to help put more food on the table.

To maximize this match, we need to raise at least $831,000 from generous supporters like you.

Click here to donate.

Heifer Welcomes Club de Madrid to Little Rock

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Heifer International is delighted to welcome former heads of State and Government Members of the Club de Madrid as the organization holds its 2012 conference in downtown Little Rock from December 17-18. This year, the meeting focuses on solutions to gender inequity throughout the democratic world.

Club de Madrid conference 2012

Our Heifer Village will host two sessions during the two-day conference as well as the event’s inaugural luncheon on the theme of Women in the Arts and Media, with actress Geena Davis and Saudi Arabian artist Manal Al Dawanyan.

Heifer International President and CEO Pierre Ferrari is the speaker at the official conference dinner, held at the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion on the evening of December 17. Ferrari will build the case for investment in women smallholder farmers as the key to eradicating poverty for millions of people worldwide.

Our environmentally-friendly headquarters and learning center provides a welcoming forum for political leaders, academics and business leaders. We work in more than 40 countries alongside communities to provide long-term solutions to hunger and poverty. It is in recognition of women farmers that Heifer Intentional, specifically, commits itself to increasing the visibility of small-scale women farmers by providing both the resources and opportunities for them to achieve their potential.

Women in Peru

Photo by Cindy Jones-Nyland, courtesy of Heifer International

We understand that in order to advance the status of women globally, decision-making must be opened to women at all levels: both at the highest levels of government but also within the families and communities that are the foundations of our societies. Hunger and poverty trap women disproportionately to men, but when assistance is provided to rural women it has an outsized impact on the well-being of their families and community–truly a sound investment.

Due to the Club de Madrid gathering, Heifer Village will be closed to the general public on December 17 and 18. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Provide Education for Girls on Universal Children’s Day

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Uneducated women live a limited life. They have few personal choices about marriage, the number of children they will have and how their family will spend its money. Education for girls is a key element in fighting hunger and poverty.

Limited Lives

Education For Girls

Photo courtesy of Heifer International.

Due to their marginalized status in many areas of the world, women’s movements are often restricted to the home, and they are not welcome to participate in making personal or community decisions. Their husbands dictate their lives. Their lack of education coupled with their low status severely limits income-generating opportunities. Moreover, their social subordination places them at a high risk for domestic violence, and if they become widows or their marriage ends, trafficking.

People in many places still believe spending money on sending a girl to school is pointless. And if she is lucky enough to get to go, when income is limited, the family often will stop her schooling in favor of spending the money on her brothers’ school fees. When half of the population isn’t fulfilling its potential, the entire community suffers.

Education for Girls Changes Women’s Lives

Basic education for girls changes their lives. The Strey Tbong Pich women’s group in Cambodia has learned to read and write thanks to training through a Heifer International project. They can now learn about sanitation and nutrition, keep financial records and have access to more income-generating opportunities.

“Before joining the group and attending the literacy class, our family had never drunk boiled water,” said 37-year-old Kan Nai Ky from the Strey Tbong Pich women’s group. “Our house was not hygienic, as we had never cared about waste around our house, and there was no sanitation inside the house. Since studying the literacy book on improving the environment, we know the importance of good hygiene, sanitation and the environment. Now we always boil the water before drinking.”

Imagine if these women had learned to read when they were girls. What different lives might they have led?

One of our newest items in the Heifer International Gift Catalog is Send a Girl to School. The gift provides a family in need with training and livestock so they can earn the income they need to pay for their daughter’s school fees and supplies. Education for girls is one of the surest ways to break the cycle of poverty and dependence in a community.

Universal Children’s Day is Today

Celebrate this Universal Children’s Day by changing the future for a girl. This holiday, created in 1954 by the United Nations, works to benefit the interests of children by limiting long-work hours and increasing access to education.

This Universal Children’s Day, help provide education for girls by giving now. Your holiday gift for a loved one can truly transform the lives of others.

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.

 

 

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”From the Field section.

One of Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development is Gender and Family Focus. This element is present in a variety of ways in Heifer’s projects. Women often represent their families in self-help groups (SHGs) and become models for their families and even communities.

The values-based literacy program teaches Youern Sopheak, 18, more than just reading and writing.

The values-based literacy program teaches Youern Sopheak, 18, more than just reading and writing.

The Strey Tbong Pich women’s group in Cambodia is now in its second year of a values-based literacy progam. Participants of all ages worked very hard, despite challenges such as last year’s flooding, and recently successfully completed their final exams.

Female agricultural service cooperative (ASC) representatives, including Heifer project leaders, recently visited Ukraine’s Parliament on Human Rights to share about gender-equity isses rural women face. This is an important step in improving gender equity throughout the country.  

Finally, meet Rose Were, a farmer in Kenya and former Heifer project participant, who hosted more than 400 farmers at her four-acre farm for a World Food Day celebration on October 16.

The Difference a Goat Can Make: Photo of the Week

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Photo by Russ Powell, Courtesy of Heifer International

Sumitra Devi and five-year-old daughter Anita happily pose for a photo with their family’s goat. Heifer International’s work in India empowers women like Sumitra to make life better for their families. Learn how you can be a part of this transformation.