Tag Archives: Nepal

Around the Web: 5k, Carnivals, and a Penny Jar

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Every Sunday we highlight some of the people who are funding our work creatively or helping us spread the word of our mission online. If you spot Heifer International while you’re surfing the web or know of a fun or creative fundraising effort, please share it with us here in the comments.

A BBC Nepal radio broadcast discusses forage production by Heifer International Nepal project members. A project visit to another site already planting their own fodder inspired women in the Dhungri and Belbas village to grow their own, eliminating a long and often dangerous daily journey to find fodder for their animals. You can hear the show (in Nepalese), or read the transcript in English on our website.

Reeve 5k Memory Run

Photo credit: The Burlingames

Megan Burlingames blogs about and shares pics of the 2nd annual Reeve 5k Memory Run, which is about remembering loved ones, and proceeds this year went to Heifer International. Megan took third place overall, and won first place for the women’s division. Congrats Megan.

St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Columbia, South Carolina, is holding an Alternative Gift Fair/Incredible Edibles Sale on October 27. You can pick up holiday gift certificates to a variety of local and international charities, including Heifer International, and grab some baked goods, frozen entrees, homemade condiments, jams, jellies and other goodies while you’re there.

On the opposite coast, First Presbyterian Church in Livermore, California, is holding the 38th annual Carnival to Benefit Heifer International October 27. Attractions include games, a cake walk, an animal exhibition, home-cooked meals, baked goods, a scary room, craft sales, music, and a costume parade.

Students in Brad Kotz’s homeroom at Orchard Place High School earn pennies when they demonstrate academic or behavioral excellence. When there is $20 in the penny jar, they purchase a flock of chickens through Heifer International. Good kids doing great things!

Charity Meets Style at Philanthropy, a leader in cause-driven retailing. Blogger Charissa Livingston writes about this business, which has benefited many nonprofits including Heifer International.

Small Town Living featured Heifer as a way to change lives and give a gift that’s totally different this year. “A win-win situation for them to be able to rise above poverty and to have improved lives and communities.”

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.

Leading the Poverty Fight in Nepal

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Heifer's President and CEO Pierre Ferrari meets with Jag Kuwen Magar (left) and Khir Bahadar Magar in Shaktikhor, Nepal, a few weeks ago.

Heifer International’s President and CEO Pierre Ferrari visited Nepal in late August with Mahendra Lohani, Heifer’s vice president of Asia and South Pacific programs. Reporters Bijay Ghimire and Pushparaj Acharya interviewed Ferrari for the Nepalese Karobar National Economic Daily during that visit. Below is an excerpt from the interview. To visit the online Nepalese news site for the article, click here.

Q:             Heifer Nepal has been working in Nepal for the past 15 years. How would you rate the situation in Nepal?

A:             Lots of significant work has been done in Nepal to alleviate poverty. The transformation that I have witnessed in the community is amazing. Poor farmers’ livelihoods have improved. Agricultural and livestock-keeping techniques have improved. We have taught farmers about value chains. We encourage smallholder farmers to connect to markets and become entrepreneurs. The conditions here are favorable enough for people involved primarily in agriculture to not have to be poor. Changes are not only material, they are also social. There’s material growth and there’s social growth.

Q:             What is social growth?

A:             We work with communities to increase their income, to improve their food security and nutrition and provide trainings to help them adopt environmentally friendly and sustainable agricultural practices. We teach them about the value chain. After one group achieves its goals of improved income and better livelihoods, they teach other groups in the same way, hence fulfilling their social responsibility. The families also receive micro-finance support for bio-gas and toilets, anything they need to help them overcome poverty. Inputs and support that Heifer provides for one group is passed on to the next group. The first group undertakes the responsibility of making this second group equally capable. This ensures continuation of the work even after Heifer completes a project.

Q:             Is it easy to work this way?

A:             The target community, after they benefit from the inputs, form cooperatives. One group has to support the other to ensure income, food security and empowerment. We end a project only after incorporating all these groups into a cooperative. This way, a group of 25 will become a group of 400. Heifer has incorporated almost 71,000 families in this model. This allows them to continue seeking and receiving government and non-government support even after the project has ended. They are able to mobilize their resources better. This way the project never ends, it is continued by the participants themselves. Cooperatives are the best tool to work with resource-poor families.

Q:             How many districts do you work in now?

A:             We work in 38 districts. We have just started a new project focusing on goat farming and dairy. We have realized that if you just make the poor capable enough to earn two meals and day and have a roof over their heads, even the smallest fluctuation will take them back to absolute poverty. We cannot leave them so vulnerable. We have currently been working on creating market reach for farmers. Our main support is targeted toward bringing them above the poverty line.

Q:             In many cases income increases, but poverty still remains. What can we do to improve living standards?

A:             We are focusing on market access and enterprise. We want to assure that this process does not stop after the project. That is why the cooperatives are important. First we bring hope into people’s lives through social and economic support. After this, they will be able to move ahead and access markets with financial incentives. Enterprise will assure regular income, and they will be able to increase their income as the market grows.

Q:             Isn’t it strange for an American NGO to be working through cooperatives and microfinance to improve livelihoods?

A:             We have been doing this for the past 70 years. After the Second World War we distributed cattle to various parts of the world from America and Ireland. This started in 1944. We started in India in 1942 and in Nepal we provided Jersey cows in 1947. We have also provided chicken and chicks. The Tribhuvan highway was just being constructed and was not net open to the public at the time. USAID received special permission from the Royal Palace to use the road to transport the animals. They were delivered to Delhi in a ship and brought from there to Kathmandu in trucks. It was expensive, but we did this work of transporting improved animal breeds all over the world.

Q:             You talked about women’s empowerment. What about the men?

A:             We also train men, but some move to Saudi Arabia and other countries for work. Women live in the village throughout their lives. But our projects are not just for the women. When women are successful, the benefits and income flow throughout the family. Empowering women does not necessarily mean the man’s influence is reduced. Empowering women means empowering the family. This model’s success is proven.

Q:             How did you continue to work even during the [Nepalese rebel] conflict when most international agencies, especially American agencies, were not allowed to work?

A:             Our greatest strength is the families we work with. They represented us and supported us if there were problems in implementation during the conflict. They told the rebels, you are rebelling for better livelihoods for us, so is Heifer, so why do you want to stop the good work? International nongovernmental agencies are often accused of not being transparent. But we were transparent throughout. What amount is allocated to livestock, what amount is allocated to trainings, what amount is allocated to social mobilization, everything is open and clear.

Q:             Why do you think Nepal is poor?

A:             There are limited resources and tools in the country. But I don’t think Nepal is poor. It has a lot of potential to develop in the hydro-power and agricultural sectors.

Q:            What kind of programs will be implemented in Nepal in the future?

A:             Our current project aims to involve smallholders in the goat value chain. It also has a small dairy component. Along with this, we will also focus on strengthening the cooperatives.

Women’s Empowerment is Key to Turning Oppression Into Opportunity

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At Heifer International we believe there is no development strategy more beneficial to society than the one that involves women as central players, and at the same time engages men to encourage a more accepting view of women’s participation. Our work, our stories, our evaluations demonstrate that when we work in partnership with women, families benefit, communities benefit—positive changes do occur.

And we know that given help, tools and training to enhance food production and the chance to build assets and income, these are the women who will feed the world’s exponentially growing population.

We recognize that women are the backbone of agriculture and the key driver of food production. Here are a handful of facts to illustrate this point:

  • Worldwide, 36 percent of the world’s farmers are women—compared with 34 percent for men.
  • In developing regions, the figure is much higher. In Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, 60 to 70 percent of farmers are women.
  • There are 650 million smallholder farmers in the world, and 50 to 80 percent of them are women!
  • They grow 70 percent of the food that is eaten every day and have the potential to feed the world.

Despite these impressive numbers, women still face significant disparity in the resources and support they can access, including land, credit and education.

This is not acceptable.

Gender equity is a basic human right and an important component of international development work. By gender equity, I mean that women and men, girls and boys are valued equally and enjoy the same opportunities to achieve their full potential. When gender equity is present, there is accountability, efficiency and sustainability. At Heifer, we know what women can accomplish, and we recognize the value of empowering them. We ensure that gender equity is present in all of our projects – it’s one of our 12 Cornerstones.

I recently traveled to Nepal and met with many women’s groups. Let me tell you about two of them. They are involved in Heifer projects that have a five-year implementation period. The first group of women, in the initial project stage, was shy and nervous. Their husbands, also in attendance, dominated the conversation.

The second group of women had been part of their project for over two years and participated in Heifer’s Value-Based Cornerstone training. Such a contrast! These women were powerful, talking about their future plans and present successes. And the men – quiet, reverent, awestruck.

For Heifer International, development is not just about offering the opportunity of a livelihood and access to basic social services; it is about creating an environment where people can realize their rights, achieve self-reliance and participate meaningfully in society.

I am proud of Heifer International’s support of the Half the Sky Movement, which is putting an end to the oppression of women and girls worldwide. I encourage you to watch Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, a series on PBS tonight and tomorrow night (9pm Eastern) and join in our shared pledge to helping women and girls succeed so they can achieve their dreams of hope, happiness, opportunity and prosperity.

Editor’s note: Photos by Dave Anderson, courtesy of Heifer International.

Beyond Hunger Event Celebrates Women’s Empowerment

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I am in California where this evening I will be a part of Beyond Hunger: A Place at the Table. This event is an extraordinary opportunity to honor Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson for their awesome dedication to Heifer International, and to raise awareness of the ongoing need to empower women.

Because I feel so strongly about the importance of providing opportunities to women, many of my blogs feature this topic. I wrote that Investment in Women Farmers IS Priority for Heifer; but at Heifer, we don’t just say it is important, our actions demonstrate our commitment.

Heifer CEO, Pierre Ferrari in Nepal

In August, Heifer CEO, Pierre Ferrari met with a women's self-help group in Nepal.

Gender and Family Focus is one of Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones and empowerment for women is  an integral component of our projects. Gender equity (the notion that women, men, girls and boys are valued equally and have the same opportunities to achieve their potential) is an important, key element of our programmatic work. Heifer has developed a two-part strategic approach: mainstreaming and understanding the cultural aspects that prevent gender equity. Mainstreaming ensures that women’s (and men’s) concerns, priorities and experiences are an integral part of the entire project cycle: the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project. Through training, Heifer is able to address the cultural systems, procedures, norms, beliefs, practices and attitudes that perpetuate gender inequality. These approaches allow for bridging the existing gaps between women and men.

Women in Cambodia in August 2012

Heifer CEO, Pierre Ferrari, was present in Cambodia when several women participating in Heifer projects received certificates for completing their training.

I recently returned from a visit to India, Nepal and Cambodia; and for the first time, I met women who were in the beginning stages of Heifer projects. These women were shy, and their husbands dominated the conversations. They were such a contrast to other women whose stories I have previously shared, such as Dolores Delgado from Peru or the Women’s Group Coordination Committee (WGCC) in Nepal. But I know that this contrast will not last, and these timid women will become transformed after they complete their Cornerstones and Values Based Holistic Development trainings.

It’s unbelievable that even though women make up more than half the total number of small farmers in the world, produce between 60 and 80 percent of the food in most developing countries, they still struggle for access to basic resources and services. Gender equity should be the norm; with your help Heifer will continue to work toward making that a reality.

So tonight, as we celebrate the stories of hope and inspiration and reflect on the work that is yet to be done, we recognize that together, we can change the world. And, even if you will not be able to attend this event, I ask that you join us in this pledge for the future to help empower women to achieve their dreams of life without hunger and poverty.

Heifer CEO Travels: An Update from Nepal

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It has been more than a year since my last visit to Nepal and it feels good to be back! I’m anxious to see the changes that have occurred since I have been gone.

My first visit was to Kathmandu and to meet with Heifer Nepal staff. They are truly a talented team with a total commitment to building social capital as THE way to successful rural agricultural development. They understand the impact of the 12 Cornerstones and include these values into project work.

Nepal has implemented the Nepal Signature Project that will embody our work of increasing our impact. This project hopes to serve 140,000 farmers in goat and dairy value chain enterprises to increase families’ nutrition and income. The Nepal staff is very confident and very excited at the impact they will have on so many lives. I really am in awe of the amazing work that the Nepal staff has accomplished regarding this project since January.

Heifer International CEO Pierre Ferrari's first trip into the field to Asia (Nepal country programs).

After my initial meeting with Heifer Nepal, I spent the rest of the afternoon meeting with government officials and project collaborators who have pledged to support our work.

My second day was spent in various meetings with representatives from World Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).  There were interesting discussions. As Dr. Gayatri Acharya, acting Country Director for the World Bank in Nepal, said, “Money is not the problem, there is plenty of money. It is [lack of] responsible execution that is the problem.” In Heifer’s case, I know that Nepal Country Director, Dr. Shubh Mahato, and his staff have built incredible relationships with various organizations that will enhance our current work and demonstrate our commitment and comparative advantage in the building of social capital.

Nepal is very poor with continuing poverty, malnutrition, unemployment and corruption. It is apparent that Heifer NEEDS to be here, and in working with our partners to increase our impact, Heifer will be a key player in eradicating poverty.

Heifer International CEO Pierre Ferrari's first trip into the field to Asia (Nepal country programs).

Puja Singh, Communications and Network Officer for Nepal, shared some of my visit to the Kabilash village in her post “First Steps into Sustainability.” This village is home to a little more than 1,000 families who will be a part of the Nepal Signature Project. As Puja mentioned, this was my first time meeting with a Self Help Group (SHG) prior to receiving training. It is evident that life is not easy and the women were very shy and nervous. The Nepal staff explained how radical the change is after participating in Cornerstone training, and these women will be more assertive and confident. We met with a second group, who are in a similar situation as the first group. Their agroecological and livestock practices are inadequate; their animals are sick, ill fed and scrawny and do not fetch good prices and have high mortality rates.  They mentioned to us they were hungry and struggled to find the next meal for themselves and their children. It was a very sobering experience. I would like to think that we shared hope with these families, knowing that Heifer would soon be working with them to support their efforts to attain self-reliance.  We also met with some SHGs that have been Heifer project participants for more than two years. The contrast was amazing. Their success has been motivating for the new groups preparing to engage in Heifer projects.

The following day we visited the Devitar village. This was the village I visited 18 months earlier, in my first trip to Nepal. The participants are thriving and their income is up substantially. It really was quite moving to see the continued progress.

Heifer CEO Pierre Ferrari visits Nepal projects.

As my time in Nepal came to a close, I visited additional Heifer projects in the Chepang area. Although they were all at different stages in their projects, you could see their progress. The Cornerstones training has really served them well as a foundational basis for their work. One of the groups even received a visit from the Prime Minister of Nepal! These SHGs understand that scale matters and they are now they most visible and impactful advocates for their communities. I’m pleased to see that many of the SHGs are led by some forceful and confident women. I truly wish that you could experience the power and excitement from these projects.

My journey continues onto Thailand and Cambodia. The days have been very long, but as I have mentioned before, I am energized by the people I meet!

Namaste.

Heifer CEO in Nepal: First Steps into Sustainability

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On his first day in Nepal, Heifer International President and CEO Pierre Ferrari found himself among a group of withdrawn yet excited women in an unused classroom in the village of Kabilash in Chitwan district, a jostling 45-minute drive uphill on a dirt track that was patched up from recent landslides especially for his visit. The ethnic tribal women spoke of the challenges of and their aspirations for Heifer’s signature project, of which they were going to be a part. This was a first for Ferrari. Having traveled through Nepal in February 2011 and having heard about the country’s achievements in implementing transformational projects ever since he joined Heifer, Ferrari was more accustomed to strong women displaying confidence. “It validated the time and money we put into trainings to build the social capital to strengthen and transform women,” said Ferrari.

The women in Kabilash are part of a groundbreaking effort in Nepal that will scale up Heifer’s work to end poverty and hunger by increasing goat and milk production by helping women farmers increase production and enabling them to take part in the value chain through cooperatives formed and led by women. The overarching goal of the project, reducing importation of live goats and milk, will increase income for smallholder farmers through increased production and participation in the value chain, which will ensure that they get a fair share of the profits.

Heifer’s plan in this beautiful but resource-poor community is to establish sustainable partnerships with the local government, which is a co-funder of the project. “Our five-year plan consists of improving livestock and agriculture to help the people of this village escape poverty,” said Village Development Committee Secretary Pradhumna Khadka. “So when Heifer came to me with an opportunity to partner, I accepted it without any reservations.”

This is a partnership that works for all. Because after Heifer completes its work in Kabilash, it can be assured that the impacts will be exponential. “By this time, Heifer will have strengthened the farmers, the cooperative they form, and the agents of development, the government organizations, who are there to stay,” said Parbati Rawal, executive director of SRAM, a Heifer local partner NGO that will implement the project in Kabilash.

Heifer Nepal is geared up to implement similar projects in 28 districts of Nepal in the next five—an ambitious plan that has already been able to seek support in forms of resource leverage and collaborative partnerships from the national and local government and other development agencies.

World Humanitarian Day 2012 at Heifer International

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Today is World Humanitarian Day, and in honor of today, we at Heifer International celebrate the ordinary and extraordinary works of humanitarianism being conducted by its project participants, supporters and employees every day. With a mission to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth, Heifer thrives on the humanitarian spirit that is awakened with our Pass On the Gift concept.

Passing on the Gift Makes Everyone a Humanitarian

On Humanitarian Day, the world honors individuals who have shared their time and resources, and even braved danger and adversity, to help their fellow human beings. Heifer enables the poor and hungry to become humanitarians themselves with our model that capitalizes on the ability of livestock to reproduce. Each project participant passes on the gift of its animal’s first-born female offspring, along with training, to another family in the community.

Passing on the Gift in Nepal
Passing on the Gift ceremony in Nepal. Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee, courtesy of Heifer International.

Donating Through Heifer Makes YOU a Humanitarian

Heifer also allows people who enjoy material security to become part of the humanitarian process when they donate an animal from Heifer’s catalog, and allows them to spread the joy of humanitarian action further by giving an animal gift in someone else’s honor.

Tanzanian Participant Jailed for Helping Community

In addition to its many humanitarian projects designed to bring families into self-reliance, Heifer International has seen remarkable examples of participants and workers who risk their own wellbeing to bring prosperity to others. For example, fish farmer Nicholas Mwakabelele was jailed for a period in Tanzania over his efforts to create fish hatcheries for his community. He took special time to help a blind man, Wailso Nzalayaluma, to create his own fish pond so that he would no longer have to beg for food.

Nicholas Mwakabelele in front of his tilapia pond.

Nicholas Mwakabelele in front of his tilapia pond. Photo by Dave Anderson, courtesy of Heifer International.

Heifer Cambodia Director Persevered to Become Humanitarian Leader

Heifer Cambodia Director Keo KeangHeifer Cambodia Country Director Keo Keang grew up under the Khmer Rouge regime, and her family struggled to send her to school without money for books, supplies and uniforms. She strived to become a leader and now works every day to bring basic resources to families, especially women, who are struggling to emerge from oppressive poverty.

Heifer Haiti Staff Aided Earthquake Victims

In the aftermath of the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake, Heifer employees who had seen damage to their own homes and families nonetheless worked tirelessly to help other distressed victims. As he worried about the fate of his missing sister, trapped under rubble for a week, Heifer employee Junior Lozama worked to aid other victims of the quake, thinking, “Maybe some stranger is helping my sister right now.”

It’s that spirit of generosity and common humanity that gives Heifer International hope that an end to hunger and poverty is truly possible. Heifer is proud to stand with the United Nations in its call for celebrants of World Humanitarian Day to help improve our world by doing something good for someone else.

World Humanitarian DayWhat Makes You a Humanitarian?

Tell us in the comments section below.

Investment in Women Farmers IS Priority for Heifer

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I recently read an article from the World Watch Institute that said there are “low investments in women farmers, despite their important contributions to global food security.”

Dharam Shila Panday is member of Lakshmi Women'€™s group.

Photograph by Geoff Bugbee, courtesy of Heifer International

I’m familiar with the general facts –

Women have limited access to land.

Women have limited access to credit.

Women have limited access to education.

And yet, “[women] produce as much as 50 percent of the agricultural output,” according to World Watch Institute.

Heifer has continually recognized the importance of empowering women, especially women working in agriculture. In a previous post, The Role of Social Capital in Heifer’s Work, I mentioned Heifer’s Theory of Change, which is a process that Heifer developed to support families and individuals move from vulnerability to sustainability.

A Nepal project participant shares her story.

Photograph by Geoff Bugbee, courtesy of Heifer International

Our Theory of Change recognizes that in order for women farmers to fully maximize their capacity to feed the world, we need to ensure that we provide them with opportunities to empower them. Women need access to and control over their income and assets, they need to participate in the decision making at household and community levels (this is one of our 12 Cornerstones), and they need to hold roles of leadership.

To achieve these objectives, Heifer has developed measures implemented in ALL of our projects.

But it isn’t just about saying what we are going to do; it’s about seeing that work in action. In Nepal, the Women Group Coordination Committee (WGCC) is an organization that has been working with Heifer. In 1993, before the WGCC was formed, 25 women came together and approached a bank for a loan. Not surprisingly, they were denied. These women had the desire and the drive, but they lacked support. Through connections, they were introduced to Heifer. Fast forward, and the WGCC established themself as a non-governmental organization and serve as an implementing project

Documenting project progress.

Photograph by Geoff Bugbee, courtesy of Heifer International

partner with Heifer. To date, WGCC has helped implement more than eight projects and assisted more than 7,000 families and continues to play a key role in Heifer’s work. These advances have been possible because we are working with incredibly energetic women (and men) and because we have developed monitoring and measuring tools that open a pathway for women project participants to make decisions and define the outcomes they want for themselves and their families.

I met with many women during my last trip to Nepal and spoke about empowering women from within in a previous blog post. These women are incredible, and they understand how they are capable of transformation. It is my conversations with these women that have helped Heifer use our model to increase our impact, which you can read about in Heifer Nepal: How Far Can We Go to End Hunger and Poverty.

Heifer International's CEO Pierre Ferrari listens to a group meeting of the Pooja women's group.

Photography by Geoff Bugbee, courtesy of Heifer International

There is still much work to be done, but as I read this article from World Watch Institute, I know that Heifer is making the investment – with excellent results.