Tag Archives: Staff Traveling

Energized and Heiferized

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Photos are from Heifer’s Africa Area Program meeting.


I know I was just waxing poetic about Heifer’s Africa staff, but I hope you’ll humor me one more time. I just got back from the Heifer Uganda staff meeting. Folks, these people are enthusiastic about their work. Nobody complained about coming in for a meeting on a Sunday so Pierre and Sahr could be there to participate.

It was probably the best meeting I’ve ever attended. There was such an energy in the room, I could feel it in my core, and I’m still geeking out over it. If it weren’t for my love for the family I’ve built, I could do this all the time. I’ve always had a passion for Heifer, and being here has truly fueled the fire. Pierre has great ideas, and they fit so well with the needs and the wants of the Africa staff.

Let’s scale things up, let’s demonstrate true excellence, let’s build on what we’ve already done and deepen our impact.

Changing the Way We Look at Rural Development

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We all know for sure that Heifer’s model works. Millions and millions of farmers and families have increased their standard of living many times over. Seeing it firsthand is amazing; according to Sahr Libbee, VP of the Africa program, it’s addictive. I think I understand why, now.

For one thing, this landscape is amazing. It’s a paradise, and I could totally live here.
But, really, I think what it has to do with is seeing Heifer’s model working, yet also seeing how much more there is to do. Pierre, coming from a strong business background, has a talent for asking the right questions. He asks almost everyone we meet with, “What are the problems you continue to face?” “What would make this easier for you?” and “How can we expand upon what you’re doing to make it even more profitable and longer lasting?”
The answers he receives are incredibly interesting. They need better marketing skills. They need more trained service providers. More aluminum milk containers. Better roads so they can get the milk to the chilling plants faster. A strategy for maintaining steady prices for their milk, in the face of a dairy processing monopoly. Better access to clean water. More micro-finance opportunities.
Once you’re here, you can’t help but want to try to fix each of their problems right away. If I had the capacity to do so, I would personally fix these crazy roads (I know, I know, they’re way better than in Kenya and many other places, but they’re certainly the worst I’ve ever seen.)
It’s going to take even more that the great work that Heifer does to really move these people all the way out of poverty.
The good news? Each of these issues is resolvable. The better news? Heifer is learning that many of these issues are but growing pains associated with scaling up the Heifer model and looking at it as an investment model, instead of solely a community development one. Seeing the East Africa Dairy Development Project’s (EADD) successes and challenges, Heifer is now better positioned to help meet all of the needs listed above.
Yes, improving the nutriton and income of 13.6 million people is amazing. But we live in a different world from that of Heifer’s founder, Dan West. To truly end hunger and poverty, Heifer must look for opportunities to expand upon the model we all know and love; starting with helping farmers with entrepreneurial spirit enter the marketplace in a more substantial way.
What do you think? What are other ideas for ways Heifer can deepen its impact?

The Top 5 Reasons Heifer Africa Rocks.

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A few Heifer Africa staff with Uganda’s Minister of Finance.

It’s unfortunate that, just as I’m beginning to get comfortable with Heifer Uganda staff, as well as the other Africa Area Program country directors, it’s almost time to leave them. I can’t compare them to our other Country Program staff in the field, because I’ve yet to spend time with them. But you should definitely know that these folks are pretty awesome. Here are a handful of reasons why:

1. They are so, so, so kind. And not just to those of us from the US; the level of commitment to helping the poor in communities all over the continent is inspiring.

2. They are very sharp. I feel like I’ve got a fair grasp on rural/community/agricultural development. Often, though, I find myself trying to catch up with what they’ve been talking about (and it’s not the accents to blame!). I’m sure it’s because they’re in the field all the time, but they seriously have their stuff down.

3. They are remarkably down to Earth. Yesterday afternoon and most of today, we were surrounded by lush, green vegetation. I think it would be impossible to live here–even despite the hardships–without being down to Earth. They are also passionate enough, however, to continue to be hopeful.

4. They are welcoming. I never would have guessed I’d feel so at home 9,000 miles away from my family.

5. They have a great sense of humour, which makes them loads of fun to hang around with. I look forward to seeing them again… here in Africa OR back in Little Rock.

Pierre Ferrari Samples Local Yogurt

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I took so much video yesterday. We went to three meetings and visited two participant households, and I just about recorded everything. I can’t quite even explain how exciting it was to finally see our work in action. And watching Pierre interact with folks–from the USAID officials at the United States Embassy, to exuberant farm families who are were so excited to see and meet him–was a lot of fun, too. He’s clearly in his element, and I think we’ve got a lot to look forward to.

The village we visited has been participating in Heifer’s projects since 2005. They started with dairy cattle, and now they are part of the Uganda Domestic Biogas Programme. I want to do them justice, so I’m going to save the rest of the story (and video!) for a bit later. But, to give you an idea of how entrepreneurial our participants are, here is a short video of a participant who has started his own yogurt business. He uses milk from the local cows, hand packages it himself and sells it.

I truly wish you all could be here to see these families. This morning we are headed to visit a milk chilling plant that is part of the East Africa Dairy Development (EADD) project. I’m excited about this, as the changes in Dero’s and my travel plans caused us to miss visiting EADD participants in Kenya with Pierre. As we were parting ways last night, Pierre said, “Today you saw Heifer at it’s best. Tomorrow, you will see Heifer’s future.”

The Casual Conversations

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Hanging out with Pierre and our Africa colleagues is a lot of fun. And I’ve already learned some interesting things.

Using biogas slurry from human waste on a vegetable garden is totally fine to do.

Water filters constructed of concrete that use paper and sand can provide a family–and their livestock–with healthy water. And it only costs about $110!

Potholes in Kampala are filled with packed dirt.

The Minister of Agriculture has an armed escort.

It IS possible to fall asleep on some seriously bumpy roads.

Biogas in Uganda – Any Questions?

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Hujambo from Uganda!


This afternoon, Dero and I got to visit the Heifer Uganda office. I had the chance to meet a handful of my colleagues and to see where they do their work. A particular treat was meeting Beinempaka Athanasius, who is the program coordinator for the Uganda Domestic Biogas Program. At the bottom of this post is the profile for this project, to give you a little context.

The other five countries under the larger umbrella project are Burkina Fasso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal and Tanzania. In Uganda, a project participant must pay at least 70 percent of the cost of installation. That 70 percent can come from their own savings or through a microcredit loan from a grassroots cooperative. The remaining 30 percent comes from external funding. Currently, there are three different sizes of units available to participants: 6 cubic meters, 9 cubic meters or 12 cubic meters. There is talk of adding a model in 4 cubic meters. The cost of the smallest unit (6 meters) is approximately U.S. $700. To Dero and me, that sounded like nothing. But to Heifer Uganda staff, as well as the participants, that’s a mighty hefty sum.

A challenge that this project has faced is cultural acceptance of the biogas units. To combat this, Heifer Uganda has worked to sensitize communities to how the units can help them. They even have a mobile unit they take with them to make demonstrations. It is often easier to get a family to buy into the concept of using their livestock’s waste to make fuel for cooking and lighting; human waste (which produces a great deal of methane and acts as a catalyst to speed up the breakdown of livestock manure) is another story. Each time a biogas unit is installed, however, a pipe is connected to the composting toilet, but the valve is not turned on until the family agrees to it.

Mobile biogas unit.


Heifer Uganda staff showed us a handful of biogas stovetops and lamps. Until recently, the project imported the stovetops from China. They soon realized, though, that they could teach people to make them locally and less expensively. Surprisingly, the lamps imported from China cost less and are more efficient than anything that can be made here in Uganda. There is such a high demand in Kenya for the lamps, in fact, that you can find them in markets across the country.

The bottom stovetop is the import from China.
The one on top was designed and made in Uganda.


This is the Lotus2. It is the newest biogas stovetop being made in Uganda.

Although biogas has been catching on in Uganda and the other countries participating in the project, it appears that because of the struggle to market the units, as well as the time it takes to train the technicians, promoters and service providers, Heifer Uganda will fall short of installing the target number of biogas units. With such an exciting and promising appropriate technology, it is easy to see how ambitious a project might become, planning to install too many in too short a time.

But there’s absolutely no doubt that these units are changing people’s lives. I look forward to visiting, and sharing with you, families who already have biogas units installed and in use.

What do you think? What would it take to convince you that biogas is the way to go? What questions do you have about biogas?

–Photography by Dero Sanford

Uganda Domestic Biogas Program
The growing demand for fuel has resulted in pressure being exerted on the environment. Trees are cut to provide wood and charcoal for cooking, and burning of fossil fuels has had damaging effects on the environment. Smoke from burning of fuel wood is a hazard to human health. In addition, the cost of domestic fuel is much higher than most households in Uganda can afford. Biogas provides a cheap alternative source of energy for cooking and lighting. The Uganda Domestic Biogas Program therefore aims at addressing this gap by developing and disseminating domestic biogas in rural and semi-urban areas offering the Ugandan population the benefits derived from the use of clean biogas for cooking and lighting and using the bio-slurry to increase agricultural yields with the ultimate goal to establish a sustainable and commercial biogas sector in Uganda.
The program will target 12,160 biogas households in the five-year project cycle. Biogas technology as local knowledge has not been institutionally operational in many parts of Uganda, and the introduction will be a considerate and phased approach. During the first six months, at least 120 biogas plants will be constructed – 90 demonstration and 30 regular plants. The program will start in more densely populated areas, particularly where dairy activities are common (e.g., where Heifer Uganda, Send A Cow and other NGOs have placed cows). Outreach will be improved by making use of partnerships particularly with NGOs, local councils and religious communities active in remote areas.
A multi-stakeholders sector development approach will be used and is based on the establishment, over time, of a market for domestic biogas installations and accessories, in which a well-informed demand side (i.e., in which clients who know what they want and recognize quality and value for money links up with an equally capable supply side that provides the market with quality products at competitive prices and with adequate after-sales services). Such a market is expected to reach a volume that allows a significant number of constructors and credit providers to maintain an economically-sound and profitable level of turnover. In the process toward market development, the government, civil society organizations, and other players in the public and private domain have a role to play, in addition to the main actors in the market.
Particular attention will be paid to vocational training and business development. In Uganda, there are few contractors and skilled masons. No hard data is available on the presence of appropriate construction companies willing and able to build, maintain and repair bio-digesters. Most of the registered construction companies are located in the urban centers. In the past, numerous artisans have been trained in all kinds of masonry and have now established their own micro-enterprises, often not registered as a company. These artisans have the basic knowledge to qualify for the bio-digester mason training and are ideally situated in the villages. If there are not enough registered construction companies available to satisfy the demand, self-employed artisans will be approached to form bio-digester construction teams. The perspective is that these teams will transform into small but full-fledged companies in the long run.

Better Late Than Never

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It’s 6:30 in the morning in Nairobi. And I’m still in Little Rock, where it’s 9:30 at night. Dero and I were thwarted yesterday in our travel attempts because of snow in Atlanta. I know, right? If you’re not from the South, you’ll have a hard time appreciating how little snow it takes to bring everything to a screeching halt. Luckily, Pierre Ferrari was already in Atlanta and was able to catch the flight to Amsterdam that Dero and I would have missed had we boarded the plane from Little Rock. Both of us are parents, so being stuck in Atlanta for a day or two sounded like less than fun.

All is not lost, though. With much effort, we were able to change our travel plans, and we’ll be leaving tomorrow afternoon and arriving (barring any other wintry weather) on Wednesday in Uganda, rather than Kenya. We’ll get there a day before everyone else, and we’ll have missed the field visits in Kenya, but this is certainly a case of better late than never. We still get to meet Heifer Uganda staff and spend two days in the field. I’m also looking forward to attending the meeting of the Africa Area Country Directors, which is scheduled for Sunday. We’ll head to Kenya that evening, and Monday morning we’ll accompany Pierre to his appointment with USAID officials.
A few good things have come out of this whole mess. For starters, I’m one step closer to being a more flexible person! And I now know that the top pockets of my travel pants are good for nothing. I lost my passport and boarding passes while going through the security line (recovered both, don’t worry), and I about lost my phone several times. I’d not met Dero before yesterday, but I’d say yesterday was a crash course in team-building for us. I’m really glad I wasn’t on my own, that’s for sure.

Follow Our Journey

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Hi, there. This is Brooke Edwards, one of the writers at Heifer’s headquarters in Little Rock. You’re about to be hearing from me a lot, so I thought I’d go ahead and introduce myself.

I’ve been a Heifer fan for about as long as I can remember. I first did the overnight Global Village experience at Heifer Ranch in Perryville, AR, when I was 13 years old. I started volunteering when I was 21, and that’s even how I met my husband. So you might imagine that being a writer for Heifer is a dream come true for me. You’d be right.

And soon, I’ll be taking it to the next level. This Sunday, I leave for my first trip to the field to visit some of our East Africa Dairy Development projects in Kenya and Uganda. Along with professional photographer, Dero Sanford, I will be documenting our trip with Heifer’s new CEO, Pierre Ferrari, as we discover what’s been working for these projects and also what challenges they still face.

I’m thrilled to be going, and I hope you’ll follow along with me here. I’ll be in a unique position to get your questions asked, since I’ll be visiting with our CEO, program staff, field staff and project participants.

Let Them Go to Haiti and See

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Photos and video by Edwin Rocha


Interim CEO Charles Stewart, in a speech in Saut Mathurine earlier this month, acknowledged the hard work and resilience of Heifer participants and partners in this small village in the south of Haiti as they prepared for a Pass on the Gift ceremony.

Even though the Jan. 12 quake damaged or destroyed many homes here and families had more mouths to feed as friends and relatives fled Port-au-Prince to stay with them, they honored their commitments to pass on animals and crops to others in need.
Twenty-three cows changed hands at the ceremony as clouds gathered and thunder rumbled in the distance; you can hear the animals lowing throughout Stewart’s speech.
Earlier, Stewart listened as several participants explained what Heifer’s work means to them. One man said “We have worked with many NGOs. Heifer is the only one that has actually changed our lives and is still here.”
Another said “Every time Heifer puts its foot somewhere, it’s God’s dream being realized.”

The Good That Comes From Wool

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Ignacia Quispe (right) at the Tinke Community in Peru


Day 4: Tinke Community Project Visit

Today we visited with Martin and Ignacia Quispe and their 5 children (4 boys and 1 girl). This community has been working with Heifer for five years. The Quispe’s received one each of brown and white male alpacas for breeding. Through improved breeding for finer, more dense wool, the alpacas produce a much improved grade of wool for sale. This results in the improved alpacas with finer, thicker wool and of one color (not mixed or spotted) to be sold for up to 10 times more: $30 versus $300.

Ignacia tends to the alpacas while Martin works in the field growing barley or oats. The alpacas know Ignacia’s voice and she takes pride in improving the stock of alpacas which is enabling them to improve their lives while sending their kids to school. The high altitude of this area – more than 12,000 feet above sea level – makes living challenging.

Steve Stirling, Heifer International executive VP of Marketing and Resource Development, is part of a contingent of Heifer staff traveling in Peru this week. You can read this group’s previous posts here.

The Tinke Community

Steve Stirling meets one of the alpacas.