Tag Archives: YES! Youth Club

From the Field: Assembled to Celebrate

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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.

Heifer International project participants work hard every day to Pass on the Gift® (POG) they once received and transition from recipient to donor. Sharing their success often brings participants joy and a commendable cause to celebrate.

In March and April 2013, Heifer Cambodia self-help groups (SHG) organized seven POG ceremonies. More than 820 families shared gifts of livestock, vegetables, tree seeds and rice with new project families. During one ceremony, POG recipient Chea Sambo responded with gratitude to her donor family, “Words cannot express how happy I am to receive the gifts. I promise to take good care of the animal and improve my garden so that I can pass on to other needy families, and become a donor like your family.Thanks much to your family and to Heifer.”

April 2013

Heifer Cambodia participants Pass on the Gift® of chickens during an April 2013 ceremony. Photo by Toeng Rothy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Heifer Cambodia.

Armenian YES! Youth Clubs gathered to celebrate the past year’s activities during the 10th Youth Parliament General Assembly, April 26-27, 2013. Thirty clubs shared about their projects, which were mostly focused on civic participation and responsibility, and the success of their small businesses. Vardouhi Torosyan, a 13-year-old jewelry-making business owner, said she was able to pass on her seed money of $100 to another club member so he could also start a business.

Heifer China project participants joyfully celebrate after a POG with a Tibetan Guozhuang (bonfire) dance. Photo by Droma Sangmo, Tibet Regional Project Manager, Heifer China

Heifer China participants prepare to celebrate after a POG ceremony with a Tibetan Guozhuang (bonfire) dance. Photo by Droma Sangmo, Tibet Regional Project Manager, Heifer China

Beneath snowy mountain peaks, farmers in Tibet applauded each other during a wintry April POG. Participants from Dan Nu, Xue Ba and Zhi Ba villages passed on a monetary fund worth about $37,342 to Xu Ba village. Three candidates were distinguished among their community for modeling exceptional behavior and a traditional Tibetan Guozhuang (bonfire) dance ended the celebration.

Learn how you can help Pass on the Gift®

From the Field: Heifer Brings Families Together

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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.

Gender and Family Focus is one of the key elements of Heifer International’s 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development. Communities worldwide are greatly impacted as families work together to achieve their goals. As men and women, sons and daughters, share responsibilities we are one step closer to eliminating hunger and poverty.

Norik with his calf. Photo by Knarine Ghazanchyan, Program Coordinator, Heifer Armenia

Norik with his calf. Photo by Knarine Ghazanchyan, Program Coordinator, Heifer Armenia

Norik Mkrtchyan, 14, lives with his parents and two brothers in Lukashin Village, Armenia. He helps take care of the family’s animals and works along side his father and brothers in their garden. Neighbors look to Norik’s father, Armen, for vegetable marketing advice, and his mother works preparing cheese. Norik received a cow from a Heifer-supported YES! Youth Club and plans to pass on its first calf to another club member.

Before joining a SHG in Cambodia, Loek Bunthoeun had to leave his wife and two children behind to work in Phnom Penh city. Most of his income had to sustain him as he migrated to the city for work. Now, Loek and his wife generate income with their family’s organic vegetable garden and are planning to expand their garden and begin raising pigs.

In Vietnam, Danh Hoang, 45, lives with his wife and four children. They are members of a self-help group (SHG) and plan to seize every opportunity to live a sustainable life. Danh’s two sons help their neighbors with the rice harvest while their mother weaves coconut leaves for roofing material. Danh received training through Heifer Vietnam and plans to pass on the gift to another family in need.

Learn how you can help bring families together.

From the Field: Looking Back and Going Forward

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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 determine how to get where we want to go, it helps to know where we’ve been. With this in mind, the Philippines government adopted the Community Based Monitoring System (CBMS) in 2000. This tool promotes evidence-based policy formulation that targets many Filipinos who are living below the poverty line. In addition, it helps the country achieve its Milennium Development Goals (MDG). Heifer Philippines staff recently attended the CBMS-Philippines National Conference to learn what direction the national and local governments are headed on the issue of poverty and how we can work together to empower residents to achieve food and income security.

Nazar with his pig Mashok

Nazar with his pig Mashok

Nazar is a teenage boy from Hushakert, Armenia. He has always thought about ways to make money, so when he joined a YES! Youth Club, he decided that the time was right to start his own business. After his business plan was approved by Heifer Armenia, Nazar received a financial grant to start raising pigs. His first activities have been so successful that he is making plans to expand his business.

When her husband sustained paralysis in half his body after an argument over land, Chandrarekha Paswan became open to ways to support her family. An opportunity came through Heifer India with Mithila Women Empowerment and Sustainable Livestock Program. Seeing something special in her, Chandrarekha’s fellow group members asked her to be the group’s Certified Animal Health Worker (CAHW). With hesitation, she accepted their request and soon discovered her knack for working with animals. Through Chandrarekha’s contributions, life is better for her family and her whole community.

Universal Children’s Day: Young Dreams for Poultry Business

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In celebration of Universal Children’s Day we highlight a young participant of Heifer Armenia.

Story by Anna Arakelyan | Business Educator | Development Principles NGO

Universal Children's Day: Young Rudik holds a chicken from his poultry farm, a business he created through a YES! Youth Club affiliated with Heifer International Armenia.

Young Rudik holds a chicken from his poultry farm. Photo courtesy of Heifer International.

Rudik Simonyan studies business as a member of Heifer’s YES! Youth Club in Mets Sariar, a community in the Shirak region of Armenia. Within the framework of the Young Agriculturists Network of Armenia (YANOA) project, 12-year-old Rudik received a small seed grant to start his own poultry business, in which he practices the skills and knowledge he learned during lessons at the club.

Rudik established a small chicken farm, which he named Tchoutik, the Armenian word for chicken. He bought eight hens and a rooster, as well as barley and vitamins. A few months later, he sold six of the hens’ chicks, and earned AMD 12,000, or about $30. He used part of the money to buy more feed for his poultry and passed the rest on to another student in his club.

Universal Children's Day: Rudik shows off his poultry farm in Armenia, which he started through a Heifer International project.

Rudik shows off his poultry farm. Photo courtesy of Heifer International.

Rudik’s father died several years ago, so he considers himself the “man” of his family, which includes his mother and sister. He plans to build on his current poultry business to make it larger and very successful so that he can take excellent care of his family. Rudik wants to be able to provide his mother and sister with every necessary comfort for a happy life. His biggest dream is to save the money he earns from his business to buy them a beautiful new house.