Tag Archives: youth

From the Field: Dreams Become Reality

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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.

Gegham, a 13-year-old rural youth engaged in Heifer Armenia’s Young Agriculturists Network of Armenia (YANOA) project, dreamed of establishing his own duck farm. He developed a business plan through his local YES! Youth Club and was awarded a $100 seed grant to put his plan into action. His little farm quickly grew and Gegham passed on his seed grant to another youth. He said he does his best to learn about the ducks well-being and how to give proper care.

Thirteen-year- old Gegham started a duck farm using a $100 seed grant from Heifer Armenia. Photo by Anna Arakelyan, Business Education Expert, Development Principles NGO

Thirteen-year- old Gegham started a duck farm using a $100 seed grant from Heifer Armenia. Photo by Anna Arakelyan, Business Education Expert, Development Principles NGO

In Vietnam, one Heifer family is enhancing their impact with promising results. Tran Thi Cuc Huong and her husband, Nguyen Van Lieu, grow coconuts, dragon fruit and morning glory and raise chickens and pigs. They use a biogas system to turn pig manure into methane for cooking and electricity, which also prevents their ponds from being polluted. Huong said their dreams of expanding and helping others only became a reality with hard work, creativity and knowledge from Heifer’s trainings.

For 61 new project families in Gui Xi Village, China, the dream of ending hunger and poverty is taking its first steps. The village’s first Passing on the Gift® (POG) ceremony in April 2013, presented these families with gifts of livestock and welcomed them into a community achieving promising results of improved living conditions, education and health. The new families agreed to Pass on the Gifts and continue to spread unity and love in their community.

Learn how you can help dreams become reality

Armenian Girl Makes It Her Business To Be Extraordinary

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BUUGBEE-Dalarik-Armenia-1-blogStory by Katya Cengel; photos by Geoff Oliver Bugbee. Katya and Geoff are visiting Heifer projects in Romania and Armenia this week for Heifer’s World Ark magazine.

DALARIK, Armenia—Varduhi Torosyan rattles off the details of her business venture with such enthusiasm that she barely pauses for punctuation, or breath. She recounts the 40,000 dram ($100) loan she received from Heifer Armenia in December 2011, and how she used it to buy materials with which to make Christmas ornaments. She followed the ornaments with floral arrangements made from plastic flowers, before moving on to handcrafted wool toys, and, more recently, beaded jewelry.

“Even if I have only a sheet of paper in my hand, I would try to do something extraordinary all the time,” she says.

BUUGBEE-Dalarik-Armenia-2-blogShe is 12 years old and not short on confidence, business savvy or ideas. The eldest child of an unemployed construction worker, Varduhi is one of 10 youth in Dalarik who received funding through Heifer Armenia and its local partner organization, Development Principles, to launch a business. The initiative is part of the larger Heifer project YANOA, which develops youth clubs modeled on the 4-H principle in Armenian communities where Heifer is already active. 

The extracurricular clubs offer six different focuses, including business. It was in the business class that Varduhi learned about supply and demand. Her proposal for a handicraft business was funded with the stipulation that she pass on the gift to another student by May 2013. She is now ready to pay back the loan and re-invest her 35,000 dram ($86) profit in her business. 

Aside from a little help from her father, Alexan Torosyan, she did it all on her own, she insists. Her father took her to the market to research the price of ornaments, which she discovered was about 350 dram, or around 86 cents. In order to remain competitive she priced her ornaments at 300 dram, or 74 cents. She sold them to her neighbors in this small agriculture community 90 kilometers outside the capital of Yerevan. Before the holidays were over she had sold out—clearing 200 ornaments with not even one left for herself. 

The money she made on the ornaments was enough to return her loan and still have some left, but she decided to delay repayment in order to reinvest the whole sum in her business. This time she focused on wool toys, a craft she learned from a cousin who picked up the skill during a trip to Poland. A neighbor taught her how to make beaded jewelry. She finds inspiration everywhere, studying styles on television and the street, but insists that her creations are original, crafted with her own unique touch. Competitors and copycats don’t worry her.

“If I see people copying one I will create a new idea to win the competition,” she says.

As for her future, Varduhi wants to be a historian, or possibly a tour guide, but is leaving her options open. She is young, she says, and her dreams may change. Right now her dream is to save 200,000 dram, or about $500, for a computer so she can take her ideas further. Her mother, Christine Mkrtchyan, has no doubt that Varduhi will reach her goals.

“I’m confident that she will succeed because she has a lot of determination and drive,” says Mkrtchyan. “And when a person has drive, plus knowledge and skills, they can succeed.”

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” section.

Planting seeds, literally and figuratively, changes lives. The countless stories of gifts that spark an entrepreneurial spirit and partnerships that yield and multiply benefits beyond expectations illustrate the life-changing miracles inside the seeds that Heifer plants every day. 

Heifer Armenia’s 29th rural youth club just started in Debed village. Read The New Armenian Youth Club in Debed to find out what these young leaders have in mind for the future of their community.

Growing Seeds of Change in the USA

Watch Heifer’s Seeds of Change: Food Security in the Arkansas Delta, Appalachia and learn about Heifer’s signature project in the USA. 

For the Iskandaryan family in Armenia’s Lukashin village, change started with one pregnant heifer. In the short year since her arrival, the family of eight eats better and farms better. The Iskandaryan Family Sees Success from Growing Farm shows us what sprouting success looks like.  

Collaboration has historically yielded great results and the Armenia-Poland partnership is no exception. From Armenia to Poland and Back: Long-Term Partnership, Tangible Results highlights two recent study tours in which Armenian project participants visited dry fruit processing and milk production projects in Poland.

Around the Web: A Single Goat Can Make A Difference

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Every Sunday we will 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.

Photo courtesy of www.pallensmith.com

Award-winning garden expert P. Allen Smith wrote a great post on his blog about  Heifer Ranch and its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)  program.

Kara O’Brien of the Harry Potter Alliance writes about the difference a single goat or flock of chickens can make in her blog post, Headed for a Brighter Future.

Photo courtesy of dailyitem.com

A big thank you to the youth from St. John’s United Church of Christ in Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania, recently collected enough money through their Joyful Noise Offering to purchase a cow that will be sent to a family in need through Heifer International.

Alamance Presbyterian Church’s youth group stayed several days at Overlook Farm,  Heifer International’s learning center in Rutland, Massachusetts. There are several great blog posts about it, but this one’s headline caught my eye: Day Two: Poop and Fences. How could you not read that?

Heifer International is featured on the Inspiring Generosity blog, with a post that discusses how we use our digital content to inspire and share our story. It’s a great behind-the-scenes-look at one aspect of our communications efforts.

 

For the Love of Dad: Photo of the Week

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Courtesy of Heifer International

A sweet moment is shared between this father and daughter, members of Heifer’s Amarantando: Productive and Nutritional Diversification in Oaxaca project in southwestern Mexico.

Chores for Heifer

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Do you have a kid at home who needs help keeping track of chores? Do your kids love Heifer International?  MyJobChart.com, which gives children the chance to “save,” “spend” or “share” the points they earn from completing their chores recently announced Heifer as one of its premier charities. Nearly 140,000 kids use the online chore chart and have completed 10 million chores over the last two years. online core chart

From their website:

“When I first created the online chore chart, I did so to encourage my own six children to stay on task and to complete their chores,” says Gregg Murset, founder of MyJobChart.com. “More than that, though, I wanted to teach them how money works and help them see the rewards that come from saving and the joy that can come from giving to others.”

Murset says Heifer International perfectly fits with what MyJobChart is accomplishing.

“As users of My Job Chart decide to ‘share’ and designate the points they earn to go to Heifer International or another charity, these young people begin to feel that their work truly does matter. More than just pleasing their parents, they learn they have abilities and opportunities that can make a difference on a much grander scale,” says Murset.

While young users are drawn to the free online chore chart for its ease of use and the high-tech feel they love, parents are pleased with the less-obvious benefits of My Job Chart. My Job Chart “gets kids and parents talking, it changes the entire conversation when it comes to work and money,” Murset says.

Bottom line, Murset says, “It’s free, and it works! MyJobChart.com is just a fun, easy way to instill work ethic and build character over time. Now, with the opportunity to contribute to Heifer, users can feel the satisfaction that comes with helping to lift others out of poverty and become self-reliant .”

My daughter is only 3, so while she does have a handful of “chores” to do (mostly just picking up after herself), she’s still a little young for an online chore chart. But you can bet your pennies I’ll be signing her up for this when she’s ready. I’m excited to see what comes  of this, not only because of the donations that will allow Heifer to fulfill our mission, but also because I love the connection it makes for kids between their efforts at home and improving the lives of others around the world.

Sign your kids up! And let us know in the comments section below how it goes.

Don’t have kids at home? Use our social sharing buttons and spread the word to your family, friends and neighbors.

A Virtual Tour of Clara’s Improved Kitchen

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Earlier this month we shared with you the story of Clara Alanya of Peru, a young woman who has remained in her rural community and become a leader through her participation in a Heifer project. In this video, you’ll hear more about Clara and go on a virtual tour of her improved kitchen, including the improved stove, which she now helps her fellow community members to build.

A Volunteer’s Letter to Our Founder (part 3)

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Report to the Founder/ Part 3 of 3

To: Dan West — Prophet, gadfly, dreamer, youth leader, motivator, peacemaker, and founder of Heifers for Relief.

From: Tom Lyon — Heifer volunteer for 26 years

Subject: Armenia trip — November 2011

Dan,

As I’ve said in parts one and two of my letter, I’m certain you would be pleased, and excited by all that I recently witnessed during my study tour to Armenia.  Here some additional things I saw that kept me thinking of you…

Youth Development   
While serving as National Director of Youth programs for the Brethren Church you were working with, motivating and empowering young people. You dedicated much of your life to youth. In Armenia, youth development in underserved rural areas has become a major focus of many of Heifer’s partner  groups. We visited two of the programs, modeled after the U.S. 4-H program, where youth are receiving training in “life skills.” They provide hands-on education in areas such as agriculture, business, logical thinking, journalism, ecology, and health education, giving new opportunities for growth in small communities otherwise lacking such important  services. With an emphasis on proactive peacemaking, youth empowerment and education, the YES Youth Clubs are having  a tremendous impact by increasing “social capital” for the nation. What a joy it was for us to visit these children so full of pride and dreams for the future.


Peacemaking   
Your life was a constant journey to find practical ways to bring about world peace. You believed that ending hunger was the first essential element to bringing about lasting peace. Heifer Armenia has incorporated that vision as a major component of everything they do. Heifer’s country director, Dr. Anahit Ghazanchyan, reminded me of you when she expressed her strong belief  that “instead of just talking about peace, we need activities to bring people together to solve social problems,  and in the process get to know each other.”  Heifer Armenia’s practical activities include using the Heifer model  of conflict resolution through group decision making, “Peace in our Homes” programs targeting youth, addressing issues of domestic violence and gender equity, and cornerstones training that applies not just to raising livestock, but to virtually all phases of life development. 


I once received a Heifer T-shirt that said ”Peace begins with food and dignity for all.” That simple phrase, to me, became synonymous with your life’s work and Heifer’s long term vision. And on this trip I was privileged to see its practical, everyday application in a small, faraway country: 

  • Food: The result of honest hard work, teamwork, training, and careful stewardship of a fragile land. 
  • Dignity: Based upon pride of place, shared goals, hope for the future, and a humble desire for peace. 

We saw life-altering miracles evolving every day throughout rural Armenia. Miracles brought about by  a dedicated staff; a proud, determined and historic people; a proven process; and a set of universal values expressed in the 12 Cornerstones. This is what we shall always remember about Armenia.We all return to the US with new friends, new understanding and a renewed dedication to do all we can to create “a world of communities living in peace.”

Years ago, you wrote the following: “Nothing binds people closer than fellowship in a great adventure.” After this journey, I cannot think of a better way to explain the worldwide Heifer “family” that exists and is thriving in so many places today. Together we are ending hunger. There is no greater adventure than that!

Thank you Dan for your dream, your persistence and your founding of an organization that brought me to a place — both physically and in my heart — that I would never have gotten to alone!  


Editor’s Note: Dan West, a relief worker and dairy farmer, founded the organization that is today Heifer International. Though Dan passed away in 1971, his principles still guide Heifer and its work.

Hopeful Youth Mean a Bright Future for Armenia

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A group of our volunteers from across the United States are visiting Heifer projects in Armenia this week. Our community volunteer coordinator Kate Merrill is chronicling this study tour on her blog, and some of my favorite stories and images from her trip depict smiling, hopeful children. As with any nation, Armenia’s hope for a bright future lies in its young people.

Heifer Armenia knows this, and in recent years they’ve established a number of youth clubs that give rural youngsters training in such disciplines as agriculture, ecology, civics, journalism, healthy lifestyles, and business.You can read more about this program in one of our previous posts.

In the video below, two children from one of Heifer Armenia’s youth clubs sing in Armenian for the study tour group. The youths sing a cappella — their only accompaniment is the clapping of the audience. They sound really good. 

Here’s another video that shows the type of skills Heifer is teaching Armenian youth. Two children who received a calf as part of Heifer Armenia’s YANOA project showcase their calves at a local fair.

Fostering Young Leaders in Armenia

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Steve Denne, Heifer International Chief Operating Officer, and Pietro Turilli, Vice President of Central and Eastern European programs, recently completed a trip to Armenia where they visited Heifer projects and laid the groundwork for the expansion of our anti-hunger initiatives there. 


by Liana Hayrapetyan- Communication and Public Relations Officer

On September 7, during their field visit to the  Vayots Dzor region, Steve and Pietro, along with Heifer Armenia staff ,visited the youth club established by Heifer Armenia in the Areni community. The Areni Youth Club was founded in 2006. Children here get an extracurricular education. As in all the other youth clubs established by Heifer Armenia, the Areni club focuses on seven key areas: agriculture, ecology, civic education and rights, journalism, healthy lifestyles, logical thinking, and business.


Youth club members welcomed the guests with high inspiration, and some of the club’s most active members made a presentation about the groups’ activities. Nelli, a dark-haired girl from the journalism group told the visitors in English about the articles that she wrote using journalism skills she learned through the club. Mamikon, a blue-eyed, tall boy who took business classes was enthusiastically telling about lessons on SWOT analyses and other marketing principles his group had learned.


Other members told about their regular ecological activities such as garbage removal, tree planting and schoolyard cleaning. As proof of their activities, they showed us the decorative trees they grew from the seeds that Heifer gave them a few years ago.There were also apple and pear trees planted in the school yard in the framework of the Polish Aid project implemented by Heifer Armenia and its NGO partner, “Development Principles.” 


The club members love it when Heifer Armenia staff and visitors from Heifer International headquarters come to their club, get acquainted with their activities and appreciate their work and social activism. They also love their favorite club, which gives them so many skills and so much knowledge.