Today is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. In 2000, world leaders created the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which if achieved would dramatically reduce poverty all over the world by 2015. The End Poverty 2015 Millennium Campaign today wants you to donate your social media profiles and has a handy tool for you to highlight some or all of the MDGs in an effort to help end poverty.

Since 2000, there have been significant gains in ending poverty. From the United Nations' website:

Extreme poverty rates have decreased in every region of the world. Over 39 million more children attend primary school. Access to clean water has increased to 89 per cent.

While today is a great day to celebrate the gains made, if we want to halve poverty rates by 2015, we have to keep doing the work we know is effective.

Heifer's approach of

• living gifts of livestock, seeds, training and education
• Passing on the Gift model
• agricultural methods that protect the environment
• animal care guidelines reinforced with training for local animal health workers
• deeply rooted community involvement

has been proven to help end poverty in communities over more than 68 years.

Do you want to help end poverty? You can!

Help Heifer International, through our extensive project work, contribute to the fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals.

Ways You Can Help End Poverty

• END HUNGER: For $20, a flock of chicks can provide families with protein-packed eggs that can make a huge difference in a family's diet and income.
• UNIVERSAL EDUCATION: For $275, you can help a family increase their income so they can send their daughters to school.
• GENDER EQUITY: For $72, you can help women start a self-help group where they can learn to read and will receive the livestock and training that will empower them in so many ways.
• CHILD HEALTH: For $300, you can provide the gift of clean water, which is critically important in rural areas where many children die from a lack of clean drinking water and proper sanitation.
• MATERNAL HEALTH: For as little as $10, you can help provide a dairy goat to a family. Goats are small in size and provide nutritious milk for pregnant and lactating mothers.
• COMBAT HIV/AIDS: For as little as $50, you can help provide a dairy cow to a family. Cow's milk help provide the better nutrition needed to help the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy for people living with HIV/AIDS.
• ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: For $150, you can provide an irrigation pump, allowing families to more easily grow organic crops on their land.
• GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP: Every single one of our projects works in partnership with community-based organizations, local governments and others. Give any amount to our Give Where Most Needed Fund, and you'll be supporting our collaborative work around the world.