Samvel and his daughter Seda at the construction site of the family's new barn. Photo by Aram Petrosyan, courtesy of Heifer Armenia.Samvel and his wife Narine live with their two children and Samvel's mother in Shikahogh village, Armenia. Before becoming participants of Heifer Armenia's Kapan Cattle Breeding Project, the family survived by selling the cheese Narine prepared from their five goats. After Heifer provided Samvel with a pregnant heifer, he rebuilt the family's old barn to provide better conditions for the animals.
Samvel and Narine said the pregnant heifer brought the family out of extreme poverty, and they are thankful for the fresh source of curds, butter, cheese and matsoun (Armenian yogurt). The couple intends to develop a small family farm after Passing on the Gift® of their heifer's first calf. Their new self-reliance has brought hope to their family and their neighbors.
