A Hmong Village United

07 April 2009

KEKNOV, Thailand— One of Heifer Thailand’s projects, "Improving Farming Systems for Enhancing Livelihood of Hmong Farmers," recently held a Passing on the Gift ceremony. Thirty-two cows were passed on to 16 new project families, and pigs, goats, turkeys and chickens were passed to others.

Mee Sae-wah, one of the project members who passed on her livestock, shared her appreciation that Heifer not only gave her a better income and living standard, but also provided her community with harmony and unity. Since the implementation of the Heifer project here, she said, people gather to discuss how to manage their self-help groups, how to take care of their animals and how to work as a group.

Heifer’s staff also collaborated on this project with the Hmong Women's Council of Thailand. Hmong tradition tends to give importance to men as leaders of the family. From observation and conversations with many project participants, it seemed that Heifer training on gender equity has helped them clearly see the importance of sharing roles in the family, and many of the men have changed their attitudes toward their wives.