East African Trip Proves It: Heifer's Work Works

By Isaak Egge

Heifer works ... these are the words that kept coming back to me during my two weeks with a Heifer Study Tour in the East African countries of Rwanda and Uganda.

Being quite the skeptic, I had looked time after time for the "catch." I didn't believe at first that these individuals' lives had changed so dramatically simply through Heifer's training and the gift of an animal. But in reality, it is just that simple.

Here a Heifer, There a Heifer
"That there, that's one of Heifer's cows ... and that one over there is too."

Everywhere we went in Uganda, Heifer staff would yell this out as we drove down the road; and the Passing on the Gift ceremonies we took part in were often from second, third or fourth generation livestock. In some cases, the initial gift had been given by Heifer more than ten years earlier. The true magnitude of Heifer's work in Uganda could be seen and felt everywhere we went.

Projects in Rwanda are only two years old, but they've already reached numerous people in the northern parts of the country. In just two Passing on the Gift ceremonies, 15 heifers were given to new families. It's clear that Heifer is making significant progress battling hunger and poverty in a country that has endured so many hardships.

Self-Reliance Means More Than Animals
One of the things that I often relay to our supporters is that Heifer is so much more than just the animals. And even though I've been saying this for some time, seeing it firsthand was simply amazing.

Thanks to Heifer's training process, project participants understand that they can't rely solely on the animal for their development; they have to build up a diverse foundation for their families and communities in order to be sustained over an extended period of time.

I found project participants who were selling and consuming milk from their cows – but they were also using the manure for biogas and the residual slurry to fertilize their crops.

And never did I see one of our farmers growing only a single crop; instead, they plant bananas, coffee, peppers, corn, jack-fruit, potatoes, peanuts, millet and a variety of other crops. That way, if one crop fails or the cow doesn't produce, they are still able to sustain their families. And if, on the other hand, things go well, everyone prospers.

Once again, when looking for a way to describe Heifer's work, sometimes it's better to just tell it like it is:

"It just works."

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Isaak Egge is the Community Relations Coordinator for Heifer International's Northwest Regional Office.