2025: Heifer’s Year in Photos

In 2025, smallholder farmers across Heifer International project communities led change rooted in their own priorities and knowledge. From compost pots in Bangladesh to cooling tanks in Kenya and solar pumps in Nigeria, they worked with local partners to protect their land, grow steady incomes and bring more nutritious food to their families and neighbors. In the process, they strengthened their communities and the sustainability of their land. These photos show their local leadership in practice across our global network.

Soil Regeneration in Bangladesh

Bilkis Begum and her husband, Muhammad Rashid Kha, sift finished vermicompost beside their home in Rajshahi District. Using clay pots and earthworms, they turn fermented cow dung into a natural fertilizer that enriches soil. Starting with a single compost pot, Bilkis expanded production to more than 300 and used the income from fertilizer sales to ease much of her family’s debt.

Quality Control in Kenya

At the Ainabkoi Farmers Cooperative Society in Kenya’s Rift Valley, a dairy plant worker tests milk for freshness before it enters cooling tanks. The cooperative uses improved testing, cooling and transport systems that reduce losses and cut costs. Paired with digital tools such as the DigiCow app, which tracks herd health, breeding and feeding, these improvements enable producers to deliver higher-quality milk and earn more from each liter.

Agroforestry in Ecuador

In Loja Province, Ecuador, Marilú Rivera harvests coffee cherries grown beneath fruit trees that protect the soil and preserve moisture. After training from Heifer’s Promesa Café y Cacao Signature Program, she adopted disease-resistant varieties and agroforestry practices that improve yields and raise the value of each bag she produces.

Vegetable Production in Cambodia

Minh Savoeun carries cabbage seedlings outside net houses in Kampong Speu Province, where mesh barriers keep out pests and drifting pesticides. The cooperative’s clean, chemical-free vegetables now reach Natural Garden, a grocery in Phnom Penh, increasing smallholder farmers’ incomes and keeping more economic value within the community.

Solar Irrigation in Nigeria

Blessing Tim checks the solar panels that power her portable irrigation pump on her rice farm in Benue State, which gives her steady control over watering even when rains fail. The fuel-free system lowers her costs and supports stronger harvests. Built on wheels for easy movement between fields, the pump also allows neighboring farmers to share access to reliable water for their land when rainfall is unpredictable.

Youth Entrepreneurship in Uganda

At a business incubation center in Uganda, Ivan Mukuve, left, works alongside others to prepare ingredients for a nutrient-dense porridge blend he created to address malnutrition in his community. Through Heifer’s Stimulating Agribusiness for Youth Employment project, he is leading a growing enterprise that sources local grains, employs young people and lays the groundwork for a future factory.