Starting a Ripple Effect of Change in Rural Uganda

For most of her life, all Margret ever knew was hardship and hunger. Growing up poor in rural Uganda, Margret was responsible for caring for her six younger siblings. Food and water were scarce. She had to walk three miles — each way — just to collect water for the family. When her father became too ill to work, she had to drop out of school and care for their animals, too.

Things became even harder after Margret got married and had her own children to feed. She was resigned to a life of hunger and poverty. “Life wasn’t good,” she remembers.

But thanks to your generosity as a Friend of Heifer®, Margret received a cow and life-changing training from Heifer, and everything changed. Because of you, Margret’s family is thriving — her children go to bed nourished and her community is stronger because of your compassion. Gone are the days of worrying about when their next meal would be.

The gift of a cow is truly lifesaving for a farmer like Margret. That’s because a single dairy cow can produce more than six gallons of calcium-rich milk each day — more than enough to feed a hungry family and sell at the local market. 

Plus, families learn how to make protein-packed cheese, yogurt and butter from their milk to eat and sell. That means mothers like Margret can afford other nutritious food — like meat and eggs — along with school fees and medical care for their children.

But your gift provides more to hungry families than just an animal. You see, Heifer teaches farmers how to make the most of their gifts. Farmers learn how to care for their cows with proper nutrition and hygiene so they can ensure their animals remain healthy, strong, and produce high-quality milk.

For example, before this important education, Margret let her cows openly graze, often not eating enough. Many of them died. But Heifer gave Margret seeds to plant hearty grass for her cows to eat … she saw an immediate difference. Her cows now produce more than twice as much milk as before!

The best part is that your impact doesn’t stop with Margret. She is using her knowledge to help other hardworking farmers in her community. As the treasurer of a local dairy cooperative, she makes sure other dairy farmers have the skills and knowledge they need to thrive and get a fair price for their top-quality milk. Your kindness sets into motion a ripple effect of change for entire communities! 

From the fields of rural Uganda, thank you for your continued support.