By Molly Carter
"Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime."
-Author Unknown
Heifer International is a unique charitable organization that not only helps relieve world hunger, but teach life lessons and self-reliance. Instead of giving money to the needy, Heifer International gifts livestock providing lifetime nourishment. Not only are its recipients taught valuable lessons in agriculture and livestock, but also they use their gifts to help the community and get ahead financially.
Established in 1944, Heifer International's goal has been to help end global poverty and starvation while caring for the earth and the project's recipients. Over the last 63 years, Heifer International has helped over 8.5 million families in more than 125 countries.
As opposed to other relief organizations that provide immediate medical or financial care, Heifer International gives a gift of an animal. This organization works so exquisitely because each family who receives an animal agrees to pass on its first offspring to another needy family. In addition to that offspring, they pass along their knowledge. In affect, your original contribution has a pyramid affect touching countless families.
When a family receives an animal, after gifting its first offspring, they can sell the second offspring for money. They can also sell their animals products. For example, if you were to gift a heifer, for $500, or a share of a heifer for $50, the family could use the it's milk to survive, pass along the calf to another struggling family, and since a cow can produce up to four gallons of milk per day, sell excess milk at the market to provide food, housing, medicine and school supplies for their children.
I was first introduced to Heifer International while teaching Sunday school. We would collect the children's Sunday offering throughout the year, and near the end, we'd allow the children to pick out what animals they would like to send across seas to help struggling children. The kids took great thought into how they would like to contribute.
This charity worked so wonderfully for them because they saw how their money was actually helping other people. We'd explain by purchasing a hive of bees for $30, struggling families could collect wax and honey to sell at market to pay for medicine and food. We also explained how bees pollinate other flowers and plants so one hive could essentially double a farmer's crops in just one year providing even more food for people in poverty.
I encourage you to go to www.heifer.org to learn more about this wonderful organization. Not only does this group help people struggling overseas, but also they help families right here in the United States living in squalor. Instead of an office exchange or white elephant gift this holiday season I encourage you to give generously to a group that will touch so many lives. You can opt to purchase an animal of your choice, solely give money, or even sign up for a study tour.
Below is a list of gifts and how much each costs:
FLOCK OF DUCK AND GEESE - $20
-Duck and geese provide nutritious eggs. Their eggs and offspring are sold for high amounts in market, and their droppings are a good organic source of fertilizer.
FLOCK OF CHICKS - $20
-Each flock of chicks has about 10-50 chicks. A hen, laying over 200 eggs a year will provide nourishment to children who are lacking iron and zinc. Not only is this a good food source, but also chicks will multiply quickly. Extra eggs can be given to other families or sold at market to help pay for other necessities.
TRIO OF RABBITS - $60
SHARE OF RABBITS - $10
-Three rabbits over the course of the year can turn into 72 offspring. Rabbits need little space and eat simple foods providing nourishment to starving families. Rabbit manure is also a beneficial fertilizer boosting crops.
TREE SEEDLINGS - $60
SHARE OF TREE SEEDLINGS - $10
-Heifer gifts different trees for different purposes. Fruit trees not only hold topsoil for gardens and farms but also provide nutritious fruit. Bamboo can be used to shield and protect drinking water. Instead of using wood for fueling fire, families are taught to collect fallen branches to preserve valuable tree populations.
FLOCK OF HOPE - $60
-Heifer International provides a flock of chicken, ducks or geese to families to boost nutrition through eggs and meat.
PIG - $120
SHARE OF PIG - $10
-Pigs don't need much land to live and can thrive off of scraps. A pig can have up to 16 piglets a year that can be gifted to other needy families, be sold for profit, or provide nourishment for the family. Their manure is also an organic fertilizer that families can use to help farm.
SHEEP - $120
SHARE OF SHEEP - $10
-Sheep not only provide needed milk, but wool to sew clothing and sell for profit. Heifer International teams teach families how to raise sheep benefiting the environment by preventing over grazing.
GOAT - $120
SHARE OF GOAT - $10
-Goats thrive well where other animals will not and are gentle with children. They provide up to a gallon of milk per day and can have up to three offspring a year providing other struggling families with nourishment. After gifting the first offspring, they can sell the others for money. Excess milk can be sold for profit.
LLAMA - $150
SHARE OF LLAMA - $20
-Llamas are gentle animals that can be used to haul and can provide up to 8 lbs of wool per year. Their hooves are gentle so as not to damage fragile environments. Llamas can also breed year round so offspring can be gifted or sold.
WATER BUFFALO - $250
SHARE OF WATER BUFFALO - $25
-Water buffalo are excellent gifts because not only do they provide families with milk and fertilizer, but also are powerful animals used for plowing. A family can plant one acre of field in just two days with a water buffalo, where as by hand an acre would take up to two weeks to sow. At harvest time, families are able to harvest three to four times more than what they normally would.
HEIFER - $500
SHARE OF HEIFER - $50
-Not only does a family provide other struggling families with offspring, but also a heifer can produce up to 4 gallons of milk per day. Families can sell excess milk for profit, which they can apply to their specific needs.
KNITTING BASKET - $500
SHARE OF KNITTING BASKET - $50
-A knitting basket is a pair of sheep and a pair of llama. The amount of wool these four animals will provide can be woven into fabric and sold at market or woven into clothing for other struggling families.
MILK MENAGERIE - $1000
SHARE OF MILK MENAGERIE - $100
-Heifer's milk menagerie is the gift of a heifer, two goats, and a water buffalo. These four animals produce substantial amounts of milk giving starving families nutrition and providing them with money from selling at market. Between these four animals, they will produce frequently offering other families assistance.
THE ARK - $5000
-As God told Noah, the Ark are all of the animals two by two are gifted to needy families and villages to help assist people get back on their feet and take hold of their futures.
WOMEN IN LIVESTOCK DEVELOPMENT (WiLD) - $10,000
-Women around the world still suffer from low self-esteem, few rights, and hopelessness, yet are responsible for producing nearly 80% of the developing worlds food. WiLD, is a program established by Heifer International that teaches women specific skills. This development project helps women empower communities and villages.
Although there are a lot of charities doing wonderful things, this organization will always be near and dear to my heart. I love their objective of teaching self-reliance to individuals who may have lacked hope for a brighter tomorrow. By teaching people skills to make the most of their own life, people are better equipped, have more opportunities for schooling, and receive the medication they need.
By empowering individuals to learn to take care of themselves and their families, you offer them self esteem, power, and a reason to hope for a brighter future. Please, give to Heifer International, and help alleviate world hunger and poverty by giving the gift that will keep on giving.
Source:
www.heifer.org
Learn more about this author, Molly Carter.
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