Teach a Family to Fish
Ok, not fish exactly, but become self-sustaining. This is one of my favorite charities, as they empower poor women in their communities on every continent. If there were people in Antarctica they'd be there too.
Heifers for the Holidays
"What would be the better gift for someone you love — another present that gathers dust on a shelf? Or a heifer and training purchased in honor of your special someone that brings health and hope to people in need?"
Better still, your gift multiplies, as the first female calf from your cow is passed on to another family in need — then they also agree to pass on an animal of equal value, and so on. Now that's quite a gift. A good dairy cow can produce four gallons of milk per day — enough for a family to drink and share with neighbors, and still have enough left over to sell.
The protein in milk can transform sick, malnourished children into healthy boys and girls. The sale of surplus milk earns money for school fees, medicine, clothing and home improvements.
And because a healthy cow can have a calf every year, your gift of a heifer could eventually help an entire community move from poverty to self-reliance. And that's a present that's impossible to top!
The House That Cows Built
For years, Nancy Isingoma's dream of a better home for her family seemed impossible.
Rain leaked through the roof of the family's tiny mud and grass house creating unhealthy living conditions. The family longed to build a more suitable place to live but couldn't afford even simple materials.
Then, Nancy received a heifer from Heifer International which gave four gallons of milk a day. The cow's bull calf used one gallon, the family drank a half-gallon and Nancy sold the surplus. And slowly, the family began to build a new home. With profits from the milk, Nancy was able to buy corrugated sheet metal for a roof.
The family has made thousands of bricks to use for walls, and the sale of the calf will buy cement for the mortar.
Change comes slowly — often piece by piece — for impoverished people like the Isingomas. But with patience and perseverance — plus some help from Heifer animals — families all over the world are realizing their dreams for a brighter future.