Heifer Gives Hope to Those in Need

The world bank poverty line is $1.90 per day and over 900 million people globally live on less than that. Heifer, an organization that hopes to end poverty on a global scale, believes that people need a living income so that they can purchase essentials such as food, education, hygiene, shelter, and water. On February 14, Isabella, a representative from Heifer spoke to Peer Leaders to explain what Heifer does. Millburn Middle School donates money raised through fundraisers to Heifer each year. This year alone, MMS has raised over $1,200 for Heifer.

Heifer works in countries across the world with the goal of helping families. It also dedicates itself to giving families below the poverty line livestock and training which surrounds different subjects such as social equality, farming, and financial literacy. This exceptional idea started when, in 1944, the founder Dan West realized that for the people he was aiming to help, it was not substantial enough to just supply milk, and what they really needed was a cow. As they say, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Heifer has 12 cornerstones around which it bases its operations. Its first cornerstone is “Passing on the Gift.” This is fundamental to Heifer’s operation. Through this system, families that receive items from Heifer commit to passing on their knowledge or resources to another family in need. Another one of Heifer’s values is “Nutrition and Income.” This cornerstone focuses on diversifying the sources of farmer’s income and improving the nutrition of malnourished children in impoverished communities. “Improving the Environment” is another important value. Heifer focuses on using eco-friendly and sustainable materials when improving farming practices. Their other values include Accountability; Sharing and Caring; Sustainability and Self-Reliance; Improved Animal and Resource Management; Gender and Family; Genuine Need and Justice; Full Participation; Training, Education, and Communication; and Spirituality.

Heifer has taken many different initiatives to improve peoples’ lives across the globe. The Rural Entrepreneurship Project is an initiative which focuses on creating a lasting farm-to-table link. Heifer works to empower women in this initiative through training, finance and providing connections to formal markets where they can sell their products. Products that are produced through this initiative include cage and stress free eggs and chickens, organic honey, and cattle from Chiapas, Oaxaca, Puebla, and Yucatán, Mexico. Heifer also began Hatching Hope, a project that works to improve the efficiency of poultry farms. 

Since 2019, Heifer has worked to equip farmers with the tools and expertise to grow poultry businesses in countries such as India, Kenya, and Mexico. The East Africa Dairy Development Project works to provide school children with nutritious milk each morning before school. Since 2008, Heifer has helped farmers improve the quality and quantity of their milk production and connect them to reliable markets. These markets include schools, where children can get milk for free. This has helped farmers from Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda overcome barriers while entering the formal economy.

So far, Heifer has managed to help over 798,000 households across 19 countries. The Heifer team established agricultural communities to build farms and markets which currently strive to provide reliable income, secure food sources, and resilience to fluctuating environments. Alongside that, Heifer created new bonds and alliances, and strengthened the already existing partnership they posses with the national government in Ethiopia. Heifer not only supports communities overseas but also those in the USA. In fact, during the month of May 2023, Heifer USA was awarded the 2023 Community Partner Award from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Department of Applied Communications.

MMS is a dedicated supporter of Heifer and as of now has raised over $1,200, including $400 from Sweet Treats. MMS aims to get $1,500 to Heifer each year. As well as that, MMS students can get involved in organizations like Heifer. Within the near future, students can foray into an organization they are passionate about and whenever in doubt, just reach out! There are countless opportunities available to people young and old, and like Heifer, everyone can do great things.