Heifer International

1. Heifer International

2. Initiatives • Agroecology • Animal Well-Being • Gender Equity • HIV-AIDS • Microenterprise • Urban Agriculture • Young People’s Initiative

3. Agroecology • The sustainable use and management of natural resources, accomplished by using social, cultural, economic, political and ecological methods that work together to achieve sustainable agriculture production. • That means everything is working together to help save the environment – a healing touch for our planet that helps reduce our environmental footprint, the impact each one of us makes.

4. Animal Well-Being Heifer International general Animal Well-Being Guidelines include: • Giving preference to purchasing animals that are already acclimatized to the local area • Providing sufficient training to farmers before they receive any livestock • Using appropriate shelter and separate pens for animals of different species • Teaching zero-grazing techniques, which enhance animal health and ensure that adequate feed and water are provided • Emphasizing nutrition, including providing clean water at least once a day • Encouraging indigenous breeding • Providing project participants with initial vaccinations

5. Gender Equity • Heifer's Gender Equity Initiative is rooted in their vision of justice — a vision that values women, men, girls, and boys equally and enables them to be crucial partners for truth, justice and sustainable development. 

6. HIV-AIDS • AIDS is a particular threat to food security, due to the loss of the most economically able and productive members of a society. Uninfected family members, sometimes school age children, must also sacrifice to care for those infected. • This brings a double burden of the loss of present human capital and future social, economic and political transformation and stability. This health and social epidemic, often times, affects farmer communities and groups receiving assistance from Heifer.

7. Microenterprise • Heifer's partners from the Philippines to Peru are cashing in on the earning potential of their small farms by using limited resources and investments to develop small businesses. • These micro-enterprise programs build on their unique ideas and skills, empowering them to create their own economic opportunities and achieve self-sufficiency.

8. Urban Agriculture • Heifer International’s Urban Agriculture program is growing goodness, changing lives and building communities in the heart of North America’s big cities. Heifer supports grassroots organizations that help communities reclaim and support local food systems.      • Inner-city youth learn entrepreneurial skills and the value of healthy eating by planting vegetables, growing flowers, and selling produce to local markets. Immigrants share community gardens and their indigenous agricultural practices, which builds bridges between cultures.  Disabled citizens use therapeutic gardening to reconnect with the earth and their communities.

9. Young People’s Initiative • Heifer International’s Young People’s Initiative (YPI) is an initiative aiming at empowering young people with skills, tools, opportunities and involving them to affect positive change in their lives, communities and the world at large. 

10. Gift Catalogue • Heifer • Sheep • Llama • Water Buffalo • Goat • Milk Menagerie • Knitting Basket • Livestock Development • Flock of Chicks • Flock of Ducks • Flock of Geese • Trio of Rabbits • Gift Ark • Joy to the World • Flock of Hope • Trees • Honeybees • Many more…

11. Heifer $500 or $50/share • When a family has a cow, every morning there's a glass of rich milk for the children to drink before heading off to school. Classes are paid with the income from the sale of milk, and there's even enough to share with the neighbours.

12. Sheep $120 or $10/share • Entire communities depend on wool and meat from sheep. Struggling families use sheep's wool to make clothes, or sell it for extra income. Sheep often give birth to twins or triplets and can graze even the hilliest, rockiest pastures unsuitable for other livestock.

13. Flock of Chicks $20 • Heifer helps many hungry families with a starter flock of 10 to 50 chicks. A good hen can lay up to 200 eggs a year - plenty to eat, share or sell. With Heifer recipients' commitment to pass on the offspring and training, the exponential impact of adding chickens to communities in poverty is truly a model that helps end hunger and poverty.

14. Honeybees $30 • As bees search for nectar, they pollinate plants. Placed strategically, beehives can as much as double some fruit and vegetable yields. In this way, a beehive can be a boost to a whole village.

15. Sign up to create a team that raises money for Heifer. Join the work to end hunger and poverty and care for the earth. • Create your personal page. Write a description. Add photos if you want. It's quick and easy to do! Visit www.heifer.org Today to sign your team up!

16. Video • Passing On The Gift

17. Visit www.heifer.org • Get involved! • Support a great cause! • Take on the challenge!