Why
give a cow?
Accumulated donations of five hundred dollars purchase
a cow within the Heifer projects. The first “cow”
project our group visited was outside of the main
city of Arusha. A trip by jeep, accessible only by
taking several bumpy roads that are more uphill than
down ending at a small brick house.
Loti, the project farmer, greets our group. His hand
extends to each of us in welcome, his mouth radiates
a pulsing smile. He has dressed in his Sunday best,
a brightly colored cotton shirt, which is no doubt
the only extra shirt he owns.
The genuineness of Loti’s welcome cannot to be ignored.
He is happy to see us and soon we learn why. This
particular project is one of the first started by
Heifer in Tanzania. It has been in operation for more
than 10 years and it is considered a huge success.
When the tour continues, the group is escorted into
the brick house and introduced to Loti’s wife. It
is a modest abode, far from squeaky clean. There are
several small tables and an assortment of mismatched
chairs. Most of the eating, sleeping and socializing
happens in this one room. The house tour ends in the
kitchen, room number two, which has one item of furniture,
a gas stove. We learn that the mismatched chairs have
all been borrowed from Loti’s neighbors in the village
so the Heifer guests (all 19 of us) will have some
place to sit.
Simon, our Heifer tour guide (like Loti), is of the
Massai, the largest cultural tribe in Tanzania. They
are distinguishable by their height and sharp features.
Simon has both of these attributes.
Because Loti speaks limited English, Simon translates
from Swahili. He smiles as he explains to us the advancements
that have happened in this project. The original “first”
cow (provided by Heifer) has produced enough milk
and calves to change the economic dynamics of Loti’s
entire village. In combination with the Heifer giving
back system, a single cow has allowed almost everyone
to receive some sort of indirect financial support
or training in agriculture.
Cows are valued because they provide several useful
bi-products. The milk is considered a source of food
as well as a substantial economic asset, producing
income when the milk is sold. For Loti’s family this
financial boon has resulted in the following: All
of his five children have attended school, which is
expensive and rare in Tanzania. Another benefit of
the milk sales has been the ability to build their
brick house, which is symbolic of progress in a country
where most of the rural population lives in crudely
made huts. Loti’s brick house of two rooms was built
over several years of buying and accumulating bricks,
a few at a time.
Heifer International has done more. The organization
has provided Loti’s village with valuable agricultural
education. The benefits have resulted in improved
crop yields, which in turn has provided more food
and more income. The advanced programs have offered
education about income-generating cottage industries
and the manufacture of a type of high-grade, non-chemical
manure, which is made from cow dung. A few years ago,
a large donation to this project resulted in Loti
being able to purchase equipment to build a gas conversion
device. Now cow dung is also converted into methane
gas. His family uses this gas for cooking (on the
indoor gas stove). The introduction of methane cooking
has eliminated the need for a wood burning stove and
reduced tree cutting. Over time more methane production
could reduce deforestation, which is a chronic problem
in Tanzania.
As a reminder, five hundred dollars worked a small
miracle for Loti and his family. The miracle extended
to a village of 50-60 people, and this success will
have a lasting impact for generations to come. For
this community, Loti’s progress can only be considered
a positive step forward. There are many people in
Tanzania who could also benefit from having access
to a cow and let's not forget a lifetime of good fortune.
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Why
give a cow?