World Ark Magazine - March/April 2008 - (Page Cover2) Horizons Transformation Dear Friends, During my 16 years as president and CEO, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing many blessings, opportunities and challenges within Heifer International. But I’ve rarely seen an opportunity or a blessing with as many life-changing implications as the gift that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation so generously awarded Heifer on January 25—a $42.8 million grant to be disbursed over the next four years that will bring help and hope to 1 million people through the East Africa Dairy Development project. This endeavor will help small-scale rural farmers in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya double their incomes by increasing their production and marketing of high-quality raw milk. The result will be a dramatic increase in nutrition, income and skills that will help lift families out of a cycle of poverty and hunger. The magnitude of this unprecedented gift speaks volumes about the effectiveness of Heifer’s values-based model in our mission to end hunger and poverty, and it validates that the hard work we do every day is transforming lives in ways that are visible, effective and far-reaching. Because of the tireless efforts and unending diligence of supporters like you, I know that Heifer’s important work will continue to multiply as even more individuals recognize that our model is one that truly works. I have spent considerable time during my years with Heifer visiting project partners in Africa, and I am excited about the self-reliance and hope that this project will help bring to their daily lives. Heifer is establishing the East Africa Dairy Development project in partnership with TechnoServe, a nonprofit organization that fights poverty through business development, and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), a Kenya-based animal-research organization. But these are not Heifer’s only partners. You are an integral part of the work we are doing in Africa, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation provides the opportunity for your support to go twice as far. Turn to page 26 to learn how you can be directly involved with this important opportunity. We have been given the blessing of this life-impacting responsibility. I look forward to all of us working together to ensure the meaningful transformation of a million lives in East Africa, as families move from a life of poverty to a life of hope. You are an integral part of the work we are doing in Africa. Jo Luck President and CEO Jo Luck visits with a family in Gicumbi Province, Rwanda, where Heifer animals are creating unity between previously warring groups. Photos by Geoff Oliver Bugbee
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