World Ark Magazine - November/December 2008 - (Page 52)

Heifer bulletin News From The Field Takes Root in Guatemala By Jonelle Doughty, World Ark Intern Photo by Rob Cahill, co-director for Proeval Raxmu, a Heifer partner organization SHARINg Beatrice Biira celebrates with her father, Peter Kato, at her graduation. Photos: Maureen Harrington By Jonelle Doughty, World Ark Intern eatrice Biira is one of Heifer’s most noted success stories. Her Ugandan family received a goat from Heifer International in 1992. Beatrice, then age 9, sold the extra goat’s milk to others in her village. Her mother saved the money, purchased a uniform and books and enrolled Biira in a nearby school. Her experiences were the basis for the children’s book, Beatrice’s Goat. The book’s popularity led to Biira appearing on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and “60 Minutes.” That first goat, named Mugisa, which means “luck,” certainly opened a door, but hard work and determination have made Biira’s dreams come true. On May 18, 2008, she graduated from Connecticut College with a bachelor’s degree in international development and gender studies. After spending the summer in Uganda with her family, Biira, now 24, returned to the United States, where she is attending the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock. She is pursuing a master’s degree in public service, with a focus in international development. Beatrice’s Diploma B The October 2007 passing on the gift ceremony in Semesche Village, a Qeqchi Mayan community near Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, was much quieter than most. No cows bellowed, no goats nattered and no chickens clucked. In this unusual ceremony, donors passed on mulberry tree cuttings instead of animals. Deforestation in Guatemala’s Central Highlands is making survival increasingly difficult for rural Qeqchi Mayan communities. Agriculture is less profitable than it once was, and reforestation is daunting in the face of heavy rains that quickly erode bare mountainsides. But the mulberry trees planted by members of the FUNDAMENO Food Security Project are helping to save the soil. Mulberries grow easily in Guatemala’s tropical climate. One has only to stick a fresh cutting into fertile ground and wait for green leaves to emerge. Extremely versatile, the trees’ leaves can be used as fodder for animals, and people and the wildlife of the high forest can eat the trees’ berries. The mulberry tree cuttings passed on in Semesche Village were donated by Heifer Guatemala staffer Estaban Archila. Several years earlier, Archila had taken cuttings from a single mulberry tree in Costa Rica. The trees had flourished, so he made cuttings to pass on to the project in Semesche Village. Now, this Qeqchi community in Guatemala will be forever connected to a community in Costa Rica. It is a reminder that sharing a simple gift can benefit generations. Carmen Caal, left, and Matilde Caal each received mulberry tree cuttings. Once they take root, the trees will protect the soil from erosion and provide food for the family. www.heifer.org 52 November/December 2008 | WORLD ARK http://www.heifer.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of World Ark Magazine - November/December 2008

World Ark Magazine - November/December 2008 Contents Letters For the Record The Good Life Asked and Answered Finding Peace in Africa Sierra Leone on the Mend The Roma: A People Apart Mixed Media Heifer Bulletin Heifer Spirit Calendar First Person

World Ark Magazine - November/December 2008

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