World Ark Magazine - March/April 2009 - (Page 31) The project, which began in June 2008, includes several months of assessment, where heifer china integrates needs from the government and target communities. as this issue hits mailboxes, project communities have been chosen, groups are actively solving problems and participants are preparing to receive animals and training in their care, taking the first big steps toward self-suffiency. “some donated 10 yuan, 20 yuan, even up to 100 to 200 yuan. To the resource-poor villages, this is enormous,” said Cheng Peilin, Heifer China’s senior program manager-support, noting people in the county live on per capita income of 300 to 400 yuan, or $44 to $59 a year. –two– decades of Help in cHina Heifer China, established in 1984, has 37 full-time staff members and 100-plus volunteers who serve in 16 provinces with 111 projects. heifer china works with local governmental and nongovernmental development institutions to tackle poverty and hunger, and it has made significant achievements. By 2007, more than 60,000 households received more than 4.5 million animals including cattle, yaks, dzos (a combination of yak and cow), sheep, goats, pigs, rabbits, chickens, ducks, silkworms, pigeons and geese. disaster rehabilitation is a major component of heifer china’s programs. heifer china has already completed nine rehabilitation projects, responding to snow, landslides and floods. during the implementation of these projects, heifer china gained rich experience in uniting community members to join in the project activities such as income generation and group formation. heifer’s Yangtze river flood rehabilitation project increased the income of all the area families more than 100 percent on average through the project, a heifer report concluded. This project won the 2004 passing on the gift award from heifer international. with donations to fully take advantage of heifer hong kong’s match, the quake project, heifer’s largest disaster-rehabilitation project ever, will help families still suffering from the spring 2008 disaster rebuild and move toward self-sufficiency by reaching out to give others a hand up.“This match from heifer hong kong will initiate another cycle of passing on the gift, a chain of life,” said chen. “Those being helped will pass on animals, skills and experiences as well as some agricultural supplies to other families in need.… finally, not only 4,000 original families are being helped, but another 9,000 families will be helped through passing on the gift.” Because of the importance of reaching the $3 million match as quickly as possible, many efforts are under way to reach this goal. Gifts received after this goal has been met will go toward the entire mission of Heifer International. w w w. h e i f e r. o r g “this made us feel so blessed and inspired.” PHOTO COURTESy OF HEIFER CHINA. Villagers from Butuo County, some of them Heifer beneficiaries, offer donations to help their neighbors devastated by the May 2008 earthquake. march/apri l 2009 | worl d ark 31 http://www.heifer.org
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