Heifer Cameroon Trains Leaders For A Brighter Future

Cyprian's mother (left) and these orphans have both benefited from the dairy project in Vekovi.

An elderly woman in a brilliant pink blouse handed me a photo of herself that was taken when she was recovering in a hospital bed. This gift was her way of thanking Heifer for her life-saving operation. Her son, Cyprian Lukong, had struggled for years to make a living wage to care of his family, just as his mother had battled dehabilitating stomach problems time and time again.
Cyprian’s involvement with Heifer Cameroon’s dairy initiative proved to be a turning point, not only in his life, but that of his mother, his wife, his children, those that now work for him on his farm, and the many orphans that he provides milk for and helps counsel.
In the village of Vekovi, Cyprian was just one of many who had taken the livestock training, various agricultural instruction, and Heifer’s Cornerstones of sharing and caring and vigorously applied it to their lives to make a better future.
To most Americans these people would have nothing, but they are doing better than they ever imagined. Their homes are made of mud bricks with tin roofs, dirt floors and no indoor plumbing or appliances. But through their involvement with Heifer they are now able to provide three healthy meals a day for their family, pay for the children’s school fees, books and transportation, and even reach out to help AIDS/HIV orphans and ailing members of their communities.
The warmth and openness I was greeted with on my visit to Vekovi, where families so freely shared their life stories, was overwhelming. Almost every person I talked to wanted me to send greetings and thanks back to Heifer in America. Yet it isn’t the livestock, supplies or training that I think they were most thankful for. I believe they were saying thanks for being given the opportunity to realize their own self worth and tap into their own innate abilities to help not only themselves, but others as well that are in dire need.
The way in which these proud individuals speak of what Heifer has done for themselves, their families and their communities would melt the coldest cynics' heart.

Two boys outside the Dzekwa Group's meeting house in Vekovi.

The small, close-knit mountain village of Vekovi is located in the Northwest Province of Cameroon, far away from the bustling cities. It was here that I met Cyprian Lukong and Philip Sahwai, the first two members of the Dzekwa Multi Purpose Farmer’s Society to receive livestock. In 1997, they both received a pregnant purebred Holstein dairy cow.
Before immersing themselves in dairy farming, Cyprian had been a contract teacher on a minimal salary and Philip had been involved in the small-scale buying, fattening and selling of local beef cattle. Cyprian had a wife and children and Philip was an orphan who had to take care of his six younger siblings. Each man barely made enough money to feed themselves, much less their respective families.
In 1999, Cyprian decided with his wife that he would one more attempt at taking a year-long course to get a government teaching job. When he returned to his home and had no luck getting a government job, he then decided to leave teaching once and for all and devote himself fully to dairy farming. With the training in zero grazing and other dairy management strategies, Cyprian dairy farm has flourished with 12 offspring, including his very first Passing on the Gift in 1999.
The milk from his dairy farm is consumed by his family, shared with his neighbors and sold to surrounding communities. The profits from the dairy have allowed Cyprian to realize many dreams he had for his family.
“It is through the dairy project that I am able to educate my children,” Cyprian said. “One of them is in the second year of college and another one entered college this academic year.”
His third child, Emily, has been ill since she was 3-years-old and her continuing treatments are paid for with profits from the dairy. Last year, he was also able to construct a new home for his family.
Cyprian has reached out to others in his community, employing them on his dairy farm, yet in a way where they can eventually generate sustainable, lasting income. Cyprian works with his employees to identify their needs, such as purchasing livestock of their own, establishing an account in a local credit union, or building a home for their own family. He also shares the gender equity teachings, AIDS/HIV education, and other life lessons that he gained from Heifer with his employees.
“Since we have been taught by Heifer Project, particularly on gender issues and family involvement, my wife and I agree before we carry out anything in our lives, like the education of the children, projects and so on. And, for that reason, I want to think that Heifer Project has given me a gift, which is a long lasting gift. In spending money, we agree before we spend it and in that way I see that we are really succeeding.”
Cyprian’s mother had experienced chronic stomach problems that became critical in 2007.
“Her operation was the same year I was constructing the stable, this house and the other employee’s house. In that situation, I really faced a lot of difficulties,” Cyprian said. “But I really thank God because if not for the dairy project my mother would not have survived.”

Philip Sahwai with his newborn and 4-year-old daughter.

Philip Sahwai, much like fellow group member Cyprian, has experienced many hardships and struggles on his way to sustainable independence. Not long after receiving his first pregnant dairy cow from Heifer, his mother died, leaving Philip to care for all of his younger siblings. A desire for a better life for himself and his family led Philip to pour all of his energy into the dairy business. He soon learned from Heifer how to make yogurt and cheese and was able to sell his products in nearby towns, where he soon developed a reputation for having the finest yogurt.
The profits from his dairy allowed him to continue to pay for the fees and books for his siblings still in school. His first cow from Heifer has given birth several times, allowing Philip to Pass on the Gift to others in his village, including his younger brother who has joined him in the dairy business. His income from the dairy allowed him to get married and he is now the proud father of a 4-year-old and a 3-month-old. For his growing family, Philip constructed a new home just last year.
Philip proficiency in making yogurt and cheese has brought people from other villages and cities across Cameroon to learn his methods and he has traveled to the city of Bamenda to instruct priests in a Catholic church who wanted to learn from him.
“I am happy to share the knowledge because I received it from Heifer for free,” Philip said. “I feel I have an obligation to share with others”
Seeing first hand how honorable men like Cyprian and Philip lifted themselves and their families out of poverty and then, in turn, provided the same support and education that they once received to others in their community demonstrates the effectiveness Heifer’s continuing mission. But it is not only neighbors and surrounding communities that have taken notice of the life-changing work taking place in villages like Vekovi.
The private sector has invested in a new dairy processing plant outside of Bamenda, where Heifer Cameroon’s central offices are located. Mr. Kamga overheard a news report on the successes of Heifer’s dairy initiatives in the Western Highlands and after investigating it he decided the cooler climate would allow for better production than his current facilities in the south. He has since brought in a number of local farmers to be shareholders in the new dairy plant, providing them some stewardship over the operations of the facility.
A cooling station is also being constructed so that Vekovi and other villages far away from the plant can sell their milk as well. The plant opens for production on March 15.
“The quality of life for these farmers will greatly improve in the coming years,” Mr. Kamga said as we toured the grounds of the new facility.

This story of lives and a community forever changed is not limited to the Vekovi. I witnessed variations of these stories in Buea, Manjo, Bafou and many other places where Heifer Cameroon’s initiatives have taken root. And I am positive that every one of these places has their own Cyprian and Philip; individuals that have not only affected positive change in their lives and their community, but also now serve as ambassadors of Heifer as they reach out to others struggling to survive and make their own way in this world. It is an every widening circle that empowers individuals to reach their full potential and it is something that all supporters and donors to Heifer can feel a part of.
-Jeremy Glover

Heifer Mozambique: Confirmation Of The Mission At Hand

It was an opportunity to travel outside of the country for the first time, and, more importantly, experience first hand the life-changing work of an organization dedicated to ending hunger and poverty.

Pat Brower, human resources manager for Heifer Foundation, traveled to the east African nation of Mozambique in October of 2008 for a study tour through the projects of Heifer International, an organization with a mission of ending hunger and poverty through education and livestock. “It reinforced how I feel about Heifer, how I feel about the Foundation, and what we are doing,” she said. “Seeing it first hand I can tell people: I’ve seen it, I know it’s working and I know it’s right.”

One of the most exciting and surprising aspects of the trip, Pat said, was the variety and diversity of the projects that they visited during the two-week journey. “We got a real overview of the Heifer projects and the model, what it takes to get one started, and how long and drawn out it can be,” she said.

Pat said there was considerable poverty in the cities, but once they traveled into the countryside the poverty became even more prevalent. However, the first project they visited, which was one of the very first projects in Mozambique, demonstrated what Heifer’s mission could mean to the lives of a group that worked hard for a few years in the project programs. “All the people in that village had matching polo shirts and women had matching kampulanas,” she said, which was very different from the dress of the projects that followed.

“One man talked about how he had two kids in the university and had been able to put a tin roof on his house. Another man had a bicycle and was very proud of owning a bicycle. A widow woman told us that because of her goats she was able to provide for her children and they were all doing well.”

After witnessing that success, Pat then saw some of the challenges faced by the newer projects, which contrasted sharply with the more established projects that had developed a better life for all the families involved. “There was some frustration that things weren’t happening so quickly,” she said. “An HIV/AIDS project first planted closer to the village, but it was farther away from the river so irrigation was difficult. Most of the crop failed and what they did grow, they sold. They didn’t get the idea that they should be eating the food they had grown to build up their bodies so they wouldn’t get so sick.”

“So then the second time they planted, a fellow in the community who had land close to the river said they could use his land. He taught them how to irrigate it. So this second time everything flourished and they started eating the vegetables.”
Heifer had to teach them how the different phases of the projects would bring about better nutrition and health for the families involved, she said.

One of the highlights for Pat was witnessing a “Passing on the Gift” ceremony where five families received three goats each from other families that had already experienced the life-changing gift of livestock.

Pat said one of the things that impressed her most was how one group had drawn pictures of the 12 Heifer Cornerstones showing how their project related to each of the Cornerstones. “The people who drew them explained what their picture was, which Cornerstone it was, and how it related,” she said. “They take it seriously. It’s not just something that they talk about. It’s how they build their project and understand what the Cornerstones are, probably even more so than we do.”

Everyone on the trip was treated like honored guests, greeted at each stop with singing and clapping, she said. “They would lead us to their central shelter area where there would be welcome speeches and they would want to know about us. They were just real outgoing and friendly. One of the poorest groups gave us gifts as we were leaving, a big bunch of bananas, sugar cane, two live chickens and a big basket of beans. You want to say, ‘oh no, it’s okay, you should keep it’ but you can’t. We rode back in the truck with two live chickens under our seats because you don’t want to insult them.”

What amazed Pat the most was how joyous the people were even though they sacrificed their time, their energy, and their produce to show her and her fellow travelers what their projects were all about. “If you don’t have very much and what little you do is keeping your family alive, for you to give part of that to total strangers you will never see again is very, very generous,” she said.

Since returning Pat has had friends, relatives and acquaintances frequently ask her what it was like, to which she would reply: “Do you have an hour?”
“I wouldn’t change the experience for anything,” she said. “I don’t know how to say what it was. It was amazing. It was awesome. It was a chance of a lifetime.”

Heifer Mozambique: A Personal Story Of Connecting With The Past And Present, While Working For A Brighter Future

It was the barren dirt yards dotted with small patches of flowers that brought Dorothy Graham back to the Delta of her youth. Mozambique is more than 9,000 miles away from her childhood home in Marvell, Arkansas, yet the living conditions brought back a flood of memories and established for her an instant connection with the people and the land.

“They use hoes to cut their grass, so their yards are nothing but dirt because they cut all the grass out plus the children playing in it,” she said. “And I can remember growing up, that’s the way my mother did our yard.” Dorothy Graham, the planned charitable giving officer for the nonprofit organization Heifer Foundation, had traveled to Mozambique in October of 2008 to take part in a study tour of the projects of Heifer International, an organization dedicated to ending hunger and poverty through education and livestock.

Finding home an ocean away

“I was thinking about my childhood a lot when I was traveling in Africa because I’m from the Delta,” she said. “Anyone familiar with the Delta knows that it is poor. Growing up, I realized I was poor, but it wasn’t until after I graduated and moved to Little Rock that I realized how poor I actually was.”

Dorothy was quick to point out that while she was considered poor growing up, it was still nothing like the challenges and conditions faced by many of the people she visited on her journey. “Poverty is different here in the United States than it is in the third world countries,” she said. “Even with the poorest people here, it’s just not the same. They have nothing. We at least have the government to assist us. They don’t have that because their governments are so poor.”

Her own personal heritage also made the trip more poignant. “Being an African-American, I have always dreamed of going to Africa,” Dorothy said. “When I first started working [at the Foundation] and realized I had the opportunity to go to different countries around the world, I made up my mind then ‘I want to go to Africa.’ I can’t even describe what it meant to me.”

Witnessing the triumphs and struggles

The first project group Dorothy and her fellow study tour members visited had been involved with Heifer the longest. “You could really tell a difference between them and the other groups that were just starting out, but yet what impressed me about that first group is that, yeah they knew they were doing better, but they still wanted to do more. They talked about how they have the animals and are able to farm their land and can put tin roofs over the top of their houses, but now they realized they needed an education.”

The people were very eager to share with Dorothy and other members of the group exactly how their lives had changed. “In the first village we visited with a man who was so happy he could put a tin roof over his house because of the goats,” she said. “This one lady was able to build a house big enough to store extra grains of rice. You could tell they were a proud people. “

Some of the newer projects were still experiencing the challenges and obstacles that come with teaching and training people in new techniques in livestock and agriculture. “When we went to the fish farm they seemed a little disheartened that they had tried this before and the first time it had completely failed,” she said. “So this was their second attempt. It’s a slow process, but you can tell they wanted it to happen overnight. “

All of the trials and tribulations were showing so much on their faces, Dorothy said.
That particular group needed some words of encouragement, and Dorothy was the one elected to give them a speech. “It gave me the opportunity to tell them right then, ‘don’t be discouraged, you are doing good. You started with three families receiving three goats and as they grow you pass those on to other families, so you will eventually get to where you want the outcome to be.’”

Dorothy was also impressed with how Heifer Mozambique stressed the importance of getting people to think differently about their land, resources and potential.
“Many people still use slash and burn techniques to clear land,” she said.
“They have the resources that they need, they just don’t know how to implement them. They have the land, but don’t know how to cultivate it to grow the things that they need.”

The people spoke primarily Portuguese and native dialects, but the nonverbal communication made an impression on Dorothy. “I couldn’t speak the language so the smiles and handshakes was how we interacted,” she said. “They were very generous. This one village expected us to stay all day, but we were only going to be there a couple of hours because we were going to visit another village. But they gave us what they had – two chickens, a bushel of beans, a big bunch of bananas, and I don’t know how many sugar canes they gave us. I just thought, ‘wow, you may go to bed tonight without eating any dinner, but you are giving us this.’” When asked how this made her feel, Dorothy replied with only one word: “Humbled.”

Working with a purpose

Dorothy said she feels blessed to work at Heifer Foundation because it gives her more of an opportunity to help people that she felt a kinship with in Mozambique. “It’s a cliché to say it’s a blessing to be a blessing, but it really is and I enjoy being able to help someone every day,” she said. “This is more than a job to me. It’s a job with a purpose, with a meaning. I am doing something to make a difference. Now I can share my experiences through my eyes. I love it.”

Shortly after arriving back in Little Rock, Arkansas, Dorothy closed on the purchase of her first home. She knew immediately what her friends and family could get for her house warming. “I don’t want any gifts,” she said. “Anybody that wants to give me something I am going to ask them to put it in my Micro-Endowment through the Hope Equity initiative here at Heifer Foundation. It’s set up for the Delta, AIDS/HIV and Mozambique. That money will go to help the people in Mozambique whom I saw that really need it. They do need our help and we can make a difference.”
-Jeremy Glover

New Law Extends Charitable Giving Opportunities For Certain Individuals With IRA Funds

Congress has taken important steps to protect America’s financial system while also encouraging additional charitable giving. The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 may offer you new opportunities for tax-free charitable giving this year and next. This law includes incentives for those 70 ½ years of age and older who would like to make charitable gifts from potentially taxable Individual Retirement Account (IRA) funds. Click here to find out more.

Tax Incentives for IRA Giving

Our nation’s tax system has long encouraged charitable giving. Gifts to qualified charities, for example, may be deducted from income that could otherwise be subject to tax under federal law and the laws of many states.

Some taxpayers however may encounter limits on the amount of charitable gifts they can deduct and see other benefits phased out as their income increases. Retired persons may also find that increases in income can cause more of their Social Security benefits to be taxed. In other cases, they may not be in a position to fully benefit from their charitable deductions.

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 gives those at least 70 ½ the opportunity to help overcome these and other challenges to giving by making tax-free charitable gifts. Making gifts in 2008 and 2009 from IRA funds that would be subject to tax if withdrawn voluntarily or under mandatory withdrawal requirements may be a wise choice for many. The provision exempts from taxable income any funds transferred (“rolled over”) from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) to a charitable organization. The following limitations apply:

• The donor must be age 70½ or older.
• The cap on annual IRA rollovers is $100,000.
• The contribution must be a direct gift to a charity (no planned gifts).

Congress is allowing these individuals with traditional or Roth IRAs to make tax-free gifts directly to qualified charities. Donors may choose to make charitable distributions from their IRA in any amount up to $100,000, if so desired. A couple with separate IRAs could each give up to that amount.

Individuals who are required to take unneeded IRA withdrawals and other who have experienced limitations on tax benefits in the past will find the new law of particular interest.

Unchanged is the fact that assets held in Individual Retirement Accounts are not only subject to income tax when withdrawn during one’s lifetime or by survivors, but they may also be subject to estate tax if left to loved ones other than a spouse. For that reason, IRAs may be a good choice when deciding how to fund charitable gifts.

Additional Details

To qualify, charitable gifts must be made from a traditional or Roth Individual Retirement Account. Charitable distributions to one or more charities totaling up to $100,000 may be made each year from 2008 and 2009. To enjoy the full benefits of this opportunity you must complete this year’s transfer prior to December 31. Check with your advisors about the best way to take advantage of this giving opportunity. Keep in mind that everyone’s circumstances are different, and state as well as federal tax laws may affect your plans. As always, we will be pleased to assist you in any way possible.

Streamlined, User Friendly Hope Equity Web Site Debuts

Hope Equity, the online giving tool that Heifer Foundation unveiled in 2007, has recently undergone a dramatic upgrade to better serve our donors, organizations and all those committed to ending hunger and poverty and caring for the Earth. This is the Hope Equity that we had envisioned from the beginning and we are excited to share it with you. We have listened to and worked with our members, partners and others in the non-profit arena to create an online giving tool that empowers individuals to support a wide spectrum of causes that fall under the movement to end hunger and poverty.

We’ve simplified the process to make it easier for our users to provide sustainable, long-term support to causes, countries and charities they care so deeply about. Through our new Micro-Endowment (M.E.) program, Hope Equity users can track how their charitable dollars have grown, how much goes to each specific cause they have selected, and how the money is being spent in the field. So go to Hope Equity to start your very own Micro-Endowment today and see what the upgraded Web site has to offer.

Update: Heifer's Project Areas In China Devastated

The catastrophic earthquake May 12, in China's Sichuan Province has left many of the Heifer International project areas in utter ruin.
In Heifer’s Guangyuan project in Baichao Township alone, of the 1,600 families participating in the project, 1,500 farms suffered collapsed buildings and 90 percent of those families are now homeless. Heifer’s China office estimated losses of the farmers in that one community at $4.6 million (32 million yuan).
Heifer staff, including China Country Director Chen Taiyong, returning from the quake area after delivering supplies and assessing the damage to Heifer’s projects, reported on the damage and relief efforts that are under way. Further assessments will be needed but the early reports indicate heavy damage to farms in the quake zone, which is about 40 miles west of Heifer’s main China office in Chengdu.
In Pingwu County, Mianyang, where Heifer has two projects currently underway, 25 townships were affected by the quake, 15 of them severely. Some of the houses of project participants were damaged but there were no reports of livestock being lost. The report said “an especially large number” of biogas units (underground tanks used to collect methane gas from manure for gaslights and cooking) were destroyed by the quake, the report said.

Other Heifer sites known to have been affected in the quake zone:
• In Heifer’s Nanbu project, 73 participants suffered severe damage to their homes. A small number of rabbits died in the quake.
• In Yilong County, Nanchong, the homes of 15 of the 60 families participating in a Heifer project there were damaged by the quake.
• And in Dayi County, near Chengdu, at 15 project sites there were no reported farmer deaths but 134 houses have been declared unsafe, 310 rabbit cages were damaged and more than 1,140 rabbits died.

Heifer Joins In Relief Efforts

Relief supplies were delivered to Baichao Township, where many of Heifer’s families lost homes in the quake.
Heifer first delivered relief aid to Xiang’e Township, then started to provide support to other devastated areas. After assessing the needs of Heifer’s project participants in Guangyuan City, Heifer China decided to provide support to local families. Country Director Chen Taiyong and Senior Director for Field Operations Gan Jiyun led the relief program.
Fully loaded vehicles went to Baichao Township, Lizhou District, carrying the most needed supplies including tents, rice, glucose, salt, cooking oil, cooking sauces, milk powder, and necessities for babies. The 18 towns in Lizhou all suffered from the earthquake, which affected 185 villages and 16,000 families (5,600 of which were farmer families). Also, 51,000 livestock animals were reported dead. People there are desperately in need of medicine, tents, bedding and daily appliances. Heifer’s Chengdu staff participated in the preparation and allocation of these supplies.

Heifer International Committed To Rebuilding Project Areas

Immediately after news of the quake reached the U.S., Heifer International announced that it would help families rebuild their homes and livelihoods.
Last week, Heifer International issued an appeal to donors to contribute to a fund dedicated to rehabilitating Heifer project sites in Sichuan where the 7.9-magnitude earthquake caused severe damage. More than 8,000 families participate in Heifer development projects in the region hardest hit by the quake. Heifer’s central office is in Chengdu just 50 miles from the epicenter of the quake.

Check back for future updates on the recent disasters in China and Myanmar.

Status Of Heifer's Projects In China, Myanmar Still Not Fully Known

Heifer International is waiting on further details on how the recent natural disasters in Myanmar and China have affected the field projects in those countries.
As of late last week, Heifer International received word from its field office in Thailand, which oversees Heifer's work in Myanmar, that there had been no reports of serious damage or injury. Even though some of the projects were in areas of the Irrawaddy River delta that suffered heavy damage, initial reports indicated that the villages involved with Heifer were not seriously affected. Contact with Heifer field employees in this region has been limited by downed electrical and communication lines.
Heifer International's main office in China is located at Chengdu in Sichuan province, which is 100 miles from the epicenter of the 7.9 earthquake. All of the office staff have reported in, yet some field staff have not been heard from. Heifer currently has 18 active projects in the region, providing families with the basic tools, training and livestock they need to become sustainable and self-reliant. Many of these projects areas are believed to have been affected by the earthquake, but the staff have not been able to contact the families because of communication problems.

The following is an e-mail received a couple of days ago from a Heifer China staff member:
"Heifer China office is back to work this morning. Staff and family are safe in Chengdu. Situation is getting more stable now. Internet is fixed and back to use and cell phone signal become much better now. However, whole city is very scared.
Sudden earthquake happened at 14:30 pm May 12, which blocked cell phone signal and internet immediately. Office area was under security control right after so that ensure nobody was allowed to stay in building. Most of city people stayed outside overnight. But since early morning of May 13, it started raining and rained very hard last night. It caused more difficulty for people in earthquake center area."
And from a later e-mail:
"Most of high floors buildings in Cheng Du are closed for a week."
"Government is calling for all cycle of society to provide emergency help/assistance, current calling is for blood donation, camp equipment and rainy supplies…"
"Colleagues in office are in discussion for organizing blood donation, collecting aid assistance supplies, rainy equipments for the areas which suffered the most. All the shipment of materials is under overall coordination of government. Due to the earthquake, road access to suffering counties are blocked. Army just opened the road last midnight to Wenchuan (most needy county) with a very narrow channel to allow one side pass."

Check back here for further updates. When Heifer Foundation receives more information on these projects, we will update our blog.

Hope Equity To Attend GOOD Magazine's Celebration Party at the SxSW Festival in Austin, TX

Hope Equity will be exhibiting at GOOD Magazine's Celebration Party to be held Wednesday, March 12 in Austin, TX at the SxSW Festival. For more information on the event, click here to visit http://www.goodmagazine.com/events/austin08.

Come talk to us and get a free Hope Equity bamboo t-shirt!

A Better Tomorrow

The women of Achoubong Group in Bafou, Cameroon sing a song thanks and safe journey to the Heifer Cameroon staff and I.

Days 6-8

January 6

We traveled an hour and a half to the hilltop village of Bafou. It is a much more pleasant climate in the Western Highland province than in the more southern provinces of Cameroon. 

We arrived first at Martha Nandog’s home where I sat on a bench outside and spoke with her through an interpreter named Ali. She told me that she was a nurse working in the city and living with her husband, who was the breadwinner of the family.
“We came back to the village and we were empty handed because he was a diabetic,” Martha said. “Here, to manage a diabetic patient you need a lot of money. He died in 1995, leaving no food, no money and the children dropped out of school.”
Martha found herself living a “life of borrowing,” by having to constantly ask neighbors and family for food and money. During this time, one of her children was in the hospital for two years and went through eight operations. To pay for the operations she had to lease out the land they owned.
“When I came back from the hospital, I can only thank god that Heifer came to our community,” she said. “I was one of the first people to be assisted here.”
Martha received four piglets and training on how take properly take care of them. She said the training in agroforestry, composting and integrating livestock and agriculture has increased the production on her farm.
“I have been able to pay all of the debt and I have taken back our farm land that I leased out,” Martha said. “I now own our farm again.”
For two of her sons that dropped out of school, Martha used her profits to purchase them motorcycles so that they can make money by providing transportation. She has five grandchildren that now live near her and she is the one that provides their daily food.
“I am very, very happy. I have been able to take care of my family,” Martha said. “I don’t have to go here or there to ask for help.”
She said other women in the village now come to her to learn how she takes cares of her pigs and farm. She has also Passed on the Gift of four piglets to others.
“When I think about how I was before and look at where I am now, it is good to also give an opportunity to someone else to see how there life can also change. I am copying what Heifer has done for me,” Martha said.
“I feel like a man now. It is true that the husband is gone, but Heifer is my second husband.”

Next, we head back down the dirt road to a home just around the corner from Achoubong Group meeting house. Here I meet Louise Zamgue, a woman who has experienced many trials and hardships. Her first husband kicked her out his home when she could not get pregnant after five years of marriage. She then returned to her father’s house and in less than a month she was pregnant by someone she was seeing.
She then had a couple of children by a man and was forced to leave her father’s house.
“I was forced to become a crop farmer and I got nothing out of it because I did not know you could use manure to improve yields,” Louise said. “I depended on my father and relatives to take care of my children.”
Louise eventually remarried, but her second husband died when she was pregnant with her fourth child. But before he died, she had begged him to buy her a small piece of land of her own and he did.
“We did not have enough food to feed all the mouths because the crop yields were really poor because we had no knowledge of how to improve,” Louise said. “It was a problem having food all year round.”
In 2004, Louise got involved with Heifer International, receiving four piglets and learning agroforestry, composting, animal husbandry, ethnoveterinary treatment, gender issues and leadership skills.
“There were certain things I didn’t know I could do to improve my life,” Louise said.
“Before there were some socially constructed rules around the village where certain functions were abundant to men. I was always having problems because I expected my brothers to do the work and they didn’t do it. With the gender training, I understood that I could do it.”
With the profits from her farm, Mary took care of one of her son’s medical problems. She also began buying materials a piece at a time for the eventual construction of the simple home she lives in now.
“I am so very happy because I was reduced to a beggar, but presently I am able to take care of everything and provide for my children,” Louise said.
Before she could not care for her children or pay for their school fees. The children lived with relatives until she began to see a profit on her farm and were able to bring them back home.
I then ask Louise if in the past could she have imagined everything that has happened in her life since becoming involved with Heifer. She replied with a question.
“How could I imagine it when I had nothing?” Louise said. “I could not have even dreamt of having a house of my own. I thought I would die without having anything my own.”
We then toured her home, including the small seamstress room and a kitchen she recently constructed. Louise has a infectious smile the whole time she is showing me her home.
We then walk back to the meeting room where a spread of fried plantains, roasted nuts, fresh fruit and some Cokes has been laid out. When I set down with my plate, all of the women in the group, including Martha and Louise, dance down to the front of the room where I am sitting and begin singing a high-spirited song that is directed toward me and the Heifer Cameroon staff. It is a song of thanks and safe journey and I am beyond touched by the gesture. As soon as they finish, I ask if I can go get my video camera out of the truck and could they all sing it all again. They are more than happy to oblige, and what I have is the short clip above.

Louise Zamgue works part-time as a seamstress in the home she constructed with profits from pigs and farming.

Martha Nandog, a widow, has been able to take care of her children and grandchildren with the money she has made raising pigs.

The night before I leave I have dinner with the Heifer Cameroon staff at Sister Rose's in Bamenda.

February 7

Mary has taught many members of her community the skills she has learned from Heifer.

I could barely hold myself up today. A nasty cold as well as eating all of the spreads of food at the different projects finally caught up with me, as I spent a miserable night with stomach issues of the highest order and some hardcore congestion.
For my last project visit, we went to a place just outside of Bameda to visit Mary Sirri Ndikum, who is married to his Royal Highness, The Fon of Akum. This is the very first interaction I have with traditional African royalty (on the local level). Mary is youngest one of five wives. I arrive at the compound feeling so incredibly weak. All of the wives have a string of white beads around their head to designate their status.
I am introduced to the Fon, whose hand you never shake. I am shown a bow and clap greeting that everyone gets a big kick out of when I introduce myself to the Fon. I film an interview first with the Fon, who tells me how Heifer has help his village so much. He praises his wife, Mary, for her skill at managing the farm in his absence. He then takes his leave and I interview the very charming and industrious Mary. She has become a real leader in the community thanks to the training she has received from Heifer. She provides for all the Fon’s children and helps other families learn how to take care of their cattle and crops. Before we leave she gives me a couple bottle of yogurt and some tubes of ice cream she has made. Check back in to this blog in the near future for a short film on Mary’s life.

What has been most surprising to me is how gender equity instruction has seemingly transformed families and entire communities in Cameroon. Men who once left their wives with no money and allowed them no say in family decisions now treat their wives as equal partners who can be trusted to handle any issues that may arise. And what makes sense to many of the men is how much more successful their farming operations are when they work with their wives as a team. Decisions are now made together as a family – a huge leap from the traditional Cameroonian family structure.

February 8

I am somewhere over the Sahara Desert sipping white wine and watching The Darjeeling Limited on the overhead screen. A few hours before I left Cameroon (after a six-hour drive to Douala), we checked into the Royal Palace Hotel – for the third time this trip – so I could shower and eat a meal of skewered fish and fries, while I watched Cameroon play host Ghana in the semi-finals of the Africa Cup. Humphrey met me at the front of the hotel at 7:45 and told me I had left a folder at the offices up the road. The driver whisked me back down dead streets lined with shack bars and open-air restaurants that were packed with still, silent crowds watching the final minutes of the match. There were tiny 20-inch television sets all along the street with anywhere from 5 to 50 people gathered around. It was pure poetry.
We made a quick stop-off at the office, where several employees were watching the final seconds tick away after a late work meeting. We hit the road again just as the match ended. The silent streets erupted with the unfettered joy of the Cameroonian people. Where only moments earlier everyone had been frozen in silence as they awaited the 1-0 win, they were now hugging, dancing and drinking in celebration. People were running with flares, honking any horn that could be found, and emptying back into the streets to relish the victory with everyone else.

–Jeremy Glover

Leaders of Vekovi

A short film on Cyprian Lukong, a dynamic leader in Vekovi, Cameroon.

Day 5

February 5

Excerpt from an e-mail I sent to my family, friends and co-workers late that night:
"Where to start? This has been a really unforgettable experience so far. Overwhelming some days. I have seen SO much of Cameroon in only four whole days. I travel anywhere from 3 to 6 hours every day. All of the projects/villages we visit treat me like a dignitary. Today we traveled through some breathtaking hill country on the worst possible dirt roads to the town of Veloki. I was given two large sacks of carrots, 3 two-liter bottles of freshly made yogurt, a sack of potatoes (Irish is what they call 'em), and a sack of Kola Nuts, which are supposed to give me good life, and an old woman, whose son had dramtically changed his life and was able to pay for her dire operations through money made with his Heifer dairy cattle, gave me a photo of her in the hospital after her surgery. I gave all the goods to the Heifer Cameroon staff to split up. Every group we visit has a big spread of huckleberry, rice, carrrots, chicken, plantains, roasted nuts (I ate 'em), etc, but I haven't really ate too much until today because Hilda thinks it will upset my stomach (she's kind of motherly). I'm proud to say I haven't had any stomach problems - yet.

Today I met with Philip's family and Cyprian's family. These two men have learned so much from Heifer and applied it to their lives. They spoke of gender equity, HIV education, and how they feel obligated to pass on their gift. Philip and Cyprian now treat their wives as equals and are respected in their community for the knowledge they happily share and how they conduct themselves with their families. To us these people would have nothing, but for them they are doing better than they ever imagined. Cyprian and his wife take in and feed orphans and go around to other orphanages to teach. With healthy cattle and farming, Cyprian employs other men in his village who had once beat their wives, drank and never worked, but who now have learned to treat their wives as equals and have taken the money they have earned and bought their own livestock. They are so proud. This is not limited to this village, I saw it in Manjo yesterday and Buea on Saturday. These people speak of what Heifer has done for themselves, their families and their villages in such a way it would melt the coldest cynics' heart."

Two boys outside the Dzekwa Group's meeting house in Vekovi.

The small, close-knit mountain village of Vekovi is located in the Northwest Province of Cameroon, far away from the bustling cities. It was here that I met Cyprian Lukong and Philip Sahwai, the first two members of the Dzekwa Multi Purpose Farmer’s Society to receive livestock. In 1997, they both received a pregnant purebred Holstein dairy cow.
Before immersing themselves in dairy farming, Cyprian had been a contract teacher on a minimal salary and Philip had been involved in the small-scale buying, fattening and selling of local beef cattle. Cyprian had a wife and children and Philip was an orphan who had to take care of his six younger siblings. Each man barely made enough money to feed themselves, much less their respective families.
In 1999, Cyprian decided with his wife that he would one more attempt at taking a year-long course to get a government teaching job. When he returned to his home and had no luck getting a government job, he then decided to leave teaching once and for all and devote himself fully to dairy farming. With the training in zero grazing and other dairy management strategies, Cyprian dairy farm has flourished with 12 offspring, including his very first Passing on the Gift in 1999.
The milk from his dairy farm is consumed by his family, shared with his neighbors and sold to surrounding communities. The profits from the dairy have allowed Cyprian to realize many dreams he had for his family.
“It is through the dairy project that I am able to educate my children,” Cyprian said. “One of them is in the second year of college and another one entered college this academic year.”
His third child, Emily, has been ill since she was 3-years-old and her continuing treatments are paid for with profits from the dairy. Last year he was also able to construct a new home for his family.
Cyprian has reached out to others in his community, employing them on his dairy farm, yet in a way where they can eventually generate sustainable, lasting income. Cyprian works with his employees to identify their needs, such as purchasing livestock of their own, establishing an account in a local credit union, or building a home for their own family. He also shares the gender equity teachings, AIDS/HIV education, and other life lessons that he gained from Heifer with his employees.
“Since we have been taught by Heifer Project, particularly on gender issues and family involvement, my wife and I agree before we carry out anything in our lives, like the education of the children, projects and so on. And, for that reason, I want to think that Heifer Project has given me a gift, which is a long lasting gift. In spending money, we agree before we spend it and in that way I see that we are really succeeding.”
Cyprian’s mother had experienced chronic stomach problems that became critical in 2007.
“Her operation was the same year I was constructing the stable, this house and the other employee’s house. In that situation I really faced a lot of difficulties,” Cyprian said. “But I really thank God because if not for the dairy project, my mother would not have survived.”

Cyprian's mother (left) and these orphans have both benefited from the dairy project in Vekovi.

Philip Sahwai with his newborn and 4-year-old daughter.

Philip Sahwai, much like fellow group member Cyprian, has experienced many hardships and struggles on his way to sustainable independence. Not long after receiving his first pregnant dairy cow from Heifer, his mother died, leaving Philip to care for all of his younger siblings. A desire for a better life for himself and his family led Philip to pour all of his energy into the dairy business. He soon learned from Heifer how to make yogurt and cheese and was able to sell his products in nearby towns, where he soon developed a reputation for having the finest yogurt.
The profits from his dairy allowed him to continue to pay for the fees and books for his siblings still in school. His first cow from Heifer has given birth several times, allowing Philip to Pass on the Gift to others in his village, including his younger brother who has joined him in the dairy business. His income from the dairy allowed him to get married and he is now the proud father of a 4-year-old and a 3-month-old. For his growing family, Philip constructed a new home just last year.
Philip proficiency in making yogurt and cheese has brought people from other villages and cities across Cameroon to learn his methods and he has traveled to the city of Bamenda to instruct priests in a Catholic church who wanted to learn from him.
“I am happy to share the knowledge because I received it from Heifer for free,” Philip said. “I feel I have an obligation to share with others”

Seeing first hand how leaders like Cyprian and Philip lifted themselves and their families out of poverty and then, in turn, provided the same support and education that they once received to others in their community demonstrates the effectiveness Heifer’s continuing mission. But it is not only neighbors and surrounding communities that have taken notice of the life-changing work taking place in villages like Vekovi.
The private sector has invested in a new dairy processing plant outside of Bamenda, where Heifer Cameroon’s central offices are located. Mr. Kamga overheard a news report on the successes of Heifer’s dairy initiatives in the Western Highlands and after investigating it he decided the cooler climate would allow for better production than his current facilities in the south. He has since brought in a number of local farmers to be shareholders in the new dairy plant, providing them some stewardship over the operations of the facility.
A cooling station is also being constructed so that Vekovi and other villages far away from the plant can sell their milk as well. The plant opens for production on March 15.
“The quality of life for these farmers will greatly improve in the coming years,” Mr. Kamga said as we toured the grounds of the new facility.

Entering the village of Vekovi.

This story of lives and a community forever changed is not limited to the Vekovi. You could find variations of these stories in many other places where Heifer Cameroon’s initiatives have taken root. And I am positive that every one of these places has their own Cyprian and Philip; individuals that have not only affected positive change in their lives and their community, but also now serve as ambassadors of Heifer as they reach out to others struggling to survive and make their own way in this world. It is an every widening circle that empowers individuals to reach their full potential and it is something that all supporters and donors of Heifer can feel a part of.

–Jeremy Glover

A group of Orphans gathered outside of Cyprian's home.