Heifer
Cows for Christmas
A gift of heifer -- a young cow that has not yet borne a calf - to a struggling family not only gives them food and ends their hunger, but also helps them become self-reliant.
Milk is so important to children as they grow up. The Chinese Government realizes that "A Glass of Milk a Day Makes a Nation Strong" and is now promoting drinking milk in all schools in China.
Back in 1944, Heifer International realized the effectiveness of "Not a cup, but a cow." Giving cups of milk is only a short-term relief. Families are still dependent on handouts and undermined their dignity. Instead, a cow provides a source of food and income - and a solution to endless hunger and poverty.
Dairy cows can give as much as 15 litres of milk a day - more than enough for a family to drink and sell. "Milk money" pays for school fees, medicine, clothing and home improvements.
What's more is that a healthy cow can have a calf every year. As each family fulfills their promise to pass on their gift animal's offspring to another family in need, the whole village benefits. That's exactly what happened in Xuanhan, Sichuan.
This Christmas, honor your parents or someone you love with the gift of a heifer sent in their name to a struggling family in China! It will bring health and hope to them - and that's a truly unique Christmas gift!
Saved by the Cows
Xuanhan in Sichuan Province is one of the national level poverty counties in China. And Fu Yunxian and his wife from Huachi Village were certainly among the poorest of the poor in this county. The family land was very small, and Fu's mother had been very sick for a long time. They were so poor they wore clothes donated by others. Fu had tried many times to find jobs in town but never succeeded.
Hope came when Fu received a dairy cow from Heifer China. The village leaders helped him build a temporary cow barn without a roof because he was too poor to do even that.
With training on how to take great care of his cow, Fu and his entire family worked very hard and in just 3 months, made 2,200 yuan by selling lots of milk! Within one year, their cow had a calf. They have earned enough "milk money" to pay back their debt and rebuilt the cow barn - this time with a roof!
Fu promised to Pass on the Gift to help others in his village become self-reliant. Over the years, the cows multiplied and many more benefited. Huachi has now become one of seven "Dairy Cow Specialty Villages" in Xuanhan - all because of the gift of Heifer cows. Families are now earning over 10,000 yuan each year!