FAQs

• What is Heifer? What is Heifer International?
• How did Heifer start its work in China?
• What's the progress of Heifer's work in China?
• How many Heifer projects are there in China?
• Can I make a donation to support Heifer projects in China? If so, how?

What is Heifer International ?
In the 1930s, a civil war raged in Spain . Dan West, a Midwestern farmer and Church of the Brethren youth worker, ladled out cups of milk to hungry children on both sides of the conflict. It struck him that what these families needed was "not a cup, but a cow." He asked his friends back home to donate Heifers, a young cow that has not borne a calf, so hungry families could feed themselves. In return, they could help another family become self-reliant by passing on to them one of their gift animal's female calves.

The idea of giving families a source of food rather than short-term relief caught on and has continued for more than 50 years. As a result, families in 115 countries have enjoyed better health, more income and the joy of helping others.

Heifer International (Heifer) is an ecumenical, non-governmental, rural development organization, headquartered in Little Rock, USA . Heifer alleviates hunger and poverty and restores the enonment by providing livestock, training and related services to small-scale farm families. Heifer helps farmers take livestock as close part of sustainable agriculture.

How did Heifer start its work in China ?
Heifer International sent its first shipment of dairy cows to China through the United Nations Relief Service in 1947. Heifer returned to China in 1985, after a delegation from the Sichuan Provincial Bureau of Animal Husbandry visited the Heifer International Headquarters in 1984. In 1989, Heifer built China Office in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. The Heifer/China Program Started with its first three projects in Dayi, Ya'an and Jianyang County, Sichuan Province.

What's the progress of Heifer's work in China ?
By July, 2003, totally 41,584 households of Han, Yi, Miao, Tibetan, Lahu, Hani, Wa, Buyi, Hui, Uygur and Qiang ethnic groups have been provided with 3,909,020 livestock/poultry including cattle, yaks, dzo (yak x cattle), sheep, goats, pigs, rabbits, chicken, ducks, pigeons, geese, honey bees and silkworms, as well as appropriate training in their care. Heifer has implemented 42 projects in China, covering 73 counties/cities in 12 provinces of China.

How many Heifer projects are there in China?
As stated in the progress, Heifer has 42 projects now in China.

Can I make a donation to support Heifer projects in China? If so, how?
Yes, you are warmly welcome to donate to support Heifer's projects in China. We have not made online donation available, so please directly contact our Resource Development Department by -

Snail mail:

HPI China Office
C-8, Tian Le Jia Yuan
No. 10, Section 4, Yi Huan Nan Road
Chengdu, Sichuan Province
CHINA 610041

E-mail: info@hpichina.org

Tel: +86 28 85575825 Fax: +86 28 85564364

The following FAQ is adapted from our Headquarters website - http://www.Heifer.org/about_Heifer/faq.htm

• What does Heifer do and how do we do it?
• Where in the world is Heifer?
• Where does Heifer do work in U.S and/or Canada?
• How does Heifer address gender issues?

What does Heifer do and how do we do it?
Heifer works to end hunger and poverty, and care for the earth by providing appropriate livestock, training and related services to small-scale farmers and communities worldwide. We care for the earth's natural resources through training in livestock management, pasture improvement, soil conservation, forestation and recast.

Our cornerstone of "passing on the gift," assures that each participant in the program becomes a donor and gives the animal's offspring to another family in need. This concepts helps build community and enhances dignity and participation in each project. The families continually give to others ensuring self-sufficiency, one family at a time.

We have field offices in major program areas around the world. We work at the grassroots level, sometimes with large networks of local nongovernmental and grassroots organizations. Our field staff is equipped with a variety of skills that help project participants prepare for the challenges and problems they encounter by providing training prior to receiving any animal gift.

Where in the world is Heifer?
Our world headquarters is located in the U.S. in Little Rock, Arkansas . Our staff currently provides valuable support and assistance for project partners all over the world including the following countries.

LATIN AMERICA/CARIBBEAN: Bolivia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru .

AFRICA: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe .

CENTRAL/EASTERN EUROPE: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kosovo, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Rep. of Moldova, Russia, Slovakia, and Ukraine .

ASIA/SOUTH PACIFIC: Afghanistan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Thailand, The Philippines, Viet Nam .

North America: Canada, U.S., Mexico

Where does Heifer do work in U.S and/or Canada ? Heifer has projects in Ontario and Saskatchewan in Canada and in the following states in the U.S. : Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming .

How does Heifer address gender issues?
Heifer's Gender Equity program seeks to ensure that men and women are equal partners in planning, work and benefits of a project. In many countries, women care for animals kept near the home but often have little access to technical training, resources, credit and decision-making. When women are able to receive animals and training, family nutrition improves, and women gain new respect in their communities. Projects with women's groups are called "WiLD," or Women in Livestock Development, providing women with the resources and skills they need to overcome hunger, poverty and prejudice and achieve self-reliance and self-respect