Success Stories

Heifer International is crafting a new approach to strengthen more families and to increase their economic resiliency in Heifer projects around the world. We are still driven by the same mission to end hunger and poverty and care for the Earth; we still have the same finely honed, well researched, impactful agricultural development model. We are challenging ourselves because the global situation demands it.

Glara's Dream Comes True

Glara's Dream Comes True
"Granny" Glara Saroyan, 60, was born and raised in the Spitak community of the Lori region of Armenia. After an Earthquake in 1988 left her home and livestock totally destroyed, Glara and her family found themselves living in a small wooden shelter, with limited resources. All of this changed when she received the gift of a pig from Heifer, helping her realize her dream of rebuilding the family farm.
Read more of Glara's touching story.

Cynthia's Hope for a Better Future

Cynthia's Hope for a Better Future
Cynthia is a single mother and the only breadwinner of her family of seven. Just a few months ago, her family's financial well-being depended on small part-time jobs that she managed to find from time-to-time. But without a permanent income, the family struggled with food insecurity. Not having a warm and healthy meal was part of everyday life. At the beginning of 2011, Cynthia started her journey with Heifer and Cynthia's family's life started to change.
Read more of Cynthia's story.

Wings of Hope: Milli's Journey

India: Wings of Hope - Milli's Journey
After an abusive fallout from an aranged marriage, 25 year old Milli found herself back home with her parents in Bodhimuha, India. See how this young woman rose from poverty and shattered dreams, to the leader of a womens group in this new success story.

A Bright Future for Two Boys in Malawi

Malawi: A Bright Future for Two Boys in Malawi
Their names are Garfield and Mizeki — two precious little boys in Malawi. It was in December of 2001 that their grandfather, Daniel, received a cow from Heifer International that he knew would be the key to Garfield and Mizeki's future. Since then, their farm and prosperity have both grown by leaps and bounds.
Read more of this heartwarming story.

Valuable Support for the Most Vulnerable Children

Tanzania: Valuable Support for the Most Vulnerable Children
It was a day to remember for the orphan and disabled children who are normally referred to as the Most Vulnerable Children (MVC) of Zinga village in Tanzania when International School of Tanganyika (IST) students donated chickens and dairy goats through Heifer International's Read to Feed program. Heifer International Tanzania's objective for this project is to enable MVC, most of whom live on less than US$ 1 a day, to realize some extra income through sale of eggs, chicken, live goats and surplus milk to enable them to buy basic households and school requirements.
Learn how Heifer's Read to Feed program benefited the Most Vulnerable Children in Tanzania.

Joining the Chain of Giving in Rwanda

Rwanda: Joining the Chain of Giving
At a Heifer International "Passing of the Gift" ceremony that took place outside Kigali, Rwanda, one-hundred fifty farmers, officials and celebratory dancers took part in the joyous occasion to mark the "passing on" gift of a dairy cow from 22 Heifer donors to 22 recipients. The donors were themselves recipients of a Heifer International gift of livestock, and were fulfilling their commitment to give their cow's first-born female to another needy recipient. The donations represented the sixth generation of giving for the vibrant, successful Heifer dairy cow project in Jabana, beginning with 172 animals in 2004, almost doubling in size to 321 cows in 2009.
Learn how you can join the chain of giving in Rwanda

Heifer Makes Girl's Best Day

Georgia: Heifer makes girl's "best day"
Tamta Gogoladze, an 8-year-old girl, lives in the village of Khashmi, the Kakheti region of Georgia. She shares the house with her father and mother, a 90-year-old grandmother and two adult brothers. The main activity of the family is selling piglets, but they provide just enough money for buying medication for their aged grandmother and covering utilities expenses, and minimal needs of the family's daily life. In spite of the diligent work and joint efforts of the family, purchasing a cow, a long time dream, seemed unfulfilled and impossible to realize. But with the gift of a heifer the situation of the family has radically changed. They maintain a stable high-calorie diet.
Learn more about how Heifer has helped Tamta and others in the Republic of Georgia

A Promising Future In Thailand

Thailand: Heifer brings a better future
In 1993, Asu's mother died while visiting family in Thailand. Asu crossed from Burma for the funeral, met Yuri and settled in Klon Mai, Thailand. There was little work and little food. "For my labor, I could only earn 25 bhat a day," said Asu. That's less than a dollar. To make it through the dry season, the family was forced to forage for food in the jungle. "Sometimes, it wasn't enough." Now, thanks to Heifer, the Lahuna family has enough food. "Since we became project members, I can see that our health has improved," said Asu. "I think it's not only because of more food, but, because we are more secure, our mental health is better also."
Learn more about how Heifer has helped Asu and his wife, Yuri

Miracle Cows in Rwanda

Rwanda: Miracle Cows in Rwanda
After losing everything in the horrible genocidal war that ravaged Rwanda in 1994, Christine Makahumure heard about an organization that was giving out cows. With little else to hope for, she applied for help. And soon after, Christine received her cow from Heifer International. In Rwanda, where a little more than a decade ago, neighbors were killing one another, Heifer's project partners are finding hope through their Cows of Peace.
Read more about the Cows for Peace Project in Rwanda.

Dairy Developments for Small Farmers in Africa

Africa: Gates Foundation grant empowers 179,000 dairy farmers
Through a generous gift from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Heifer is working to empower 179,000 dairy farmers double their milk production and develop refrigeration cooperatives so that the farmers can get more milk to market. Watch the video to see the impact this project is having on small farmers in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
Learn more about Heifer's partnership with the Gates Foundation

Cows Provide Milk and Education

Nicaragua: Cows Provide Milk and Education
Julian Sequiera Gomez and his family have been farming the rocky, volcanic soil of Colama for years, coaxing corn, wheat and beans from the fertile but often dry earth. Before Heifer, heads of households had to leave their homes to seek work in other countries. But now project participants say "Heifer has helped a lot of people here," he says. "Before, there was nothing. Now we have work."
Learn how Heifer has helped keep families together in Nicaragua

Stopping an Educational Drought in Guatemala

Guatemala: Squelching an Educational Drought
Changing age-old traditions is difficult, but the results can make it all worthwhile. Just ask the residents of eastern Guatemala, who've found that switching from one kind of animal to another has made a huge difference in their lives.
Learn how Heifer has made an impact in eastern Guatemala

New Opportunities for the Kosyukova Family

Ukraine: New Opportunities for the Kosyukova Family
When a new Heifer Ukraine project came to the village of Nova Orzhytsia, Lyudmila Kosyukova's family did not participate in it from the start. Once the family joined and learned about Heifer's Training and Education Cornerstone, they were inspired to invest the savings they built from selling excess milk to have a greater impact on sustainability and self reliance of not only their family, but the community in general.
Learn how Heifer's Training and Education Cornerstone impacted the Kosyukova family

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