Heifer.org project funding

Earlier this month Arbed blobbed about some questions about the gift donation program on heifer.org, regarding giving ducks and other animals to needy people in poor countries.  Last year I'd given a few of these as gifts to my family but this year I opted for all Oxfam donations.  I still wanted to donate to Heifer.org, because I still think it's a worthwhile and legitimate  cause, issues of whether the allotted gifts go to the right places or appropriately so, aside. (sorry for that abomination of a sentence). So I just visited the site and I don't know if this is new, but I didn't remember it from last year, but they have project funding.  The idea is that they have specific projects with specific needs and specific dollar amount goals, so you know exactly what your money is going toward.  The minimum donation for these projects is $150, so it may be more than you normally donate to one charity, I don't know.  One of the projects was fully funded, but most of the others are woefully low.  I picked one of the lands of my ancestry, Poland.

Poland - Agriculture and Tourism Development Project

With Heifer, people who never thought they'd be in a position to help someone else will be experiencing the joy of charitable giving.

Located in the Carpathian Mountain region of Southeastern Poland, this project will promote sustainable beekeeping, cattle breeding,and educational tourism in the neighboring villages of Rymanów Spa, Dylagowa, and Pobiedno. As this part of the country is protected by the International Biosphere Reserve “Eastern Carpathian” environmental laws, all agricultural production must be sustainable. Separate groups of participants will be responsible for each activity area. Twenty families will receive 10 bee families each (200 total) and 18 will receive a pair of Simmental heifers (36 total). Through pass-ons, this project will improve the living conditions of at least 114 rural families. Moreover, 30 young people will take part in tourism development activities and will prepare an educational and recreational path for visitors to the Bieszczady Mountains.

Farmers will pass on the gift according to Heifer principles. For each received heifer, a farmer will pass on a female offspring of the same age and quality to another farmer. Male offspring will be sold for profit. If the second offspring is also male, it will be sold and a worthy female will be bought and inseminated.

As for the beekeeping component of the project, each farmer will pass on the same number of bee families as they originally received. Bee families prepared for passing on will be in a proper stage of development and will be examined by a veterinary doctor. A bee family to be passed on will be bred on the basis of a queen bee prepared by the selected breeder who will complete training in queen bee breeding. This will protect the bee breed from inbreeding and degeneration. Moreover, each farmer will be obliged to pass on his own experience and knowledge about cattle breeding and beekeeping to the other people. Participants of the educational element of the project will pass on their knowledge about the creation of educational paths to other groups of young people living within the Bieszczady region.

View more Heifer projects

I just wanted to put it out there for anyone with some extra cash on hand! ;-)