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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (March 7, 2014) – On behalf of women worldwide who struggle with hunger and poverty, Heifer International is joining the global community to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8. The theme this year is “Inspiring Change” for greater awareness of women’s equality, which is key to Heifer’s work.
For too long, women and girls have been denied the same opportunities afforded to men. Around the world, they are often refused the right to own property or livestock, attend school, access clean water, open bank accounts and secure loans. But investing in women’s education and employment leads to healthier and better-educated children and greater economic growth. Heifer is working to change the world for women—to unlock their potential and put them in control of their futures.
In Heifer projects around the world, women are the backbone of agriculture and the key driver of food production. One way Heifer is helping to end poverty is by providing women in impoverished communities with the assistance, tools and training to enhance food production and build sustainable assets and income. The impact these women-driven projects have remarkable impact. By placing animal and knowledge assets directly into the hands of women farmers, Heifer has empowered them to quickly convert these gifts into food and income-generating enterprises so that they can send their children to school, pay medical bills and lift themselves out of poverty.
As we mark the occasion of International Women’s Day, we honor the women in our projects who have made tremendous strides and continue to inspire change all over the world.
Women like Dhankumari Lama, a 21-year-old women living in Nepal, who inspired change in herself and her community. At the young age of 14, Dhankumari had to leave school because her parents didn’t have the financial means for her education and she was expected to marry. At age 16, she became the youngest member of Heifer’s self-help group for women where she was encouraged by the 25 other participants to pursue her passion for reading and writing. In fact, they helped her raise enough money—supplementing money from the milk she sold from the goats Heifer provided her—to enroll in a local school and continue her education. Today she’s pursuing an intermediate degree in business—something once unheard of for women in her village.
Heifer International will be sharing inspiring stories like this one throughout the month of March on our World Ark Blog. We hope they will inspire you to inspire change.
About Heifer International:
Heifer’s mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. For 70 years, Heifer International has provided livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training to improve the lives of those who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income. Heifer is currently working in more than 30 countries, including the United States, to help families and communities become more self-reliant. For more information, visit www.heifer.org, read our blog, follow us on Facebook or Twitter, or call 1-888-5HUNGER (888-548-6437).
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