Have you given a heifer today?

During the holiday season I received a catalog in the mail with a cow on the front. I seriously thought it was a joke. When I read the title Heifer International, I wasn't sure what to think! Instead of throwing it away, I decided to look inside strictly out of curiosity. It is an organization that helps to transform villages and communities through gifts of livestock.

The initial recipient may be given a pair cows. When the pair mates, a calf will be given to someone else until everyone has enough to sustain them. The ultimate pay it forward. I'd never heard of it before and was quite skeptical. Donations can be sent in your name, and you can give this gift to a family in need. I thought it was too good to be real, so I ignored it.

Fast forward to now. I was discussing women's affairs with a co-worker, and she mentioned the Heifer organization. I couldn't believe it. So someone else has heard of it! We talked a little more, and she brought me in an article about the group written by Barbara Kingsolver. The article was about a young widow in Nepal.

It is the story of poverty and isolation. She is an outcast. Her life is filled with drab colors. Red is not the color for a woman whose husband has died. Not only are the women of Nepal subject to these principles, they also carry them out. It was her mother-in-law who made sure she was not wearing red and that she was ostracized. This was the way of life. The Heifer organization changed this village and helped heal their jaded points of view.

Through empowering the women to be self-sufficient, they learned to take care of each other in the process. They learned to care for the animals and pass along off-spring. They learned to be inclusive instead of exclusive. They learned to receive as well as give. So now, instead of searching for meaningless gifts for birthdays and anniversaries, why not give a heifer? Or a goat or pigs?