Heifer-South Africa
Heifer-South Africa is a community development organisation assisting families to produce food and income for themselves using animals.
Life for many in South Africa is a daily battle for survival, a struggle that is not becoming easier. Unemployment levels in Northern and Eastern Cape provinces range between 54-56%, whilst in some communities in which we work, unemployment levels are as high as 60-80%.
In many instances, up to 10 people are living on an old age pension of R840 (approximately 112 US dollars) a month, whilst many families, that do not receive a pension, are living on less than R500 (65 US dollars) a month.
The AIDS pandemic has added a further dimension to an already unacceptably high incidence of poverty and daily drudgery. The scourge of AIDS does not end in the death of the person, but impacts families as they gather their meager resources to purchase a coffin and make funeral preparations for a humble tribute to a Mom or Dad's life (or a brother or sisters life).
The hope lies in helping families and communities to produce food and income so that they are adequately nourished, thereby reducing their vulnerability to diseases and infections. Additional income ensures children can be schooled (there is no free education), and additional essentials, like medicines, can be purchased. An organisation committed to uplifting and assisting such families and communities (whom often are neglected in government social grants) is Heifer-South Africa.
Because of my disablity I thought
As a head of the family and disabled I was depending on a social grant that I receive monthly from the government. My family was depending on me for their survival, but I thought because of my disabil...Read more.
Today I regard myself as a real farmer !
Heifer-South Africa helped me with training and 2 sows in 2003. My pigs multiplied in a manner that amazed me – I was able to make money through selling their offspring. In 2005, we received egg layin...Read more.
Children reach new heights
St Mary’s school for girls in Kloof, Kwa Zulu Natal partook in the Read to Feed programme during their second school term. Over a 5 week period the 420 girls read in excess of 14 000 age appropriat...Read more.